Get Informed.
Important articles about clean air and your health.
Clean Air and Your Brain
New research links indoor air pollution to autism risks
The columnist states that “outside of occupational exposure to pollutants, the air quality within a person’s home plays the largest role in health and well-being. This becomes especially critical during the months of a woman’s pregnancy.” Read more HERE.
Autism Tied to Air Pollution, Brain-Wiring Disconnection
Researchers from Harvard University’s School of Public Health found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of diesel particulates or mercury were twice as likely to have an autistic child compared with peers in low-pollution areas. The findings, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, are from the largest U.S. study to examine the ties between air pollution and autism. You can read the article HERE or view it as a pdf HERE.
Dirty Minds: Pollution Harms Not Only Lungs But Also Brains – Chicago Tribune
Severe air pollution, researchers found, leads to neuroinflammation and damages the brain’s white matter. There’s evidence that particulate from industrial smokestacks, car and truck exhaust, tobacco smoke, and other sources may be small enough to access the brain directly through neurons in the nose. You can read the article HERE.
Air Pollution Linked to Learning and Memory Problems, Depression
Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression, new research in mice suggests. While other studies have shown the damaging effects of polluted air on the heart and lungs, this is one of the first long-term studies to show the negative impact on the brain, said Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University. You can read the article HERE or view it as a PDF HERE.
In this article, the EPA says, “Poor indoor air quality can cause illness requiring absence from school, and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease performance while at school. In addition, recent data suggest that poor IAQ can reduce a person’s ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory…
“Failure to deal adequately with any of these issues may go unnoticed, but can and often does take its toll on health, comfort, and performance.”
Indoor Air Pollution
How Indoor Air Pollution Works – HowStuffWorks.com
Indoor air pollution, the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials, can be many times worse than outdoor air pollution. This is because contained areas trap pollutants more than open spaces do. You can read more about it HERE or view it as a PDF HERE.
Is your building sick?
Indoor Air Pollution and Sick Building Syndrome – NIH
Sick building syndrome occurs when several people are affected, but no specific source of the illness is found. Indoor air quality problems usually only cause discomfort, and most people feel better as soon as they eliminate the source of the pollution. However, some pollutants can cause diseases that show up much later, such as respiratory diseases or cancer. You can read the article here or view it as a PDF here.
11 Hidden Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
- Common objects, including showerheads and cookware, can contribute to pollution indoors.
- Many candles sold today emit cancer-causing benzene and toluene, as well as other hydrocarbon, respiratory-irritating chemicals called alkanes and alkenes—these are things that come out of car tailpipes. You can read the article HERE.
Cat feces- A possible health hazard?
Cat Poop Parasites May Pose Public Health Hazard, Study Suggests’ – NBC
Felines deposit about 1.2 million metric tons of feces into the U.S. environment every year, a new study finds, and that poop may pose an under-recognized public health hazard. Scientists who study an infectious parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii say they’ve found that the eggs of the bug are more widespread than believed, and that cat owners should take precautions. You can read the article here or view it as a PDF here.
Fresh Air Sells Houses
Home Odors That Will Scare Off Buyers – from MSN
Homebuyers don’t want houses that stink. Sellers must identify and get rid of odors that turn off prospective buyers. Cat urine, for example, can seep into carpet and other flooring, upholstery and furniture and cause the whole house to smell bad. Check out this article to find out about the potential odor pitfalls in many homes. You can read it HERE.
Neighbors’ Effect on Appraisals – New York Times
Neighborhood nuisances like a persistent odor could in some cases bring down the value of adjacent homes by 5 to 10 percent, said Richard L. Borges II, the president of the Appraisal Institute. In a co-op or condo, odors from the neighbors can seep into to surrounding units. You can read more HERE or view it as a PDF HERE.
Smells Can Affect Home Value – Pfizer study results
Smell is the first of the senses that develops in the human body and arguably the most immediate of the senses. That is why the smell of a home can affect a buyer’s decision for purchasing. Overwhelming smells such as lingering smoke smell and pet odors can immediately deter a buyer and have been known to lower the value of a home. You can read the article HERE or view it as a PDF HERE.
Don’t Sell A Smelly House
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy for sellers to identify familiar smells that might be problematic, says Neeraj Gupta, director of product research and development at ServiceMaster Clean. The company performs major cleanups and post-disaster restorations of residential and commercial properties. “There is no ‘odor meter,'” Gupta says. “People get used to the odor of their house and may not notice that something is not pleasant.” You can read more HERE or view it as a PDF HERE.
Indoor Air and Your Lungs
Air Pollution Linked to Sleep Breathing Problems
WebMD Health News
Air pollution increases the risk for breathing problems during sleep, researchers have found. Air pollution has long been known to have a negative effect on health, says researcher Antonella Zanobetti, PhD, a senior research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. “With this study, we found air pollution also increases the risk of poor sleep,” she says. More specifically, air pollution increased the risk of sleep-disordered breathing.
Indoor Air Quality — The American Lung Association
According to the American Lung Association of Minnesota, elements within our home and workplaces have been increasingly recognized as threats to our respiratory health. The most common pollutants are radon, combustion products, biologicals (molds, pet dander, pollen), volatile organic compounds, lead dust and asbestos.
Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer, and chronic lung diseases such as asthma. In addition, it can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. People who already have lung disease are at greater risk. The EPA lists poor indoor air quality as the 4th largest environmental threat to our country. Read more about indoor air pollution and your health HERE or view a PDF HERE.
