The Indoor Air We Breathe
By: Anica Bareis-Golumb
Some pollution is easy to see; plastic waste floating in the ocean or the grey smog that covers city skylines. However, there is a lot of pollution that the everyday American is exposed to that can’t be seen with the naked eye. There is contamination in our food, water, and air. There seems to be more conversation around water contamination with PFAs or the pesticides used on our vegetables, but what about what we breathe each day inside our homes? Indoor air quality can be a threat to our health, and environmentalists and lawyers continue to look for ways to limit a person's exposure to this everyday pollution.
Indoor air pollution comes from many different sources, including furniture, smoke, mold, carpets, paints, building materials, and more. Homes have also become more airtight for heat and energy-saving purposes, but this has aggravated poor indoor air quality by reducing how much air is exchanged with the outside. Additionally, cold weather climates can expose people to more indoor air pollution by spending more time inside, increasing indoor heating, and reducing any airflow from outside. Two major sources of indoor air pollution are off-gassing from materials and furniture, and smoke and other carcinogens from cooking.
Almost every manufactured item in the average American household off-gases. Off-gassing is the process where items release volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) into the air. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, many of which are used in the manufacturing process for clothing, rugs, furniture, and building materials. VOCs are also released from cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and aerosol sprays. VOCs can have many short-term and long-term health impacts, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and even cancer. VOCs that are known to be carcinogenic are benzene, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, Tetrachloroethylene, and others.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as updated by Congress in 2016, is America’s Federal law to regulate chemicals. The TSCA gives the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate the production, importation, use, and disposal of chemical substances to ensure they do not pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment. Although this act imposes some regulations on chemical use, chemicals are an ingrained part of our lifestyle, so it is vital for American consumers to do their research when buying, updating, and furnishing their homes. There are multiple online resources to find more eco-friendly and less toxic replacements for household items.
Cooking is also an everyday task that releases VOCs into the air. The major indoor combustion pollutants are carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine and ultrafine particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and formaldehyde. Gas stove use can be especially bad for indoor air quality, and some studies have shown a link to childhood asthma with gas stove use. The Sierra Club has launched multiple programs and initiatives to educate the public about gas stove use and petition governments to ensure that proper ventilation is required in rental properties and for home sales. As is the same with choosing better household products, it is important for consumers to be educated to purchase, install, and use ventilation in the kitchen. It is just as important for you to turn on your kitchen fans, open a window, and get your stove pipe inspected and cleaned as it is for laws to help protect you.
The long story short is that everything we own and the everyday tasks we do will always have some impact on our health. Our consumer-driven culture and comfortable lifestyle expose us to toxic chemicals on an everyday basis. The push and pull of consumer choice and regulation leads to consumers feeling frustrated, and although there is a role for regulations to protect consumers from the worst of chemicals, there is perhaps the more important role for the government to ensure that companies give consumers the information they should rightfully know. California’s Proposition 65 led the way in requiring warnings for products that contain chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Currently, there is no federal law, or a law in Colorado, analogous to California’s law, so consumers are left to research on their own and navigate the confusing information about what is not safe in their home. Perhaps there is a balance where laws and regulations can help consumers navigate the market while furnishing their homes.