For homeowners and occupants of homes, indoor air quality in Keizer, OR, can be a real concern. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes that the air inside can be more polluted than outdoor air. Air quality solutions from Air Stars can help, but knowing what issues are present is necessary to address them. While it might not be immediately obvious, indoor air quality (IAQ) in your home may be contaminated by the following:
- Dust
- High Humidity
- Biological Contaminants
- Combustion Byproducts
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Formaldehyde
- Pesticides
- Lead
- Asbestos
1. Dust
Dust may seem like a fact of life. And that’s somewhat true; some dust is almost unavoidable. However, it comprises various materials and particles that float in the air, cover surfaces, and settle inside vents and ductwork. Organic and inorganic components of dust can include:
- Pollen
- Pet dander
- Particulate matter
- Dead skin
- Cooking byproducts
- Food debris
- Smoke
- Insect remains
- Insect/rodent droppings
- Dust mites
- Outdoor pollutants
According to the American Lung Association, a person can shed up to 1.5 grams of skin flakes each day. These accumulate in mattresses, blankets, carpets, upholstered furniture, clothes, and any item covered in fabric. They also serve as a food source for dust mites; although tiny, their body parts and droppings are major contributors to allergy and asthma symptoms.
Fortunately, dust can be managed with:
- Frequent vacuuming
- Microfiber dusting products
- Changing HVAC filters every 30 to 90 days
- Portable air purifiers
- Whole-house air purification systems
- Professional duct cleaning
2. High Humidity
Moisture is nearly always present in the air. You breathe it in all the time. However, excessive humidity is an indoor air quality concern. The ideal indoor humidity is 30% to 50%. Higher levels can make your home feel warm and sticky and create the ideal environment for dust mites, mold, bacteria, and other biological contaminants, some of which can release toxins that cause or contribute to illness.
High moisture levels can also make it more difficult to regulate internal body temperature. We often do this via sweating, which allows us to cool through evaporation. Meanwhile, low indoor humidity can lead to dry, itchy skin and other issues such as chapped lips, sore throats, and coughing. Dry air can also dehydrate wood, damaging molding, cracking door frames, and causing wood floors to creak and potentially crack.
Many newer thermostats measure humidity, so you can track moisture levels in your home. Or, you can use a hygrometer to get humidity readings. Your HVAC system helps remove some moisture from the air, but you can obtain better humidity regulation with the following:
- Using a Dehumidifier: Removes excess moisture from the air.
- Using a Humidifier: Adds moisture if indoor humidity is too low.
- Opening Windows: Increases air movement to help dehumidify your home.
- Running Fans: A fan improves circulation, which helps remove moisture.
- Cleaning Your HVAC Unit: A cleaner AC or furnace works more effectively, thereby providing better humidity control.
3. Biological Contaminants
Mold, bacteria, and dust mites are some biological contaminants already mentioned. There are biological hazards all around us. Animal dander is a major contaminant, so your pets may be contributing to indoor air pollution. Our loving pets are a part of the family, but sneezing, watery eyes, and itchy skin may be due to airborne hair and dander. Even if you’re not allergic to these, they can affect your HVAC system, so it’s important to change your air filters often or install a higher-efficiency filter.
Biological pollutants can originate from anything from plants to cockroaches. Others include:
- Viruses: Both people and animals transmit viruses that can lead to colds, flu, and other illnesses, including measles and chicken pox.
- Bacteria: Sources of bacteria include people, animals, soil, and plant debris. Even moist or water-damaged carpets and other materials can harbor bacteria. Humidity control can prevent infections.
- Rodent Urine: Rat and mouse urine contains a highly allergenic protein, especially when it dries and becomes airborne.
Fortunately, you can reduce your exposure to biological contaminants with the following solutions:
- Keep Your House Clean: Regular cleaning can reduce the amount of animal dander, pollen, dust mites, and other contaminants. If you suffer from allergies, wash bedding in water at 130℉, use allergen-proof mattress covers, or leave the house during vacuuming.
- Use Exhaust Fans: Run kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans that vent air outdoors. These help reduce the amount of organic pollutants in your home. Clothes dryers should also be vented outdoors.
- Improve Attic and Crawl Space Ventilation: Water condensation in non-living spaces can create an unhealthy environment inside your home. With humidity levels below 50%, you can keep moisture content down, protecting both people and building materials.
- Protect Your Basement: Basement contamination can be reduced by cleaning and disinfecting the floor drain, patching water leaks, and improving outdoor ventilation. Keeping your basement heated can prevent condensation. Running a dehumidifier can control relative humidity levels.
4. Combustion Byproducts
Byproducts from combustion sources, including gas stoves, woodstoves, gas space heaters, fireplaces, and others, are concerns for indoor air quality in Keiser, OR. Even environmental tobacco smoke is a combustion product and contains numerous harmful chemicals. Unvented kerosene heaters can produce acid aerosols, while poorly installed and maintained chimneys and flues can cause gases and particles to back up. A cracked furnace heat exchanger can also be dangerous.
Common indoor air quality concerns from combustion include:
- Carbon Monoxide (CO): Although colorless and odorless, this gas is highly toxic as it prevents the absorption of oxygen within the body. The symptoms of exposure include headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and confusion; they can even mimic signs of the flu or food poisoning. High concentrations of CO can be deadly.
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): Also colorless and odorless, NO2 causes eye, nose, and throat irritation and shortness of breath. Continued exposure can increase the risk of respiratory infection and potentially lung diseases such as emphysema.
