Indoor air quality: A recipe for healthy living

To heal, grow and thrive, our bodies need good food, an emphasis on healthy activities and uncontaminated air provided at work and home.

Since the 1960s, we have enacted volumes of legislation focused on ways to curb the causes of outdoor air pollution. Other than limiting smoking in public buildings, we haven’t done very much about regulating contaminants in our indoor air.

Although compromised by our own polluting habits, our outdoor environment has mechanisms to scrub and circulate the air. But what about inside, where we spend most of our time?

Studies led by The American Lung Association suggest a correlation between indoor air contaminants and lung disease, asthma and respiratory infections.

So, why don’t we do more about inside air quality?

Chemical contaminants are introduced through the presence of gases, pesticides, radon, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Today these substances can be found in literally thousands of building materials, including glues, solvents, furnishings, cleaners and equipment.

In most cases, unless these hazardous materials are clearly labeled, they are difficult to identify. To avoid chemical contamination, know what materials go into your house, and know how they were manufactured, extracted or harvested.

Educate yourself

The only way to avoid the introduction of contaminants indoors is to not let them into your home in the first place. Clean, chemical-free alternatives are out there, but take time to find. If it feels to daunting a tasks, look for third party green certifications on products or advise from knowledgably LEED accredited or “built green” contractors, architects and designers.

These professionals have been given the tools and have access to programs that can help provide cost effective alternatives.

Know biological sources of

indoor pollution

These consist of molds, dust, pollens, mites and animal dander. There are several dangerous types of molds that can form under foundations and within wall cavities. If contacted, breathed or ingested, these molds can cause serious debilitating medical conditions. To thrive, molds require only a source of food, provided by the wood or other surfaces, combined with moisture.

Since these areas are hidden, mold can often grow unabated, contaminating the air in our interiors for years. There are safeguards to prevent harmful molds from developing. When building new or remodeling, insist on tight walls and ceilings with breathable components that allow moisture to drain, evaporate or escape from closed building assemblies.

On the weather side of exterior walls, barriers or drain planes should be incorporated to capture and channel wind driven rain that can seep into, around and under siding and trim. There are also several green material alternatives like paperless drywall that literally removes the mold food source from the equation.

Many of us have known family members or friends that have been afflicted with respiratory aliments such as asthma, emphysema and lung cancer. Whether caused by smoking, hazardous environments or working conditions, we can’t afford to have these conditions rob us of our ability to enjoy life.

Our interior environments are like our lungs; we need to know that they can be relied on to provide us with fresh air, ensuring us a strong, healthy, long life.

David Pelletier is a LEED-AP certified architect in Stanwood.