Alt: Short-haired cat nuzzles cardboard boxes full of cleaning products. Brands names and labels are hidden. — _{Can you spot the cat in this shot? Sophie, with feline asthma, says goodbye to harsh chemicals that may be aggravating her symptoms. She sneaks in— I whisk her to safety! To reduce indoor air pollution we switch to safer products. Within a few months, anecdotally, her symptoms improve. Find out more about the project.}

Last edited 2023-01-25

Any product on a store shelf is highly regulated. To use it safely, follow safety instructions, and use your common sense.

Right?

Not necessarily. Ingredients in many commonly-used products can cause or worsen asthma. Others are linked to hormone disruption, cancer and other major health conditions.

How exposures can impact your health

Potential immediate effects

Some people can become sensitized to biological or chemical pollutants after repeated or high level exposures. Symptoms can include “irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue”.
USEPA

Potential long-term effects

Here’s what moved me to wear a respirator on the job since 1989, for dusting and vacuuming in my health-based cleaning service. Even when using a HEPA vacuum. And even at home.

Other health effects “… May show up either years after exposure has occurred or only after long or repeated periods of exposure. These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal”.
USEPA

What I discovered on the job— in just one home

Many of my clients have had respiratory symptoms, migraines, and chronic fatigue. My job— reducing sources of indoor air pollution that may aggravate symptoms.

Taking a deep dive in one home, I screened roughly 65 different cleaning-related products. Not being a health expert, I ran each product through ewg.org, mostly for respiratory issues. And found plenty. Read about the project here.

Air pollutants concentrate indoors

… The air within homes… can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors.

It is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in your home even if symptoms are not noticeable.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)

More time indoors with more pollutants = more exposure

Indoor air pollution is on more people’s radar these days. First with environmental allergies and asthma on the rise. Plus, wildfire smoke or heat waves hit are sending more of us indoors.

Following is a quick round-up of pollutants and irritants to be aware of, and health considerations. And tips for reducing your exposure.

Types of indoor air pollutants

Following is a quick round-up of pollutants I’m following for my clients. For a complete list, Read USEPA’s The Inside Story: A guide to Indoor Air Quality

Environmental allergens

Perennial (or year-round) allergies are often caused by common indoor triggers such as dust mites, mold, pets and cockroaches and are the body’s physical reactions to inhaled airborne allergy triggering proteins, known as “allergens.” These perennial, or year-round, allergy sufferers deal with stuffy or runny noses, itchy eyes, sneezing, and wheezing all year long. Others suffer from seasonal allergies from trees, grasses, or weeds.
Clifford W. Bassett, M.D., FACAAI, FAAAAI

Infectious particles

Most homes in the US are are poorly ventilated. So here is what you need to do. And why follows next.
Prof. Shelly Miller Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Respiratory viruses

One of the best introductory videos out there is a 2020 animation titled, “Let’s talk about transmission of respiratory infectious diseases”. It clarifies my understanding about general respiratory infections, Sars-CoV-2 among them. Written by Prof. Shelly Miller, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Flu viruses

The following article I quote seems more about potential implications. What’s not clear, to me, is the risk for infection. But in any case, it makes a great case for dusting and vacuuming regularly.

Influenza viruses can spread through the air on dust, fibers and other microscopic particles…
Medical Express, August 18, 2020

Fine, inhalable particles (2021-06-11 Edit)

These invisible particles can linger longer in the air, and penetrate deeper into the lungs.

… Particles that are 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller because these particles are inhalable. Once inhaled, particles can affect the heart and lungs and in some cases cause serious health effects.

… Indoor PM can be generated through cooking, combustion activities (including burning of candles, use of fireplaces, use of unvented space heaters or kerosene heaters, cigarette smoking) and some hobbies. Indoor PM can also be of biological origin.
USEPA: Indoor Particulate Matter

Wildfire smoke

Some wildfire smoke particles are among the finest inhalable particles. Wildfires are becoming yearly events now. The last time wildfire smoke hit our area, year Mike and I put together a simple, cheap DIY Filter Fan for less than fifty dollars. Ours is much like this one at Texas Air Filters. Thanks to Nate Adams, aka Nate the House Whisperer, for getting us started!

Fine particles (also known as PM_2.5): particles generally 2.5 µm in diameter or smaller represent a main pollutant emitted from wildfire smoke, comprising approximately 90% of total particle mass (Vicente et al. 2013; Groβ et al. 2013). Fine particles from wildfire smoke are of greatest health concern. This group of particles also includes ultrafine particles, which are generally classified as having diameters less than 0.1 µm.
U.S.E.P.A.: Why Wildfire is a Health Concern

Chemicals emitted from household products (2021-07-02 Edit)

This one’s too close to home for me, as I’ve owned and operated a cleaning service. Dodging sprays and fumes containing mysterious and irritating chemicals is a losing game. To learn more, check out Environmental Working Group’s eye-opening piece, Cleaning Supplies and Your Health.

Here’s my cleaning method that keeps me and my clients safe. Without sacrificing effectiveness!

But even if your cleaning is least-toxic like mine is, you’re likely exposed to airborne dust stirred up as you move about your home. And when your home is cleaned.

Indoor dust consistently contains four classes of harmful chemicals in high amounts… 45 potentially toxic chemicals that are used in many consumer and household products as vinyl flooring, personal care and cleaning products, building materials and home furnishings.
Milken Institute School of Public Health, 2016

Chemicals emitted from building materials

According to the Parsons School of Design, many building materials can emit or shed chemicals through volatilization, chemical degradation, abrasion, leaching, oxidation and climate change. To find healthy design materials, check out Parsons’ Material Collections.

“Forever Chemicals”

Some consumer product chemicals are persistent, meaning they don’t break down in our home or bodies. One example is stain-resistant chemicals.

So-called “Forever Chemicals” that are used on carpets for stain resistance and as surface coatings on nonstick pans are associated with testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and reduced vaccine effectiveness in kids.

Some 98% of Americans have these chemicals in their body. In a study of a weight-loss program, women with higher levels of these chemicals gained back more weight and gained back weight faster.
Joseph Allen, associate professor and director of the healthy-buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The biggest indoor air survey to date is under way. You and yours can participate at Hayward Score. Here you can share your home’s environmental conditions, along with your symptoms, And find some of the best educational visuals for consumers.

Your turn

What’s your indoor air situation been like? Are you and yours experiencing symptoms? What have you tried? Your experiences and thoughts can help others.