- Small Particles: Incompletely burned fuels release tiny particles that are harmful when inhaled. Some of these can lodge deep in the lungs and irritate lung tissue, causing damage over time. Some of these particles are known to cause cancer.
To reduce the risk of exposure:
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installing, adjusting, and using a space heater.
- Run exhaust fans over gas cooking appliances to reduce the amount of combustion byproducts in the air.
- Properly adjust burners so the flame tip is blue.
- Install only EPA-certified woodstoves that meet the latest emissions standards.
- Have your central HVAC system inspected annually and repaired when there are signs of damage.
5. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Household products contain a wide range of organic chemicals that can reduce indoor air quality. These include fuels, which are made of organic chemicals released when they’re burned. Potentially harmful VOCs are also found in paints, varnishes, wax, air fresheners, cosmetics, and hobby products. Benzene is a common chemical found in paint, glue, and even carpeting; acetone is found in wallpaper, furniture polish, and nail polish remover; and ethanol is contained in laundry and dishwasher detergents.
Some organic chemicals have no known health effects, while others are highly toxic. The effects of some depend on the amount and duration of exposure. For some compounds, the health effects are not fully known. The immediate symptoms of exposure to some VOCs include:
- Eye and respiratory irritation
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Visual disturbances
- Memory impairment
You can reduce your exposure to household VOCs with the following tips:
- Follow Instructions on Product Labels: Pay attention to warnings on product labels. If the label suggests use in a well-ventilated area, open windows, run an exhaust fan, or go outdoors. Use any aerosol spray, cleanser, air freshener, disinfectant, or moth repellent with care.
- Discard Chemical Products Safely: Properly discard old gas or chemical containers. Don’t throw them away in a garbage can. Gases can leak from closed containers. Find out about local services that dispose of toxic household waste products.
- Limit Your Exposure: Buy paints, paint strippers, kerosene, and other VOC products in quantities you’ll use only immediately. Always read the product label. If an item contains methylene chloride (which converts to carbon monoxide in the body), follow guidelines for proper use and disposal. To avoid benzene, a known carcinogen, avoid smoking indoors and ventilate your home during painting. Exposure to perchloroethylene can be minimized by not accepting dry-cleaning goods with a strong chemical odor.
6. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde can also affect indoor air quality in Keiser, OR. Used to manufacture building materials and found in many household products, it’s also a combustion byproduct. Formaldehyde is used in glues and adhesives, clothing, draperies, and as a preservative for some paints and coatings. It’s also contained in many pressed wood products.
Formaldehyde has a pungent smell and can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract. Elevated levels can cause difficulty breathing and asthma attacks, and it may be carcinogenic. To reduce exposure, avoid using pressed wood and other formaldehyde-emitting products. Maintaining proper humidity levels can reduce the rate at which formaldehyde is released.
7. Pesticides
Insecticides, disinfectants, and other household products may contain pesticides. However, pesticides can create indoor air quality concerns when they enter homes through contaminated soil and dust. They contain both active and inert ingredients that can cause health problems. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, muscle twitching, tingling sensations, and possibly long-term liver and nervous system damage can occur with high levels of exposure.
To reduce your exposure to household pesticides:
- Use only those approved for use by the general public.
- Use the product only as recommended.
- Ventilate any area where you use the product.
- When possible, use nonchemical methods to control pests.
- Dispose of unused/partially used containers per manufacturers’ instructions.
8. Lead
Lead exposure can occur via the air, drinking water, contaminated soil, deteriorating paint, or food. Lead in any form is harmful and is especially dangerous to children, as they’re more sensitive to its effects and more at risk of being directly exposed. The most significant source of exposure is old lead-based paint. Unsafe levels of exposure can occur when it’s sanded, dry scraped, or burned. Lead poisoning can affect any part of the body.
To reduce exposure to lead:
- Keep cribs, window ledges, floors, and children’s play areas clean and dust-free. Dishwasher detergents and warm water are recommended.
- Don’t disturb lead paint if it’s in good condition.
- Don’t try to remove lead paint yourself; only a trained specialist should remove it.
- Since soil can be contaminated, wipe your feet on a doormat or remove your shoes before going inside.
- Have your drinking water tested for lead.
- Make sure children get enough dietary iron and calcium, which reduces lead absorption.
- Avoid storing food or liquids in old pottery or lead crystal glassware.
9. Asbestos
A mineral used for insulation and as a fire retardant, asbestos contains tiny fibers that remain lodged inside the lungs after being inhaled. It can cause severe scarring and lung cancer many years after exposure. Asbestos has been banned and manufacturers have also voluntarily limited its use. However, it’s still found in many older homes as pipe and furnace insulation, shingles, textured paints, and floor tiles. Improper removal can release asbestos fibers that create a serious indoor air quality concern.
If you suspect a material is asbestos, do not disturb it. If it’s in good condition, it can be left alone. Periodically inspect it for damage or deterioration and take steps to prevent it from being damaged or disturbed. If it’s damaged or you’re renovating your home, consult a professional who can properly identify, repair, or remove it. Only a trained contractor should handle asbestos-containing materials.
Contact Air Stars
At Air Stars, we provide many indoor air quality solutions, from air quality testing to air filter and air purifier installation to duct sealing and new duct installation. Our licensed professionals also provide heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing services. We work with homeowners in Keizer, OR, and throughout the Willamette Valley. To schedule service or learn more about how to improve indoor air quality in your home, call (503) 897-9292 today.
