Many people consider smog and car emissions to be the only pollutants. Those are only the outdoor ones and there are many others that can invade your home and put your health at risk. Indoor pollutants can be even more dangerous since some of them can cause some serious health issues, including cancer. That is why it is important to familiarize with all the hazardous particles and learn how to eliminate them from your home.
Asbestos
Asbestos is one of the most common and dangerous indoor air pollutants. It can be found in many different materials for home construction and automotive industry. Asbestos is usually found in paints, building materials, coating and floor and ceiling tiles. However, newer products are less likely to contain asbestos, but if you have an older home you should inspect it. It can cause severe health problems, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer and other types of cancer.
Tobacco smoke
Smoke can find its way in your home, even if none of the household members are smokers. Apart from being extremely harmful to the smoker himself, tobacco smoke can cause many health issues with the passive smokers. These include pneumonia, respiratory irritation, emphysema, bronchitis, lung cancer and even heart diseases.
Animal dander
Whether you have a pet or not, animal dander could get into your home from the outside. Animal dander could bring along dust mites and other bacteria which can have serious effects on your health. By breathing in such bacteria, you may start developing symptoms of flu, asthma, throat irritation and many other infectious diseases.
Formaldehyde
Even though it is no longer produced, formaldehyde is still one of the biggest air pollutants. It can still be found in some paints, wood floors and sealants and it can cause both minor and major health issues. The minor ones include irritation of eyes, nose and throat or other allergic reactions, and there have even been cases of cancer.
Other chemicals
There are various other products that can let the pollutants run freely around your home. Varnishes and paints are the most common suspects, but there are some cleaning products that could cause trouble as well. Chemicals found in certain cleaning agents and paints can damage your liver, brain and kidney as well as lessen your ability to coordinate your body. What is more, such agents can even cause some types of cancer. However, cleaning products and paints are not the only hazards. Many household objects and appliances can cause air pollution. Wood stoves, fireplaces and space heaters can emit plenty of pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. All these objects can cause respiratory issues and infections, as well as irritation and damage to your lungs.
What to do?
Your best option is to focus on cleaning the air in your home. Lucky for you, there are several ways to do that. There are various different types of air purifiers that can remove most of the bad air particles. You can easily set up a commercial air purifier in order to get rid of dust, dust mites, allergens and other such particles. Also, you can install HEPA filters which can eliminate some more stubborn pollutants and you can decorate your home with air-purifying plants to help absorb all the negative things from the air. Lastly, you can minimize the use of harmful products in your home. Paint your home with low-VOC paints, stay away from commercial cleaning products and simply incorporate more eco-friendly habits that will help your home feel healthy.
The quality of air in homes is extremely important. We breathe it in on a daily basis and it is essential not to breathe in any harmful and hazardous chemicals. That’s why you should test your air at home and give your best to purify it.
