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Could Your Building Be Making You Sick?

According to the EPA there are roughly 80,000 chemicals rampant in our society and the biggest culprit is architectural products. Architectural, industrial maintenance coatings and household cleaning products are responsible for 38 tons of emissions a day. Since the oil embargo of the 1970swe have chosen to create buildings that act as a well sealed cocoon, which if not designed correctly could become very toxic for the occupants.

Indoor pollutants can be roughly divided into 6 categories:

Volatile Organic Compounds
Toxic by products of Combustion
Mold
Pesticides
Naturally Occurring Pollutants
Electromagnetic field pollutions

Volatile Organic Compounds:

In simple terms VOCs are chemicals containing carbon, except for a few exceptions, these are volatile because they don’t need extraordinary conditioned to go from solid/liquid to gaseous. It could happen under very normal temperatures and conditions like any typical indoor or outdoor environment. These chemicals are used in everything from paint, carpeting, and upholstery to our food products like decaffeinated tea or coffee.

I know, you see a lot of labels with Zero-Voc plastered on them, you might want to look further if these products are really devoid of all glycol or petrochemicals ingredients. Health impacts of VOCs range from headaches, nausea, all the way to liver and respiratory problems.

Toxic by products of Combustion:

These are byproducts of processes such as furnace burning or water heating and could be carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or particles etc. Exposure doesn’t necessary mean death it could cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, sleepiness etc.

Mold

All you need for mold to develop is presence of oxygen, a good combination of humidity and temperature and any nutrition source which could also be cellulose based insulation and of course wood is an obvious one. Some of the fungi that cause mold also produce VOCs as a byproduct when they’re decaying a material for nutrition.

Pesticides

Are usually included in products to give them shelf life or to give them antimicrobial products. Formaldehyde is commonly used for that, but you never see it mentioned on label.

Naturally Occurring Pollutants

Range from dust, dust particles, pollen to radon which is decaying of radium in the earth’s crust and seeps through poor foundation or construction details. Health impacts range from respiratory problems, allergies all the way to cancer.

Electromagnetic field pollutions

Electromagnetic field pollution occurs every time electricity is generated. We are surrounded by it with wireless networks, power lines, computer screens, microwave ovens, TVs, lighting, electrical outlets, cordless phones, wiring, appliances, etc. Exposure to EMFs of specific equencies/intensities has been linked to depression, loss of energy, irritability, inability to concentrate, chronic fatigue, headaches, weakened immune system, cancer, brain tumors, Alzheimer’s, autism, childhood leukemia, birth defects, accelerated aging and miscarriages.

You can subscribe to Hafsa Burt’s BLOG HBAARCHITECTS to continue the discussion.

Mrs. Burt is the principal owner and architect of a bay area base Architecture, Interior Design and Planning firm. An environmentalist, she actively advocates the 2030 challenge and is a huge proponent of holistic high performance buildings. She specializes in Indoor air quality and targets “healthy buildings” in her practice and design philosophy. As a principal of a small size firm, she is actively involved in all projects with a commitment to the practice of architecture as a collaborative, innovative enterprise.

There is a saying: “Nothing is Like a Home.” This home could also be a collector of colds and food born illnesses that people contract. Short and long term health outcome depends on the things we do around the house. Below is the list of six activities that might be making you and your children sick.

1. Your Sponge is a Jungle of Microorganisms which are Bad for Your Health

The only place in the house that never gets 100% cleaned up is the kitchen. Cleaning fish, preparing raw meet on our countertops and throwing waste in a sink will cause a breading backyard for all sorts of microorganisms. To name a few: E. Coli, salmonella and variety of viruses and bacteria.

Sponge is the most frequently used tool for cleaning kitchen’s countertop. Sponge can contain E. Coli and Fecal Bacteria and many other microbes. The second dirtiest item in your kitchen is dishrag.

The more frequently one uses the sponge the more one spreads the germs all over the countertop’s surface. One will also contaminate other appliances in the kitchen if the same sponge is applied for cleaning purposes.

How to Solve This Problem: Mixture of a bleach and water is a great solution for sterilizing a sponge. Air-drying will kill most of the germs in a sponge. Using microwave every week or even couple of times a week will keep your sponge germ free as well.

2. Vacuum Cleaning

Many vacuum cleaners do not do a good job at picking up small particles of dust. Most of these tiny dust particles escape through porous vacuum bags. They are the cause of the allergies that people get. A good alternative to a conventional vacuum cleaner would be a Rainbow vacuum cleaner. This unit has water reservoir instead of paper or plastic bag.

Small dust particles contain the highest amount of heavy metals, lead, pesticides, and other chemicals. The everyday habit of cleaning with a conventional vacuum cleaner results in a burst of particles in the air and then they settle back down over the course of hours.

3. Sleeping With Pillows and a Mattress

Human body sheds about 1.5 million skin cells per hour and perspires one quart every day. These skin cells accumulate in our mattresses and pillows and provide and breeding farm for dust mites to grow and settle. Every ten years the mass of the mattress doubles due to the accumulation of insect parts, dust mites, fibers, lint, dust, chemicals, bacteria, spores, fungal mold, dander, animal hair, bodily secretions, human hair, and dust mites feces. After five years, ten percent of the pillow’s weight is dust mites. This is what we inhaling while sleeping.

Solution: Cover your mattress, box springs, and pillows with impervious outer covers.

Allergy-proof coverings seal the mattress and pillow, preventing anything from getting in or out, which protects you. Wash your sheets weekly in hot water. Make sure the temperature range of the water is between 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit

4. Grilling Meat

Reduce barbecuing frequency during nice summer days. BBQ meat creates cancer-causing compunds polycyclic hydrocarbon (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

Solution: Try to use tin foil when BBQ your meat. This will prevent fat to drip off, and will help to reduce the amount of fat that hits the flames and sticks on your BBQ meat. Microwaving your meat first will help to reduce the amount of fat.

5. Opening Your House Windows

The amount of seasonal allergies and poor air quality in metropolitan areas of the USA will not do you any good. More than 50% of the US population breathes unhealthy air. Also the pollution inside of our home is much worse than outside. Poor indoor air quality is the fourth largest environmental threat in our country.

Solution: Use Air-conditioning system in your house. The filters will eliminate the exposure to bacteria, molds, mildew, tobacco smoke, viruses, animals dander, house dust mites and pollen.

6. Prolonged Sitting in Front of the TV

Millions turn into couch potatoes in the USA. Watching TV is one of the leading causes of obesity in this country. Obesity and overweight is the leading cause for heart disease, arthritis, and many other health related problems.

Solution: Go for a walk or a bike ride. Hide the remote control so it won’t be tempting to turn the TV on.

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