Indoor Pollution
Sydney Raasch
Prevent Pollution
- adopt a smoke free home.
- install a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near bedrooms and check/replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.
- vacuum carpets often to remove allergens that trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions.
- test your home for radon gas, if levels are above the EPA action level, take steps to reduce those levels.
- have gas appliances professionally installed, vented outside, and checked annually for carbon monoxide leaks.
- never run cars, lawnmowers and other combustion inside the garage. Always operate a safe distance from windows and doors.
- properly ventilate rooms with high humidity, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements to prevent moisture buildup and mold.
Pollution Affects Health
can bother your eyes, nose, and throat
may lead to chronic heart disease, lung problems, and cancer
asthma
Global Environment Issues
a major health risk factor (diseases/injuries)
global particulate matter
household and outdoor ambient PM air pollution have a large effect on diminished quality of life
household pollution from cooking oils caused 3.5 million premature deaths in 2010, and another half million is from outdoor pollution
Health Advocate for the Enviroment
don’t smoke
don’t litter
Ways to Recycle and Reuse
- have an air purifier in home
- have a humidifier in the rooms where you sleep/spend the most time in
Improve visual enviroment
- have an adequate amount of fresh air from outdoors
- keep floors clean- chemicals and allergens accumulate in household floors
- keep a healthy level of humidity
- no-smoking zone
- test for radon
- avoid the use of synthetic fragrances
Visuals that may influence health status
Negative:
- smoking
- littering
- flooding
- high humidity
- contaminated air
- smoke free environment
- not cooking or heating our houses with solid fuels