Indoor Environmental Health
According to the EPA, the average American spends 90% of their time indoors. And did you know that indoor air is often more toxic than outdoor air? Indoor air can contain up to 5 times more pollutants than outdoor air! The quality of the air in our homes can have a huge impact on our health; allergies, asthma, and illnesses can be related to or exacerbated by contaminants in the home, carbon monoxide, mold, dust, and mouse or cockroach droppings. There is evidence to support the idea that a clean, healthy home can lead to fewer doctor visits and trips to the emergency room for children suffering from asthma, and contribute to a family’s overall well being and health.
Learn about indoor environmental health issues and ways to address them through the links below:
- Why indoor environment quality is important, links to mold/dampness, ventilation, toxic chemicals/products, construction, etc.
- FAQs on indoor air quality
- The National Center for Healthy Housing contains checklists, fact sheets and other useful resources on all topics of healthy homes and indoor environmental health
- Learn about the how’s and why’s of proper home ventilation
- List of air pollutants and health risks, tips on how to reduce risks and increase indoor air quality
- Learn specifically about lead safety