Indoor pollution

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jan 11, 1999 by LISA M. SODDERS

The air inside your home may have more health hazards than the great outdoors

Home sweet home can be hazardous to your health.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution can be two to five times higher -- and sometimes 100 times higher -- than outdoor levels. Indoor air pollution can include allergens such as second-hand smoke, dust mites, pet dander, mold, and pollen; combustion pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide; formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds in furnishings; asbestos; and radon gas. Some pollutants, such as pollen and dust, are health hazards for people with asthma or allergies. Radon has been linked to lung cancer, and too much carbon monoxide can kill. The energy crisis in the 1970s spurred the development of tighter, better-insulated homes said Jerry Orr, creator of the American Lung Association's Health House Project. While these newer homes are more energy-efficient, they also eliminate natural ventilation and trap many airborne contaminants. The Health House Project is a program by the lung association designed to raise the standards for healthier indoor environments. 3M, the makers of Filtrete filters, has teamed with the lung association for the program; 3M's Filtrete air filters are used in coming Health House demonstration homes in New Hampshire and Arizona. According to the EPA, most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors. Indoor air quality is particularly crucial in homes with children: They breathe 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults, who breathe an average of 13,000 liters of air per day, according to the EPA. The American Lung Association recommends homeowners clean air conditioners, dehumidifiers and heat exchangers regularly. Because moisture provides a breeding ground for mold and other biological pollutants, fix leaks in your house and use exhaust fans in bathrooms to vent moisture outside. To reduce a dust mite problem, wash bedding every seven to 10 days in very hot (at least 130 degree) water, the lung association said. Vacuuming won't remove dust mites from carpeting, so if you're very allergic, you might want to consider washable area rugs instead. Radon has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking. In Kansas, one in four homes will have radon levels above four picocuries per liter (pCi/l), which the EPA identifies as the level at which corrective action should be taken, said Michelle Strong, radon coordinator for the state of Kansas. According to KDHE statistics, out of 816 tests performed in Shawnee County since 1988, the average radon measurement was 4.15 pCi/l, with the highest measurement 51.30 pCi/l. A total of 282 tests had levels about 4.0 pCi/l. So why aren't more people concerned?"Radon is an odorless, colorless (radioactive) gas," Strong said. "If we can't see it, we don't tend to believe it exists." Also, unlike carbon monoxide, which kills quickly at toxic levels, radon's effects may take years to show up. Radon comes from the natural breakdown of radium, which is a decay product of uranium. Uranium and radium are both common elements in the soil around the world, according to the American Lung Association of Kansas. The main source of high-level radon pollution in buildings is in surrounding uranium-containing soil such as granite, shale, phosphate and pitchblende. Radon breaks down into components that emit high-energy alpha particles, according to the association. These emissions raise the risk of lung cancer. According to the lung association, if 1,000 smokers were exposed to 4 pCI/L over a lifetime, about 29 could get lung cancer, 100 times the risk of dying in an airplane crash. If 1,000 people who had never smoked were exposed to the same level over a lifetime, about 2 could get lung cancer, about the same risk as drowning. Radon can enter houses through cracks in the floors, foundations and other openings. Differences in foundation construction, as well as local geologic and soil characteristics can result in great differences in radon levels in homes in the same neighborhood. "Any home can have a radon problem if there is a strong source of radon in the soil underneath the home," said Judy Keller, executive director of the lung association. "If the home does have high radon levels, that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it. It means that a certified contractor should mitigate the existing problem before you actually purchase it." Short-term test devices include charcoal canisters, alpha track detectors, liquid scintillation detectors, electret ion chambers and continuous monitors. These devices remain in the house for two to 90 days, according to the EPA. Methods to correct radon problems can include sealing cracks in floors and walls, changing the flow of air into the home and venting radon to the outside. The cost of mitigation depends on when the home was built and the extent of the problem but can range from $500 to $2,500, and averages about $1,200, according to the EPA.