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Clean Air Information
What's polluting the air you breathe, and where you can go to get answers about air quality
Kohjiro Kinno
 The Most Common Indoor-Air Pollutants
Carbon monoxide. This odorless gas — churned out by idling cars and poorly vented or malfunctioning fireplaces, woodstoves, and fuel-powered appliances — kills hundreds and sickens thousands every year.Formaldehyde. Used in permanent-press fabrics, paint, and the glue that binds plywood and particleboard, formaldehyde causes airway irritation, headaches, dizziness, and nausea and has been linked to asthma and some forms of cancer.Mold spores and dust mites. Mold spores and dust mites aggravate asthma and allergies and may cause other health problems.Nitrogen dioxide. This by-product of fuel-burning appliances and cigarette smoke irritates the eyes, the nose, and the throat; triggers asthma attacks and respiratory infections; and decreases lung function.Pesticides. Bug sprays, mothball fumes, and other pesticides hang in the air for hours or even days before settling on floors and other surfaces, where they can be kicked up by regular household activity. Pesticide exposure can cause respiratory irritation, headaches, nausea, weakness, nervous-system damage, and cancer.Radon. An invisible, odorless gas produced by soil and rocks under homes, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and is responsible for 21,000 deaths a year in the U.S.Secondhand smoke. A deadly brew of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and up to 4,000 nasty chemicals (including arsenic and cyanide), secondhand smoke triggers respiratory infections, worsens asthma, and kills more than 40,000 nonsmokers a year in the U.S.Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These come from dry-cleaned clothes, cleaning products, synthetic carpeting, paints and varnishes, and thousands of other common household items. They can irritate the eyes, the nose, and the throat and bring on nausea, fatigue, and headaches. Some VOCs, such as benzene and methylene chloride, may increase the risk for cancer, cause nervous-system damage, and disrupt hormones.Clean Air Websites
If you have questions about the quality of the air in your area, check out these helpful sites. The American Lung Association’s Clean Air Assessment quiz (www.healthhouse.org/assess) will help you evaluate your exposure to household pollutants. It also provides tips for improving indoor air quality.The EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse is staffed by specialists who can answer your questions on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard time. 800-438-4318, IAQInfo@aol.com, or www.epa.gov/iaq.The EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory database (www.epa.gov/tri), searchable by zip code, documents chemical and waste releases from government and industrial facilities that may affect local air quality.Scorecard (www.scorecard.org), founded by the nonprofit advocacy group Environmental Defense, delivers zip-coded air reports and lists of local polluters.
Written by Leah Hennen
March 2007
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