There is an increasing amount of research on the potential dangers of indoor air in our homes. It is widely accepted that indoor air is more toxic than outdoor air, even in areas with smog problems. Inside our homes we have so many manufactured items that emit fumes regularly: plywood furniture, vinyl flooring, carpet, and others. They may have no odor and we may never notice them, but our body still inhales them and has to detoxify them. What is not yet known is the health impact of the proliferation of these chemicals.
Indoor Air Matters
Studies of air toxins have rigged participants up with various toxin meters that they carry around with them throughout the day. They also place a meter in the participant's home and outside in the geographic area that defines the participant's environment, such as various locations in a city. In this way, they can distinguish between the participant's exposure to toxins inside and outside as well as any specific exposure a participant may have had over the course of a day in another venue. What these studies have found is fascinating:
* Indoor air is polluted with particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and biologicals such as mold and mildew at levels greater than outdoor air on many items. (Kinney et al. 2002)
* Indoor air pollution exceeds EPA regulations for exposure to those substances.
* Indoor air matters: new surface materials in the home based in plastics and polymer technology cause health effects in children (Jaakkola et al. 1999, 2000, 2004).
Indoor air is a major problem because we continue to put items in our homes that emit fumes and our homes, increasingly, do not provide adequate air flow. Ahead of their time, the geniuses of the Craftsman era in American architecture, such as our home's architect Irving Gill, saw fresh air as critical to health. Homes were built to maximize air flow. Antibiotics were not available back in the early 1900s and stagnant air and unclean surfaces were big contributors to poor health. The houses built in the craftsman tradition focused on air flow throughout the house and cleanable surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. Before homes were built, the building site was studied to assess air currents and windows were constructed to ensure that air was flowing through the house. Few new homes these days get such attention, but they need them. Our homes are filled with fumes, molds, mites, and particulate matter. As we breathe them in, our body must use nutrients to flush them out.
What You Can Do This Summer: Increase Air Flow
Indoor air tends to be much worse in the summer because our houses heat up and fume-emitting carpets and furniture emit more fumes. Many of us also keep our homes closed up and run the air conditioner using recirculating air. Here are a few simple steps to improve your indoor air quality this summer:
(1) Try to put off using the air conditioner for as long as possible. Start using it later in the spring or summer than you normally would.
(2) In those transition times when the nights are a bit cooler, turn off the air conditioner and open the house up at night. If you need the AC in the afternoon, so be it. At least the house will have a chance to air over night.
(3) Be strategic about what windows you are opening. Determine the natural direction of airflow on your home site. If it is east to west, open your east and west doors and windows regularly. Use fans to direct air out the windows and doors that you do have, particularly if they do not face the direction of natural air flow.
For your longer-term planning:
(1) When replacing windows, select casement windows as you can afford them. The panes are designed to swing out so you have fewer fixed panes of glass than you do with double-hung or sliding windows. If you can only afford a few, place them strategically where your airflow is greatest.
(2) For new construction, have the home site assessed for airflow and choose a design plan that allows air to flow through your house.
(3) Buy a craftsman home. :)
Part II: Reduce Indoor Fumes, coming soon.
Comments (4)
This is good information. Thank you for sharing it. I like sunlight, especially inside where I am not burned, and I love outside air flowing through except when it is too humid. I will link to your blog from our family blog. Thank you!
Posted by Mrs. DashJr | June 19, 2007 7:37 PM
Posted on June 19, 2007 19:37
This is good information. Thank you for sharing it. I like sunlight, especially inside where I am not burned, and I love outside air flowing through except when it is too humid. I will link to your blog from our family blog. Thank you!
Posted by Mrs. DashJr | June 19, 2007 7:37 PM
Posted on June 19, 2007 19:37
One thing that I know helps a lot in my home is the vacuum cleaner I use...I use a Rainbow (it's actually an air purifier as well as a wet n dry vac). It uses water to remove all of the dust and impurities from the air and even pulls the loose carpet fibers from underneath the carpet. If I would actually run it for 15 minutes a day I wouldn't even have to dust. It technically gives the air in your house a shower.
These can be a bit pricy; but, in the long run, it is a lot better for your health and there are no dusty bags or bins to dump! You can even flush the waste water down the toilet (depending on all that was sucked up, that is).
Posted by Angela | June 21, 2007 7:19 AM
Posted on June 21, 2007 07:19
Hi Angela! I have heard very good things about Rainbows. I have a Kirby which has great suction, but is a dry-vac.
Amanda
Posted by Amanda Rose | June 23, 2007 7:19 PM
Posted on June 23, 2007 19:19