Home's air can be more dangerous than outside pollution
Freak out! You can't limit your worries to smog, the ozone layer, cancer-causing rays of the sun and the heightened risk of death you face every time you drive on a road within four miles of your home.

Freak out! You can't limit your worries to smog, the ozone layer, cancer-causing rays of the sun and the heightened risk of death you face every time you drive on a road within four miles of your home.

Now, lucky you, the danger has followed you home.

It's true. Whether you have four cozy walls or an expansive estate, your home is host to stealthy, health-stealing indoor pollutants. Breathing carbon monoxide will kill you in a hurry, while exposure to radon, asbestos dust, lead paint or toxic mold will do it more slowly.

You may have so few air contaminants that you're much better off breathing in your own home than outside. If so, good for you. Confine your worries to the outside world. But if you find yourself mysteriously ill, consider the possibility that the air you breathe in your home is the culprit.

Mold has gotten a lot of attention lately, becoming the home contaminant of the moment. Thus far, it has killed many a real estate deal.

"I think, like a lot of things, it's always been there," says Clarksville's Action Air Conditioning Service owner Joy Kraeske. "Mold is not a new thing, but people have been finding out that's what's causing their headaches and sinus problems."

Media attention to black mold and other toxic varieties has been dramatic in the last 10 years since six infants died of pulmonary hemorrhage in homes infested with stachybotrys chartarum in Ohio.

The mold-removal business is booming. Cleaning air ducts will cut down on mold in your home, sometimes dramatically, as will immediately recognizing and fixing any areas of your home that hold moisture. Keep inside humidity low and fix any cracks in walls where there's been water damage. In some cases, mold found on hard surfaces can be washed off with detergent and water. For broader infestations, consult a professional.

"It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust," according to an advisory issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Other problems
Other factors affecting indoor air quality are getting less attention than mold, but can be just as problematic. Some are:

Asbestos: This substance was once used as a binding material, but when the material becomes damaged and fibers get loose in the air, long-term exposure can lead to lung cancer. Undisturbed asbestos isn't dangerous, but if you try to remove it, the dust created causes major problems. Asbestos use in homes built after the 1970s is unlikely.

Carbon monoxide: This odorless gas can affect your breathing and be fatal.

Richard Wellinghurst, a hazardous materials coordinator for the Louisville, Ky., Metro Health Department says sources, include gas appliances, fireplaces and garages, Carbon monoxide can be found "wherever you're burning a fuel," he says. "If you have an all-electric house, carbon monoxide is not a threat."

To be safe, he says, don't leave an automobile running inside a garage with the doors closed; make sure fireplace chimney vents are working properly; and install carbon monoxide detectors near bedrooms or family rooms.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that if any family member is experiencing signs of poisoning, such as headaches, nausea, vomiting or dizziness — or if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off or if you suspect its presence — get out of the house immediately and seek medical attention. If no one is feeling symptoms, ventilate the home with fresh air, turn off all potential sources of carbon monoxide and have a qualified technician inspect your fuel-burning appliances and chimneys.

Lead poisoning:Homes built before 1978 have a good chance of containing lead-based paint, says health educator Candice Malone. Children exposed to lead, she says, can suffer brain damage, behavioral problems and slower growth, among other things, while adults could encounter difficulty in pregnancy and high blood pressure.

"You can't get lead poisoning merely by touching paint," Malone says. "It has to be damaged — peeling, flaky or chipped."

She recommends children be tested by a physician for lead poisoning at age 1 or 2 — and if never tested, between the ages of 3 and 6 — that dust be kept to a minimum and that children get a low-fat diet high in calcium and iron.

Radon:An invisible, odorless gas, radon is harmlessly dispersed in outdoor air, but when trapped in homes, can be harmful at elevated levels and lead to lung cancer.

Wellinghurst says it's easy to detect radon with test kits and easy to fix by qualified contractors, who can install devices in homes with dangerously high levels — considered to be above four picocuries per liter.

"If you have a low number," he says, "don't worry about it. If a higher number, there are devices that can be installed to suck the air out."

Sealing basement walls and installing sump pumps can help keep air from seeping in, he says. "You want air to flow through windows, but not walls and floors."

Air pollution: Dust, dirt, pollen, animal dander and other airborne contaminants are found in every home. These very common lung irritants can cause allergies and other respiratory problems. This debris in your air ducts also creates a hospitable environment for mold, and bacteria.

Mitchell Ladd, owner of Dust Busters Plus in Clarksville, says air ducts should be cleaned every three to five years. To clean ducts, he uses a powerful vacuum system that is HEPA filtered. The suction is strong enough to remove underwear and toys — some of the larger items he has found in locals' ductwork. For a 10-vent system, the cost is around $400, and the process takes four hours.

After removing debris down to the tiniest particles of dust, Ladd then fogs the entire system to kill organic contaminants.

"It sanitizes and deodorizes, and kills all the stuff that's really bad for us, like mold and dander," he says. "If you don't put a sanitizer through the system, you really haven't accomplished anything."

Stacy Smith Segoviacan be reached at 245-0237 or by e-mail at stacysegovia@theleafchronicle.com. The Louisville Courier-Journal contributed to this report.

Originally published November 18, 2004

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