Healthy Homes Now

Indoor Air Quality - especially important for aging

In a Buffalo News article titled, "The aging crisis" on the front page of this Sunday's edition the many challenges of caring for the elderly were described. http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/395511.html 

One of the challenges that struck me is the concern that older people do not have the reserves to fight back assaults to their system's when they are stressed. "It takes less and less of an insult to push them over the edge," according to Dr. Robert Stall, a private geriatrician. With better technologies available for improving indoor air quality, there is an opportunity to reduce the airborne insults that may result in a downward spiraling situation. Managing indoor environments to reduce levels of particles, chemicals and biological pollutants (e.g. molds & viruses) can result in reducing risk to elderly patients. For example, air quality assessment tools and air purification devices (with FDA Class II Medical Device rating) can provide a proven level of efficacy to satisfy patients, their doctors, and family members. 

Air Cleaning - IAQ Strategy #3

“If the choice is made to use an air cleaner, the reviewed evidence suggests choosing one that ensures high efficiency over an extended period of time (at least several months) and does not produce ozone levels above 0.05 ppm, either intentionally or as a by-product of its design. If air cleaners are to be used, they should either contain charged or uncharged fibrous media, or they should conform to FDA regulations for medical devices.” American Lung Association

The third strategy, air cleaning, relies on devices that are either incorporated into the mechanical ventilation system or moved from room to room as portable units with an inherent blower to further reduce the concentration of airborne pollutants. Although air cleaners in general are not appropriate single solutions to indoor air quality problems, they can be useful as an adjunct to effective source control and adequate ventilation. Air cleaning alone cannot adequately remove pollutants from all sources typically found in residential environments. For example, some allergens settle out of the air fairly rapidly and are not always amenable to air cleaning. Nor does ventilation effectively remove such particles. Therefore, source control should always be the first choice for air pollution control in residences.

Visit The Product Cart for FDA Class II Medical Device Air Purifiiers

Ventilation Means Fresh Air

It is not always possible or feasible to control all indoor pollutant sources. Therefore, it is often necessary to reduce the pollutants by diluting them with outside air. This process of ventilation, the second strategy for reducing indoor air pollution, is commonly achieved in residences by opening windows and doors, and turning on kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and mechanical ventilation systems. The reality of the ventilation strategy in residences, however, is that open windows are not always feasible given weather conditions, and kitchen and bathroom exhausts are often noisy, ineffective, and are seldom used as a result.

The problem of exchanging stale air with fresh air has become more serious as houses continue to be constructed with less leaks - and homeowners seal and insulate to conserve energy. Other countries, including Canada, have enacted regulations to require homes to have a mechanical air exchange unit. U.S. codes require air exchanges in buildings, but not in homes. Yet, an increasing number of U.S. homeowners are opting for air exchange units, especially in new and renovated homes, and in homes where air quality is a priority.

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IAQ Strategy #1 Source Control (Radon, CO, Particles, Biological Pollutants)

Examples of source control include servicing combustion appliances regularly to decrease combustion emissions (e.g. carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides), using low emission paints, varnishes, carpets, etc. in indoor environments, eliminating smoking indoors, keeping pets outside, maintaining low humidity, preventing moisture build-up indoors, cleaning surfaces regularly to reduce dust mite concentrations and mold growth, and eliminating excess debris from the inside of heating & AC / ductwork systems. These methods of source control are the primary control tactics for air pollution reduction indoors. Only source control can be totally effective at removing all pollutants from indoor environments.

Many of the above recommendations can be accomplished by the homeowner, e.g. purchasing / testing carbon monoxide detectors, radon kits, thorough house cleaning. 

