Indoor Air Pollution
This section focuses on IAP issues in the home. Some are asthma trigger or carcinogens. Other can affect the nervous system. IAP issues can be different in schools and the workplace. Our book What’s Toxic Whats Not is an IAP resource for each of these environments.
People become concerned about their home’s air for many reasons – a funny odor, a news report, reading a warning lable on a product. But by far the most common reason is that someone feels ill when at home.
Many IAPs can cause respiratory symptoms, worsen asthma, or be a cancer risk. The worst offenders are listed below. See the solution links to lower your exposures.
| IAP Agent | Health Effects | SOURCE in your HOME | Solution |
| Formaldehyde | Irritant, Asthma, Carcinogen | Offgases from plywood particle board and veneer furniture | Avoid formaldehyde-containing products |
| Benzene | Cancer | Car parked in attached garage; gasoline stored in basement or attached garage | Keep gasoline out of basement; seal off attached garage |
| Other VOCs | Headache, irritation, asthma trigger | Consumer products, new carpet |
Buy low VOC products, air our carpeting |
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
john kelly 04.21.12 at 9:21 am
I have just been diagnised with bladder cancer at age 51. I am suspiciious of my basement office environment as a potential cause. Any chance for a personal visit to a west hartford residence?
DrG 04.22.12 at 9:43 pm
Wow – very sorry to hear about your cancer. No I don’t do house calls and I’m not sure why you suspect your basement but here is a questionaire for you to go through. 1) How long have you lived in this house? Remember the latency period for bladder cancer is 20-30 years so what you were exposed to 25 years ago may be more important than your current indoor air. 2) Do you have products that contain chemicals (glues, paints, varnishes, sealants, paint thinner, etc)stored in the basement or an attached garage? If so, the basement air will suffer and so might you if you spend considerable time down there without proper ventilation. 3) Is your house within close proximity (5 cups per day in some studies, not others). The point is that we are all exposed to suspect bladder carcinogens on a daily basis and in ways that have nothing to do with your basement. So if going through your basement checklist above still doesn’t in this direction, it could well be other things or can be mostly genetic without a clear environmental cause. Sorry to not be more specific.