People in industrialized countries today spend 90% of their lives inside buildings. Unfortunately studies show that the air inside these buildings is more polluted than the outdoor air in most cities and more than 80% of us live in cities.

In the 1970’s fuel conservation became a big concern and we started building houses, offices and schools with more energy efficient designs and products. The new air-tight buildings seal in highly allergenic products with the occupants. When you tighten up buildings for energy efficiency the indoor air quality can suffer.

50% of all illnesses are caused or aggravated by polluted indoor air according to the American College of Allergists.

The American Lung Association states that air pollution contributes significantly to lung disease, respiratory tract infections, and asthma and lung cancer.

Asthma cases have more than doubled in the past 20 years.   The National Center for Health Statistics reports that over 7 million children and more than 12 million adults suffer from asthma. 50 million Americans suffer from some sort of breathing difficulty.

USA Today (Sept 30, 2004) reported that household chemicals are linked to the increasing incidence of childhood asthma. Children are more vulnerable to toxic vapors because they have a higher breathing rate to body size than an adult.

Common household pollutants:

Pollen – Pollen is blown into your house with the wind or carried in on your clothes and it causes war with your sinuses. Even if you are not currently allergic to pollen as your system is continually bombarded with toxic chemicals in the air you can develop allergies to things that used to not cause you problems.

Combustion fumes – Poorly ventilated fireplaces, gas furnaces and gas appliances put unhealthy toxins in the air.

Mold

Household dust and dust mites – One ounce of dust contains 10-20,000 dust mites. 10% of the population is allergic to dust mite fecal protein.

Pet hair and pet dander - 70% of households have one or more domestic pets. 10 million are known to be allergic to their pet.

Microorganisms – bacteria, viruses and fungi. These are infections that can spread through coughing and sneezing and are floating around in the air.

Tobacco Smoke

Radon - 1 out of 15 U.S. houses has radon levels above the EPA’s recommended level. Radon exposure is right after cigarette smoking as a cause of lung cancer. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from radioactive decay in soil; it floats up from the ground into your home through cracks in the foundation, floors and walls.

Pesticides - 90% of all US households use pesticides. 85% of pesticide exposure occurs inside the home.

Volatile organic compounds - VOCs are chemicals that evaporate into the air from building materials, paint, fabrics, carpet, adhesives, bathroom deodorizers, and cleaning supplies.

There are four ways to deal with your indoor pollution eliminate, ventilate, filter and purify. Next, are some suggestions on how to accomplish all four.