Healthy Homes
Indoor Air Quality
You will spend about half your life inside your home. Is the air
in your home safe for your family to breathe? It’s not always
easy to tell. We see smoke and notice bad smells, but, carbon
monoxide, radon, mold spores, and other dangers can hide from
our senses. Take these steps to help ensure better air quality
in your home:
1. Test Your Home for Radon. Radon is a cancer-causing gas found
in many basements. Radon test kits are cheap. Pick one up at
your local hardware store. Or call your local health department
for more information.
2. Don’t Smoke in Your Home. Don’t smoke in your home or car.
Never smoke near children.
3. Open Your Windows. Let the fresh air in whenever someone uses
chemicals in the home or garage.
4. Be Careful with New Carpeting. Ask the carpeting salesperson
to unroll a new carpet and let it air out before bringing it
into your home. Put in new carpet when you can open your
windows. Vacuum your old carpet before removing it to control
dust.
5. Be Careful with New Furniture. Air out new furniture and
building materials for a few days before bringing them inside.
Look for products made with non-toxic chemicals and materials.
Sometimes these green building products cost more. Decide
whether the cost is worth protecting the health of your family.
Indoor air quality web links and contact information:
- Lucas County Health Department (419) 213-4074
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Air Quality
Home Page -
www.epa.gov/iaq
- National Radon Information Hotline - (800) SOS-RADON or
(800) 767-7236 -
www.sosradon.org
- National Lead Information Center - (800) 424-LEAD or (800)
424-5323
- American Lung Association - (800) LUNG-USA or (800) 586-4872
-
www.lungusa.org
- Home*A*Syst: An Environmental Risk Assessment Guide for the
Home (608) 262-0024 -
www.uwex.edu/homeasyst
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