{"id":5090,"date":"2021-07-29T11:08:45","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T18:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/?p=5090"},"modified":"2021-07-29T11:08:47","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T18:08:47","slug":"checking-the-air-quality-in-your-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/checking-the-air-quality-in-your-home","title":{"rendered":"Checking the Air Quality in Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Blog-Images-10.png\" alt=\"Couple with masks on because they are concerned about the air quality in the home\" class=\"wp-image-5091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Blog-Images-10.png 450w, https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Blog-Images-10-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><figcaption>Have you checked your home&#8217;s air quality lately?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Your home is a place of\ncomfort and security. However, is this possible with defective indoor air\nquality levels? During wildfire and allergy seasons, you may notice air quality\nalerts. These put you at risk for harmful effects from your outdoor air quality.\nRegardless, throughout the rest of the year, your home\u2019s indoor toxins,\npollutants, and chemicals could be worse than the outdoor air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou\u2019re unfamiliar with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/health\/how-to-improve-indoor-air-quality\/\">how your home\u2019s indoor air quality affects you<\/a>, it\u2019s critical to learn more. There are adverse health\neffects resulting from exposure to poor air quality, and you should monitor for\nvarious symptoms and conditions that can occur. This information will help you\nto avoid, prevent, and stop pollution in your home. Read on to understand some\nof the major indoor air pollutants and what you can do to keep your home clean\nand healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Debris from outside, dead skin cells, pet\ndander, particles from clothing and food, and other materials around the house\nmake up dust. For those who suffer from allergies, dust is among one of the\nworst triggers. Prolonged contact inside dusty homes for someone who has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sobieskiinc.com\/blog\/what-are-dangers-dust-buildup-home\/#:~:text=Dust%20allergies%20can%20cause%20wheezing,cause%20long%2Dterm%20health%20problems.\">dust allergy can be serious<\/a>. Watch for common\nsymptoms of dusty air, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Bronchial infections<\/li><li>Asthma attacks<\/li><li>Dermatitis<\/li><li>Wheezing and coughing&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many manufacturers include VOCs in their\nproducts, which can be toxic to your health. There are various areas of your\nhome with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/mission-areas\/water-resources\/science\/volatile-organic-compounds-vocs?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects\">VOC health risks<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Chlorine bleach <\/li><li>Carpets<\/li><li>Wood products<\/li><li>Plastic products<\/li><li>Rubber products<\/li><li>Petroleum-based products<\/li><li>Paints and varnishes<\/li><li>Glues <\/li><li>Spot removers<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These chemical compounds are a huge component of poor indoor air quality. While VOCs are not necessarily carcinogenic, they have increased the risks of kidney and liver cancer. They also make it difficult to breathe, cause nausea, and irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. VOCs are most threatening when they contaminate your water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asbestos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you live in an older home, you may already\nknow about the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that are commonly found in\nhouses built before the 1980s. If you own a newer home, while they are far less\nlikely to have ACMs, you should still know what they are and how they are\ndangerous. Since this is a fiber that can improve heat-resistance and\nsoundproofing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesothelioma.com\/asbestos-exposure\/products\/construction\/\">asbestos was an ingredient in many home construction\nmaterials<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Vinyl floor tiles<\/li><li>Insulation<\/li><li>Roofing shingles<\/li><li>Cement <\/li><li>Drywall <\/li><li>Popcorn ceilings<\/li><li>Cables and wires<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Contained asbestos is generally safe. However,\nif the fibers scatter and become airborne, you could potentially inhale them.\nAsbestos is cancerous to humans when the fibers stick to the lungs and heart.\nOver time, this forms tumors, otherwise diagnosed as mesothelioma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Environmental Tobacco Smoke<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nhomes with chronic smokers, secondhand smoke isn&#8217;t only bad for the user, but\neveryone else around them. Nicotine products have dangerous chemicals that you\nemit from both ends of the cigarette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Studies\nshow that secondhand smoke impacts you within the first five minutes. The\ndamage can still happen after two hours, at which point you could develop\ncardiac problems or suffer a heart attack.<a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/10644-secondhand-smoke-dangers\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/10644-secondhand-smoke-dangers\">Smoke is especially detrimental<\/a> to children and pregnant women. You may have the\nfollowing issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Respiratory problems<\/li><li>Heart diseases<\/li><li>Lung, breast, brain, and liver cancer<\/li><li>Ear infections<\/li><li>Tooth decay<\/li><li>Worsened eyesight<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You may or may not have been aware of these pollutants in your home. The more knowledge you have about what causes indoor air health issues, the more you can prevent them from happening. Studying your own health, the health of cohabitants, and the materials in your home are important when determining if your home could possess harmful levels of air toxins. Your respiratory health plays a role in your physical health, and some diseases are the direct result of what your home is harboring behind walls or in the corners of rooms. Whether hiring an abatement professional in the case of asbestos (or other hazards like mold or radon), doing a deep cleaning, installing proper ventilation, or investing in air purifiers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/top-tips-to-reduce-hvac-energy-costs-and-lower-your-energy-bill\">cleaner air<\/a> is often achievable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your\nhome is a safe place. Keep it this way by introducing and maintaining healthy\nair levels. Even if you can\u2019t control outdoor environments, you can do your\nbest to improve the inside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your home is a place of comfort and security. However, is this possible with defective indoor air quality levels? During wildfire and allergy seasons, you may notice air quality alerts. These put you at risk for harmful effects from your outdoor air quality. Regardless, throughout the rest of the year, your home\u2019s indoor toxins, pollutants, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/checking-the-air-quality-in-your-home\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Checking the Air Quality in Your Home<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[774,4530,419],"tags":[1070,574,59],"yst_prominent_words":[545,4942,1006,2963,3389,546,4945,4946,4943,4951,4959,4957,1220,1873,4944,1427,2132,4955,4956,4952],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5090"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5090"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5093,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5090\/revisions\/5093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5090"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=5090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}