Green Living Tips On How To Purify Your Indoor Air - Part IV

This is the 4th part of Green Living Tips On How To Purify Your Indoor Air.

Vent or Shut Off Your Wood Stove

Fireplaces and wood or gas stoves in your home can produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particle pollution, as well as other toxic air pollutants.

Use a fireplace or wood stove only if you must have it for heat. If you must use a wood or gas stove or fireplace, make certain it is fully vented to the outside. Wood stoves should meet State of Washington emission standards, which require cleaner-burning stoves.

Beware of Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a nearly colorless gas found in many home products. Disinfectants, adhesive or bonding agents, insecticides, urea formaldehyde foam insulation and particle board may all contain formaldehyde. It is a carcinogen and can cause health problems that include coughing, eye, nose, and throat irritation, skin rashes and asthma-like symptoms. People with asthma may be more sensitive to formaldehyde.

Keep formaldehyde away from your home by choosing wood panel products that are not made with urea formaldehyde glues, lumber or materials. Cigarette smoke is also a major source of indoor formaldehyde -- another reason to ban smoking from your home.

Avoid Pesticides

Pesticides used to curb household pests can allow harmful chemicals into your home and may cause added health dangers to children and pets. Still, some pests can trigger allergic reactions and worsen asthma.

Practice integrated pest management to keep your home free of pests and harmful chemicals alike. Integrated pest management includes simple things like blocking holes and keeping food in tightly sealed containers. Cover your trash cans and keep your floors and counter free of crumbs. Use bait traps if necessary to catch pests. Only use chemicals as a last resort and get professional help.

Avoid Toxic Products

Consumer products can produce harmful air pollution indoors. Hair and nail products, cleaning products, art and hobby supplies and other common products can increase the levels of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. Some of the VOCs in these products include substances linked to cancer, headaches, eye and throat irritation and worsened asthma.

Look for products which are marked “low VOCs” and be sure to open windows and use exhaust fans when using these products.

Ventilate Your Kitchen

Cooking can be a big source of indoor air pollution, especially if you have a gas stove. Scientists who measured indoor air quality found that cooking a single meal on a gas stove can produce levels of nitrogen dioxide that the EPA considers unsafe to breathe. Nitrogen dioxide can worsen asthma and increase your risk of respiratory infection.

Ventilate your kitchen stove directly outside or open a kitchen window when you cook. Keeping exhaust -- including cooking odors and particles -- outside of your home prevents dangerous fumes and particles from harming you or your family.

Ventilate Your Bathroom

Bathroom fans can help reduce the level of moisture in your home and prevent the growth of mold. Make sure to use them whenever possible. If you are building a home or remodeling, install a fan with a separate timer that can continue to remove moisture after you turn out the light.

A little common sense goes a long way. If a bathroom smells like mold or you can see water spots, you need to reduce the moisture level of your home. Always start by identifying the source of household problems, and then find the simplest step to fix it. Taking small steps to improve the air quality of your home can have tremendous results.

Know The Limitation Of Air Purifiers
Air cleaning devices can help reduce some of the tiniest airborne particles, and as part of a comprehensive strategy, may help reduce indoor air pollution.

However, they have limits. For example, they aren't effective against gases or humidity. Larger, heavier particles -- including many allergens -- fall too quickly out of the air to be effectively removed this way.

If you chose to use an air cleaning device, make sure that it does not produce ozone -- either intentionally or as a byproduct.

Don't Install Carpet

Avoid using carpet whenever possible. Carpet traps unhealthy particles -- including chemicals, dust mites, pet dander, dirt and fungi -- and vacuuming can make them airborne.

If you do have carpets, use a HEPA (high efficiency particle air) vacuum cleaner to ensure better air quality.

Hard surface flooring, like wood, tile or cork can be readily cleaned by damp mopping.

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Green Living Tips On How To Purify Your Indoor Air - Part III

This is the 3rd part of Green Living Tips On How To Purify Your Indoor Air

Protect Your Kids From Bad Air On The Bus

Your child may be breathing high levels of dangerous pollution inside their school bus, including diesel exhaust, fine particles and carcinogens. Studies of air inside old diesel school buses found high levels of a wide list of pollutants, with consistently higher levels than outdoor air.

Protect children's health by advocating for the use of clean diesel school buses. While all buses emit pollution, buses with cleaner equipment installed can reduce the amount of pollution your child breathes.

Ventilate To Control Humidity

Properly ventilating your home is one of the best ways to protect and improve air quality. High levels of moisture in your home increase dampness and the growth of mold, which not only damage your home but threaten health. Dampness and mold are linked to increased wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks in people with allergies. Normal daily household activities -- including cooking, washing and even breathing -- produce water vapor, so having adequate ventilation is essential to remove moisture from the air.

Try these dehumidifying tricks to keep the humidity in your home below 50%.

• Install and run exhaust fans in bathrooms to remove unhealthy moisture and odors from your home.
  
• Make sure that vents exhaust air outdoors and not into other parts of your home.
  
• Remove any mold damage or growth and fix all leaks.

Beware of Dry Cleaning Chemicals

Dry cleaning solvents are strong chemicals, and can be toxic to breathe. Let dry cleaned items air outdoors before bringing them inside. Hanging them on an outdoor clothesline will prevent many of these chemicals from entering your home.

Beware Of Old Lead Paints

Keeping the air clean within the walls of your home starts with the walls themselves.

Lead-based paints can still be found in homes built before 1978. Any peeling, chipping or chalking of lead-based paint can increase the risk of unhealthy lead exposure. Young children risk delays in mental development, lower IQ and behavioral problems from inhaling lead paint dust. Some of those damages can be permanent.

