Studies show that most people spend 60 to 90 percent of their time indoors and indoor air can have significant effects on your health. The young and elderly spend a majority of their time indoors and these can be the people that air quality effects the most. Here are some things that can effect the quality of your air that most people do not even think of, because you can't see.
- Asbestos: Not in all homes but if it's in your home it can cause major effects.
- Bleach Mixing: If you mix bleach with cleaning products it can cause harmful fumes that you can not see.
- Carbon Monoxide: An odorless gas that causes dizziness and possible death. In the last 15 years there have been 1,000 deaths in the state of Washington alone. So this is a major issue to watch out for. You can install a carbon monoxide detector in your home to detect dangerous levels.
- Mercury: This is a vapor that can come from broken fluorescent lights and can be very harmful to your health. If you are pregnant you want this to be non existent.
- Mold: If mold is found in your home, it needs to be removed immediately to prevent any mold related health issues.
- Outdoor Air: This can and does sneak into your home every time a door or window is opened. You also want to make sure that no campfire smoke sneaks in either.
- Pesticides: If you live in an area where vegetables and fruits are being sprayed then pesticides could make their way into your home air.
- Radon: This is a radioactive gas that can build up in buildings. This is the second leading cause to lung cancer.
- Tobacco Smoke: Even if people do not smoke inside your home, they can still bring it into your home with them. This kills on average 443,000 people every year in the United States and 49,400 deaths from second hand smoke.
