Air quality (or lack thereof) in your home

The air quality in your home and workplace directly affects your health. The average adult breathes approximately 13,000 liters of air each day, along with whatever Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants happen to be in the air. Your immune system works to protect you from harmful toxins your body encounters, but it can only handle so much. If you overload your body with too many harmful substances your immune system cannot keep up and your body suffers. In fact, the EPA has estimated that indoor air pollution kills 11,400 people each year.

Toxins such as VOCs can enter your home or workplace from the paint, flooring, stains, varnishes, plywood, carpeting, insulation and other building products used in their construction. These substances are released into the air through a process called offgassing. The offgassing can continue for years and therefore affect your health long after construction has been completed. Additionally, today's more airtight construction methods work to seal in these substances, rather than allowing fresh air to dilute them.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies have confirmed that indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air. The EPA's Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies found levels of about a dozen common pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. Additional TEAM studies indicate that while people are using products containing VOCs, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels; and elevated concentrations of these compounds can persist in the air long after the activity is completed. During and for several hours immediately after certain activities, such as paint stripping, levels of common organic pollutants may be 1,000 times normal outdoor levels.

Once in your system, VOCs are stored in body fat and can lead to serious health problems over time. Many commonly used compounds are known carcinogens, but their use is not presently regulated. Indoor air quality has become a significant health issue; and should be considered by employers, homebuilders and contractors in every construction project.

Ironically, people often resist using green products saying that they're too expensive and don't work as well as other products. The reality is there are tremendous green products and non-toxic products available now that work amazingly well and are completely affordable. True, green products used to be expensive, but now they're often priced competitively, if not less, than conventional products. As a result, ultimately the question is how can you afford not to buy green? If nothing else, let your long-term health be your guide, and the savings will be beyond compare!