Puerto Rico’s Indoor Air Quality Experts Provide Advice for a Healthy Home

A person’s home is their sanctuary and regardless of whether it’s mansion or an average-sized single family home, condo, duplex or apartment, it should provide a healthy indoor environment.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.  Many homes have indoor pollutants that could cause health concerns or aggravate a family member’s existing medical conditions.
 
These pollutants could be coming from chemicals, gases, microorganisms and other sources.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA), “Some pollutants cause health problems such as sore eyes, burning in the nose and throat, headaches, or fatigue. Other pollutants cause or worsen allergies, respiratory illnesses (such as asthma), heart disease, cancer, and other serious long-term conditions. Sometimes individual pollutants at high concentrations, such as carbon monoxide, cause death.”
 
There are a number of common indoor pollutants that people should be aware of so that they can prevent or minimize exposure risks.  They include the following:
 

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde, are chemicals found in some household products, building materials and furnishings. VOCs evaporate into the air by off-gassing from materials.
• Combustion pollutants are gases or particles that come from burning materials. In homes, the major source of combustion pollutants are improperly vented or unvented fuel-burning appliances such as space heaters, woodstoves, gas stoves, water heaters, dryers and fireplaces. Common combustion pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
• Radon is a radioactive gas that is formed in the soil and can enter indoors through cracks and openings in floors and walls that are in contact with the ground.  It is a leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.
• Secondhand smoke comes from burning tobacco products and can cause cancer and serious respiratory illnesses.
• Lead-based paints are still a problem in many older properties and as these paints age and deteriorate or are disturbed, they can release dusts contaminated with lead into the air.
• Asbestos is another potential issue as it was used in the past in many common building materials.  It too can become airborne as it ages or is disturbed.
• Mold thrives in conditions with high humidity or due to water damage.  In fact, mold can begin to grow in as short as 48 hours on many materials when conditions are suitable. 
• Additional common indoor pollutants and allergens can come from dust mites, pet dander, pollen, cockroaches and rodents.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail