The worst air quality.... in your home?

According to many scientists, the air in your home is actually more polluted and toxic to your health than the air outside... two to five times more. Most of this pollution comes from chemicals that you willingly use or have in your home, some of which you may not even be aware of. In fact, most furniture items, carpets, building materials, and cleaning supplies contain chemicals that can be deleterious to your health, ranging from seemingly innocuous things like your carpet to more obvious things like insecticides.

The EPA recognizes that mold and radon are two important sources of indoor air pollution, and both of them can wreak havoc on the health of anyone living with them. Mold has been associated with asthma, respiratory illnesses, and even cancers. It's hard to kill, but not impossible. See The EPA's mold cleanup recommendations for some ways to combat a mold problem.

If you are selling or buying a home, knowing about radon is important. Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally released from the ground, and easily seeps into basements or other low-lying building levels that do not have proper treatment and preventative mechanisms in place. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and most people are completely unaware of radon or the threats that it brings. If you live in a mountainous area (such as those of us in much of Pennsylvania), you may want to have your home tested for radon. For information about testing kits, see the EPA's recommendations for radon tests.

When choosing how to decorate or renovate a home, choose products with low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) (especially paint, wall, and floor treatments), products made of sustainably grown and harvested wood (bamboo is great for flooring and in furniture), and buy locally made and organic textiles when possible. Many fabrics contain chemicals that are used as pesticides while they are being transported, in their dyes, and even during the growing and drying processes. Also, many companies purchase products that exploit child labor in other countries. As You Sow is a great source for information about the cotton trade and companies that you should avoid if you are concerned about fair labor practices. Check them out here!

Even your mattress may be harming you. Mattresses can contain chemicals ranging from flame retardants to petroleum-based products to fungicides and pesticides. Organic Comsumers Association has a lot of great information about the products that are found in the average mattress, and why they can be a problem. Think about how much time you spend in bed! (1/3 of your life, on average, if you sleep 8 hours a day!). That's a lot of exposure! Mattresses made of cotton and natural fibers may be better for you, and definitely better for a baby that spends more time sleeping and is more susceptible to chemicals in mattresses.

Some doctors and concerned parents have started associating chemicals in our daily lives to problems such as reproductive/hormone disorders, ADHD, certain types of cancers, and even autism. In my view, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Moral of this story, in short, is to be conscious of where your purchases are coming from and what you are putting into your home. It may be that the salad you ate for lunch is not doing you all that good when you are surrounding yourself with unnecessary chemicals in your home. A little education on your part can go a long way in protecting your health. Read labels, ask questions, and when i doubt call the maker of the product and ask for a list of chemicals in their products. If they can't or won't divulge that information, maybe you should choose elsewhere, and be sure to tell them WHY you are returning their product or choosing to purchase from a different manufacturer.

An interesting blog article about indoor air pollution in your home is a good read, and can provide some useful information if you are looking for more.

The Environmental Hazards of Cigarette Butts

As you probably noticed, my 5 month hiatus of writing is coming to an end. During that time, much has happened that has taken much of my attention, including work on the 95th annual ESA Conference here in Pittsburgh and writing my master's thesis.

In case you were curious, or even if you weren't, I wanted to share a bit from my thesis about the environmental affects of cigarette litter in the city of Pittsburgh. I found, through massive amounts of research, that cigarette butts are not only ugly litter, but they are also extremely toxic to the environment and organisms that encounter them. Cigarette butts contain hundreds of toxins, which can leach into the environment, where they can enter waterways or soil and contaminate the ground around their deposition site. They can also be fatal when ingested by children and animals. Even exposure to cigarette butts and their contaminants can be fatal or cause nicotine toxicosis or other illness. Besides being toxic, cigarette butts can also be costly to clean up.

The city of Pittsburgh, like many cities, has a litter problem. Pittsburgh also has combined sewer overflows, which means that storm drains are connected to sewage drains and eventually flow to sewage treatment plants. Cigarette and other litter is treated at these plants, and can be extremely costly. In other cities throughout the world, cigarette litter makes up between 23-50% of the litter by item in all surveys that have been conducted. The costs for cleaning cigarette litter can be astronomical, and some cities have begun trying to find ways to combat the problem.

 If you're interested in reading my entire thesis or in reading some ways to combat cigarette litter, or just want to learn more about it, see The Big Butt Problem

And next time, think about your butt! Use an ashtray!