Indoor Air Pollution is a greater threat than Outdoor Pollution
It is no secret that polluted outdoor air can be dangerous to your health, BUT did you know that indoor air pollution actually poses a FAR greater health risk than outdoor air to you and your family? In fact, about 50% of ALL illnesses are caused by or aggravated by indoor pollution.
Research has implicated mold and the mycotoxins in indoor air in many health issues ranging from immune system suppression and muscle and joint pain to cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and learning disabilities.
Additionally, 33 million Americans suffer from sinusitis, or inflammation or infection of sinus passages. Research has now confirmed that chronic sinusitis is an immune disorder caused by fungus of which molds are a member.
| You'll Spend 90% of Your Life Indoors -- You CAN'T Achieve Optimal Health without Healthy Air! |
Please consider this fact carefully: according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and multiple other sources, indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air on average, and in some U.S. regions it can be up 100 times more polluted, PLUS on average in the U.S. you will spend an astonishing 90% of your life indoors.
No matter how well you take care of yourself in terms of diet and exercise, it is very wise to limit your exposure to potential poisons and toxins -- including bacteria, viruses, allergens and mold, as well as human-produced chemicals and other toxins in the air -- if you wish to avoid disease.
Most of us still take the air we breathe for granted, and many years ago we could. But now you need to beware of the tens of thousands of new chemicals that have been created and can volatilize in your indoor home or work space -- and make you sick.
A pollutant released indoors is 1000 times more likely to reach people's lungs than a pollutant released outdoors.
While one to three times is the average (and that is bad enough!), many homes have airborne pollutant levels 25 to 100 times that of the air outside the home.
Airborne pollutants from cleaning and personal care products you use in your home are three times as likely to cause cancer as pollutants from outside.
1500 hazardous substances can be found in the typical North American home.
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) also called "secondhand smoke," a major indoor air pollutant, contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons, such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, as well as 43 carcinogens.
About 50% of ALL illnesses are caused by or aggravated by indoor pollution.
Homemakers may have a 55% higher risk of cancer than women working outside the home.
Air pollution is a prime contributor to lung disease and lung cancer. Lung disease alone claims close to 335,000 lives in America every year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over the last decade, the death rate for lung disease has risen faster than for almost any other major disease.
Ten million Americans have asthma. Asthma and asthma deaths have increased over 30% in the past 10 years and show no signs of slowing down.
Thirty-three million Americans suffer from sinusitis (inflammation or infection of sinus passages).
Biological pollutants such as molds, bacteria, viruses, pollen, dust mites, and animal dander promote poor indoor air quality and may be a major cause of days lost from work and school.
Those especially vulnerable to the health risks of indoor pollutants include infants, the elderly, those with heart and lung diseases, people with asthma, and anyone who has developed extreme sensitivity to chemicals. Making matters worse -- these are often the people who often spend the most time indoors. The chart below outlines indoor air pollutants and the risk they pose to you and your family.
| Prominent Indoor Air Pollutants in the U.S. | ||
| Pollutant | Major Indoor Sources | Potential Health Effects* |
| Environmental Tobacco Smoke | Cigarettes, cigars, and pipes | Respiratory irritation, bronchitis and pneumonia in children, emphysema, lung cancer, and heart disease |
| Carbon Monoxide | Unvented or malfunctioning gas appliances, wood stoves, and tobacco smoke | Headache; nausea; angina; impaired vision and mental functioning; fatal at high concentrations |
| Nitrogen Oxides | Unvented or malfunctioning gas appliances | Eye, nose, and throat irritation; increased respiratory infections in children |
| Organic Chemicals | Aerosol sprays, solvents, glues, cleaning agents, pesticides, paints, moth repellents, air fresheners, drycleaned clothing, and treated water | Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; damage to liver, kidney and brain; various types of cancer |
| Formaldehyde | Pressed wood products such as plywood and particleboard; furnishings; wallpaper; durable press fabrics | Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headache; allergic reactions; cancer |
| Respirable Particles | Cigarettes, wood stoves, fireplaces, aerosol sprays, and house dust | Eye, nose and throat irritation; increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and bronchitis; lung cancer |
| Biological Agents (Bacteria, Viruses, Mold & Other Fungi, Animal Dander, Mites) | House dust; pets; bedding; poorly maintained air conditioners, humidifiers and dehumidifiers; wet or moist structures; furnishings | Allergic reactions; asthma; eye, nose, and throat irritation; humidifier fever, influenza, and other infectious diseases |
| Asbestos | Damaged or deteriorating insulation, fireproofing, and acoustical materials | Asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers |
| Lead | Sanding or open-flame burning of lead paint; house dust | Nerve and brain damage, particularly in children; anemia; kidney damage; growth retardation |
| Radon | Soil under buildings, some earth-derived construction materials, and groundwater | Lung cancer |
* Depends on factors such as the amount of pollutant inhaled, the duration of exposure and susceptibility of the individual exposed.
According to research published in a 2004 issue of the Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine, "There is an accumulated weight of evidence linking indoor airborne mold and/or myocotoxin exposures to multisystem adverse human health effects."
All the evidence isn't in yet, but molds, mold spores and mycotoxins have been implicated in many other symptoms and disorders, including: Memory loss, Learning disabilities, Cancer, Fibromyalgia, Multiple sclerosis, Chronic fatigue, Immune suppression, Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lung hemorrhage in children, Infections, Kidney & liver disease, Muscle or joint pain, Neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive dysfunction, and many, many more ...
Your Health and Mine |