The columnist states that “outside of occupational exposure to pollutants, the air quality within a person’s home plays the largest role in health and well-being. This becomes especially critical during the months of a woman’s pregnancy.”
Researchers from Harvard University’s School of Public Health found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of diesel particulates or mercury were twice as likely to have an autistic child compared with peers in low-pollution areas. The findings, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, are from the largest U.S. study to examine the ties between air pollution and autism.
Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression, new research in mice suggests. While other studies have shown the damaging effects of polluted air on the heart and lungs, this is one of the first long-term studies to show the negative impact on the brain, said Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University.
Indoor air pollution, the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials, can be many times worse than outdoor air pollution. This is because contained areas trap pollutants more than open spaces do.
Sick building syndrome occurs when several people are affected, but no specific source of the illness is found. Indoor air quality problems usually only cause discomfort, and most people feel better as soon as they eliminate the source of the pollution. However, some pollutants can cause diseases that show up much later, such as respiratory diseases or cancer.
Felines deposit about 1.2 million metric tons of feces into the U.S. environment every year, a new study finds, and that poop may pose an under-recognized public health hazard. Scientists who study an infectious parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii say they’ve found that the eggs of the bug are more widespread than believed, and that cat owners should take precautions.
Smell is the first of the senses that develops in the human body and arguably the most immediate of the senses. That is why the smell of a home can affect a buyer’s decision for purchasing. Overwhelming smells such as lingering smoke smell and pet odors can immediately deter a buyer and have been known to lower the value of a home.
Neighborhood nuisances like a persistent odor could in some cases bring down the value of adjacent homes by 5 to 10 percent, said Richard L. Borges II, the president of the Appraisal Institute. In a co-op or condo, odors from the neighbors can seep into to surrounding units.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy for sellers to identify familiar smells that might be problematic, says Neeraj Gupta, director of product research and development at ServiceMaster Clean. The company performs major cleanups and post-disaster restorations of residential and commercial properties. “There is no ‘odor meter,'” Gupta says. “People get used to the odor of their house and may not notice that something is not pleasant.”
Air pollution increases the risk for breathing problems during sleep, researchers have found. Air pollution has long been known to have a negative effect on health, says researcher Antonella Zanobetti, PhD, a senior research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. “With this study, we found air pollution also increases the risk of poor sleep,” she says. More specifically, air pollution increased the risk of sleep-disordered breathing.
According to the American Lung Association of Minnesota, elements within our home and workplaces have been increasingly recognized as threats to our respiratory health. The most common pollutants are radon, combustion products, biologicals (molds, pet dander, pollen), volatile organic compounds, lead dust and asbestos.
Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer, and chronic lung diseases such as asthma. In addition, it can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. People who already have lung disease are at greater risk. The EPA lists poor indoor air quality as the 4th largest environmental threat to our country.