Remodeling that requires sanding, scraping or removing walls will release paint dust into your living space. However, you can reduce the risk if you take the proper steps. The Environmental Protection Agency offers these six recommendations:

• Keep areas where children play as dust-free and clean as possible.
• Leave lead-based paint undisturbed if it is in good condition; do not sand or burn off paint that may contain lead.
• Do not remove lead paint yourself.
• Do not bring lead dust into the home.
• If your work or hobby involves lead, change clothes and use doormats before entering your home.
• Eat a balanced diet, rich in calcium and iron.
  

Get professional help for peeling paint or remodeling if your home was built before 1978. Older homes likely have lead-based paint on the walls, doors and trim. Inhaling the lead paint dust can be harmful to your health and professionals can help you stay safe.

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Green Living Tips On How To Purify Your Indoor Air - Part II

This is a continuation on my previous post on green living tips on how to purify your indoor air.

Kill the Dust Mites

Dust allergies are actually allergies to dust mites -- microscopic pests that need moisture to survive. Scientists have also concluded that breathing dust mite allergens can cause asthma in children. Dust mites feed on human skin and live in bedding, pillows, mattresses, stuffed toys, upholstery and carpets.

To fight dust mites in your home:

• Keep humidity levels below 50% indoors.
  
• Use a dehumidifier if necessary.
• Intensive vacuuming and steam cleaning of upholstered furniture may help.
  
• Remove carpets.
  
• Using dust-mite-resistant covers and washing your bedding in very hot water may help as part of a comprehensive approach, but don’t rely on those steps by themselves.

Don't Disturb Asbestos - Get Help

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can still be found in many older homes. Inhaling tiny asbestos fibers can increase the risk of lung cancer and other lung diseases. Pipe coverings, flooring, shingles and roofs are likely places to find asbestos.

Check asbestos-containing materials regularly for damage from tears, water or wear. Don't try to remove asbestos that is already in place; asbestos is best left undisturbed. If the material is damaged or you plan to remodel, protect your health by getting professional help.

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Green Living Tips On How To Purify Your Indoor Air

Do you know that your indoor air quality is 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air? The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that people spend 90% of their time indoors, and this indoor air pollution can threaten the health -- and the lives -- of everyone in your family.

The most effective way to keep the air in your home safe and healthy is to keep away cigarette smoke, excess moisture and chemical. Ventilate your house to pull dangerous pollutants out of the house. Run the exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen. Open your windows. Make sure you have a good exhaust system in place for appliances and stoves.

3 Most Deadly Indoor Air Pollutants

1. Carbon monoxide: over 400 people die each year and thousands of others become ill or seek medical attention after exposure to the odorless gas. Sometimes the early symptoms resemble the flu, but look for these differences: if more than one family member has symptoms -- even your pets -- and you feel better away from home, you may have a carbon monoxide problem. Carbon monoxide levels can rise very quickly in unventilated areas without anyone noticing the colorless, odorless, toxic gas. Protect yourself by installing a carbon monoxide detector near your sleeping rooms. Also have all fuel burning appliances inspected by a qualified technician once a year to keep the deadly gas away from your home.
2. Secondondhand smoke: 7,500-15,000 children are hospitalized or sickened with respiratory tract infections, and older adults with cardiovascular or lung illness are at higher risk of health problems from cigarette smoke exposure. Never let anyone smoke inside your home. The Surgeon General states that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. Ask smokers to take it outside to protect the health of you and your family.
3. Radon gas: Is a lethal and invisible killer. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second-leading cause of lung cancer, period. Scientists estimate that radon causes thousands of deaths annually.
   
   Radon is an odorless, invisible gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock and can only be detected through testing. Protect yourself and your family. Test your home for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive and getting rid of radon may save your life.silent. It's odorless. It's found in many American homes, and it is the second biggest cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoke.

Fix Leaks
Rain and high humidity can bring moisture indoors, creating dampness, mold and mildew -- big problems for healthy indoor air. Dampness alone -- not just mold -- is associated with higher risk of wheezing, coughing and asthma symptoms.

Check your roof, foundation and basement or crawlspace once a year to catch leaks or moisture problems and route water away from your home’s foundation. Fix problems as quickly as possible to prevent unhealthy dampness from entering your home.

Clean Your Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier

Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness of children in the U.S. Help keep asthma triggers away from your house by fixing leaks and drips as soon as they start. Standing water and high humidity encourage the growth of dust mites, mold and mildew -- some of the most common triggers that can worsen asthma. Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner when needed, and clean both regularly.

Keep Your Pets Outdoors
Pet allergies can come from an animal’s saliva, urine, feces and dead skin cells, so no pet is “hypoallergenic.” If someone in your family has pet allergies, keep your pet outdoors. Moving your pet from indoors to out can help reduce exposure to these allergens. However, cat allergens can stay in place for 20 weeks or more.

If you must keep your pet indoors, keep it away from sleeping rooms. Clean floors and upholstered furniture frequently (two or more times a week) to reduce exposure to pet allergens indoors. Unfortunately, two often-recommended actions do not seem to work: neither washing pets nor using indoor air cleaning devices helps.

to be continued next posting...

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10 Ways To Go Green At Work

Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies. Here are your additional 10 ways to go green at work:

1. Be bright about light
Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.

• Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.
• Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

2. Maximize computer efficiency
Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.

• Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.
• Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)

3. Print smarter
The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.

• Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.
• Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."
  

4. Go paperless when possible

• Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.
• Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.
  

5. Ramp up your recycling

• Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.
• Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.
  

6. Close the loop

• Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

7. Watch what (and how) you eat

• Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.
• Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.
  

8. Rethink your travel

• Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.
• Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.
  

9. Reconsider your commute

• Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar and Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels.
• Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.
  

10. Create a healthy office environment

• Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
• Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals.

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