One of the most basic strategies for source control is effective cleaning of the ventilation system:   Be sure and select company that is certified by the National AIr Duct Cleaners Association

Killing Mold vs Removing Mold

All to often we hear commercial and residential owner's desire to kill mold.  The range of "bug juices" for spraying on mold contaminated surfaces is as diverse as the beer selections in my grocer's case. All claiming a percentage kill of selected organisms - some with claims for residual control - some with EPA registrations. I'm not saying these antimicrobial solutions don't have their place. But properly addressing mold is more than squirting stuff on the surface. Beware of service providers who feature these magic solutions as their main strategy for mold remediation. So what is the best approach? According to the EPA guidelines for mold, the first step is to fix the moisture problem which is causing the mold to grow. The second step is to remove the mold. On porous surfaces such as dry wall or woods, this usually means removing the substrate, or at least the contaminated surface on the substrate. With larger areas of contamination, this is where a professional should be brought in - to make sure spores are properly contained (from non-contaminated areas). Keep in mind, a dead mold store, although not growing, can become airborne and do the nasty in your lungs once it's inhaled.

Sealing leaky ducts - Energy & IAQ Concerns

Leaky ductwork means your conditioned air is going to another space in your building or home - instead of where it's supposed to go. This can be expensive if your heated air is leaking into your ceiling or wall space. Yes, some of the heat will find it's way back into the space it was intended for, but why heat (or cool) these interstitial spaces? Another problem with leaky ductwork is on the return side. Think about the lovely spaces through which the return ducts run. Now imagine the air, particles, spores and fibers from these dark dingy spaces being drawn into the return duct through the leaks. Not a pretty picture as all this stuff starts recirculating through your home, school or work area. Sealing leaks can be challenging since typically not all the ductwork is accessible. I like the product offered by Carrier Corporation - called AEROSEAL It seals leaks from the inside - amazing process. Check it out: (www.aeroseal.com).

IAQ Products - Controlling Asthma & Allergies

Air borne particles, spores, and chemicals can trigger allergic reactions. Controlling these pollutants at the source is the best idea. This includes reducing or eliminating chemicals when cleaning, cleaning mold from surfaces (especially heating & A/C ductwork), and many other possible irritating sources. A well insulated house compounds the presence of source pollutants by trapping them so they continue to recirculate into our breathing zones.

After removing triggers as best you can there are two primary strategies: 1) Ventilation - i.e. exchange the air in your house using a whole house air exchange system, and 2) select a quality air purification unit.

Link to Product Cart: http://shop.healthyhomesnow.com/main.sc 

More information is available on these strategies from Healthy Homes Now:   

Ventilation - http://www.healthyhomesnow.com/ventilation.html                        

Air Cleaning- http://www.healthyhomesnow.com/aircleaning.html 

Green Buildings and Earth Day

Earth Day has come and gone. This year seemed marked by more activities than ever. People at my office were riding their bikes to work! Caring for the environment is catching. So is caring about the impact of the indoor environment on the health and well being of it's occupants. With new automated monitoring technology it is far easier and less costly to measure key indoor air quality parameters and assure occupants they are in fact working, learning, or shopping in a healthy and safe environment.

Green Homes - Green AND CLEAN

I've come across several 'Green Building' articles that emphasize reduced energy consumption in homes. These articles fail to mention the Green aspect of indoor environmental quality. As we seal and insulate our houses to conserve heat and cooling we can lower our electric and gas bills. But a tight home means we breathe in all the recirculated particles, chemicals and biological pollutants. As a result we may be compromising our health and increasing our doctor bills! So what's the answer? Whole House Air Exchange systems. The main purpose of these systems is to bring in fresh outside to dilute the build up of contaminants and exhaust the particle ladden stale air. They've been in the building codes in Canada since 2002. The beauty of these systems is they use an energy recovery core to capture the heat (or cooling) from a portion of the return air.

What whole house air exchange system is the leading seller by far in Canada?

Welcome to the Residential Indoor Air Quality Blog

Healthy Homes Now provides reliable and authoritative information for improving indoor air quality in your home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cites three strategies for improving indoor air quality: Source Control, Ventilation, and Air Cleaning. With the proliferation of indoor air quality services and products today we can help you make decisions in context of "best practices".  We've worked with over 22,000 homeowners since 1993. Direct feedback from you helps us better understand how strategies, services and products are working. Now we invite you to be part of the 'Green' movement. Your comments serve the greater good for healthier indoor environments. Welcome!

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