Gas emission. Smog. Cigarette smoke. Fog. You probably breathe in these chemicals every time you step out of your door. You breathe a breath of relief when you return home. There is no place safer than your own home, after all.
Sadly though, air pollution has become inescapable since the days human started building bonfires in caves, and this is a true fact even in our own homes. Toxic chemicals exist inside our sanctuaries, and we may be in more danger at home than we are outdoors. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that toxic chemicals in American homes are likely to have three times the risks of causing some types of cancer than outdoor air pollutants. Even worse, in year 2000, 1.5 million out of about 2.4 millions of deaths attributable to air pollution are credited to indoor air pollution, according to World Health Organization (WHO).
What is indoor air pollution? It is air pollution, the presence of excessive air contaminants, within a building or confined places. It could come from internal or external sources. Indoor air quality (IAQ) describes the level of air pollutants or contaminants in a house.
Like outdoor air pollution, indoor pollutions also cause serious health difficulties; you could possibly develop respiratory problems such as asthma, wheezing and allergies. But what makes matters worse is our lack of awareness about indoor air pollution, thus eliminating our homes as a cause to our health detriments.
Cooking and heating with wood fire or solid fuels is one of the top factors in developing countries. Even in Malaysia, indoor air pollution has been associated with acute asthma among young children. Ventilation is the next popular reason, both in developing and developed nations. Meanwhile, cleaning agents – pesticides, solvents, detergents, care products, etc - that we so often use to keep our homes clean may contain potential harmful chemicals that contribute to indoor air pollution.
Nearly all homes around the world are affected with indoor quality issues, and most of the time, we don’t even realize it until we are ill from it.
Is your home affected?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
