GreenSage E-zine 02/2008

The GreenSage Guide to Indoor Air Quality
by Elaine Ireland

Thousand of pollutants are found indoors. Chemicals, particulates and biological contaminants can wreak havoc on occupants. Indoor exposure concentrations are one to five times the median outdoor concentrations, and sometimes as much as 100 times more polluted than outdoors. IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) can vary from relatively non-toxic to highly toxic.

Evidence has made it clear that many of these pollutants come from building materials and furnishings.

Many new and renovated properties cause occupants to experience temporary ill-health symptoms while others develop permanent ill effects and chemical sensitivities referred to as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) or Environmental Illness (EI).

Good IAQ involves minimizing the contaminants through proper selection of building materials and furnishings (green products), adequate ventilation and airflow (open windows or air filtering systems), and monitoring activities that may contribute to poor IAQ (such as no smoking or fragrances and using non-toxic cleaning supplies).

The source of indoor air quality problems are typically:

1.	A ventilation system which is unable to control existing air contaminants or it can be the cause itself from microbiological growth within the system.
2.	Contaminants, which can emanate from indoors, outdoors, or within the heating or cooling system, are generally of three types: chemical, biological or particulate — of which most of society is unaware and takes for granted:
	•	chemicals — VOCs offgassed from such things as the ink of newspapers and magazines, cleaning products, carpeting, furniture, adhesives, insulation, plywood and particleboard, pesticides, and residues on leather, synthetic fabrics, synthetic polymer based furnishings and decorative materials.
	•	biological contaminants — such as molds, bacteria and 'dirt' brought indoors on shoes.
	•	particulates — such as lead, asbestos, sawdust, soft goods such as carpets and fabrics, and tobacco smoke.

Its been over 45 years since the dangerous affects of chemicals in our environment have been documented. Yet, now there are well over 85,000 chemicals currently in commerce, less than 10% of which have been tested for neurotoxicity. Many of them are used in the products intended for our indoor environments.

Our Stolen Future tells of case studies and research findings which disclose the documented effects these chemical exposures have wreaked upon us without our consent or knowledge — and their effects on wildlife. For example, creatures in the most remote parts of the planet have elevated levels of chemicals in their body fat and physiological problems are being seen across many different species worldwide — not just in humans. Most alarming are problems affecting the ability to reproduce, which could lead to the extinction of a species. Many of these chemicals are commonly used in the manufacture and/or installation of building materials.

Currently, our observation of this problem is vast, but our scientifically quantifiable knowledge is still limited. Adequate data about the effects of specific chemicals is almost non-existent. So little testing has been performed that not much is known about most chemicals emitted from all sorts of materials and products — such as what level causes or contributes to adverse health effects, to which portions of our population, and are effects different in isolation or combined with other chemicals?

Chemical contaminants are typically implicated in MCS, EI and many other illnesses, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. They include combustion product gases (like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and natural gas), radon, ozone, second hand tobacco smoke and VOCs (such as pesticides, formaldehyde, benzene, aldehydes and many others) which are known or suspected of causing cancer, endocrine disruption or developmental toxicity.

What you can do
Dangers can be minimized by becoming educated and following these guidelines.

1.Eliminate gasses
Ensure that radon levels are well below maximums, especially if a property is built into the earth, such as basements and other underground interiors. If radon is suspected, the EPA offers a video, “Breathing Easy: What Home Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Radon.” It includes radon science, home inspection, testing, fixing a home and many resources. Other resources include the National Radon Information Line and the Radon FIX-IT program. Consider a pilotless ignition gas stove and ensure that any gas stove or other gas fixtures have a proper exhaust fan or ventilation. The U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that every home should have at least one CO alarm and that it meet the requirements of the most recent UL standards

2. Minimize VOCs
It is well known that new building materials emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Select low-VOC and no-formaldehyde materials at every opportunity. Of particular importance is to eliminate as many VOC containing products in rooms designed for babies and children. Prioritize largest surface areas first, such as flooring and walls. In other words, ensure your carpeting, wood, bamboo or resilient flooring have minimum VOCs as well as any adhesives or cleaning products needed for installation and maintenance. Carefully assess VOC contents of paints and wallcoverings and their outgassing times. Equally important are your wood furniture (now mostly made from conventional plywood or particleboard laden with formaldehyde) and the upholstered furniture you spend most of the time on, such as all mattresses and bedding and your family room couch laden with fire retardants. (Be sure to see the very important information in our article on the current Safe Kids Campaign and the legislative bill, AB706, Furniture Safety and Fire Prevention Act to phase out toxic flame retardants in upholstered furniture and baby products.) Fragrance emitting products should be eliminated or minimized, such as laundry and cleaning products, sprays that are supposed to 'freshen' your indoors, scented candles and other similar products. Smoking indoors should be completely eliminated.