Protect Your Family

Toxins in the Home

The American Medical Association reports that people living in new homes have a 45 percent higher incidence of respiratory disease than those liv­ing in older homes. The problem with the new homes started with the energy crisis in the seventies.

The main source of lead contamination continues to be lead-based paint. Children are at the greatest risk from eating paint chips or breath­ing paint dust. Adults are exposed more often in the workplace, especially in construction. Children and adults can be exposed to high amounts of lead paint during renovations when the paint is sanded or burned off. The effects of lead on children are more serious than adults because of a child's body size and metabolism. Exposure to lead can cause temporary or per­manent neurobehavioral and developmental problems. Lead accumulates in the kidneys and liver causing dysfunction and eventual failure. Lead can also lead to blood disease. The symptoms of lead poisoning include loss of appetite, irritability, joint pains, fatigue, and purple lines on the gums. Lead can be moderately removed from the bloodstream with EDTA or penicillamine but if it gets into the bone, where it has a half-life of twenty years, it is difficult to ever maintain low blood levels.

Homes built before 1940 may contain concentrations of lead paint as high as 50 percent, houses built before 1978 are considered at risk. Between 40 and 50 percent of housing in the United States still have lead paint. An XRF analyzer measures the lead content of painted surfaces without removing paint and gives an immediate on-site reading.

Radon gas comes from decaying uranium. The uranium changes into radon gas which moves through the soil into the air. When it is mixed with fresh air it gets diluted to low levels that generally pose no threat to one's health. The gas can get trapped in your house and build up to dangerous and unhealthy levels. Surprisingly the gas is not the problem but the microscopic particles that it produces are. As you breathe in the particles they stick to the inside of your lungs. Two of these particles, Polonium 218 and Polonium 214, can release an alpha particle that can damage the lung cells and increase the chance of developing lung cancer.

There are several radon testing devices: charcoal canisters and bags, electret-ion-chambers, continuous radon monitors, and charcoal liquid scintillation bottles. The test must be held in a closed house, and for the best results, over an extended period. Two days to three months is the minimum amount of time required and sometimes an entire year is needed for an accurate test. Radon levels can change from day to day and with the change of the seasons. If you need help of radon testing go to this site: https://www.radoncolumbusohio.com/radon-testing.html.

Asbestos has been widely used for a variety of items that require in­sulating qualities and or fire resistance. Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation. Roofing and siding shingles were made of asbestos cement. Asbestos siding is most prevalent in the north­ern states because of its insulating qualities. It may be present in textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceiling joints, their use was banned in 1977. Artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces may contain asbestos. Older products such as stove-top pads may have some asbestos compounds. Walls and floors around wood burn­ing stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets. Asbestos can be found in some vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives. Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbes­tos blanket or tape. Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets may have asbestos insulation.

In 1972 the EPA announced that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Any exposure to the fibers involves some health risks. Asbestos can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Smokers that are exposed to asbestos are five times more at risk of developing lung cancer than non-smoker. It can take from ten to thirty years after exposure for health problems to develop. Most people who contract lung cancer and mesothelioma die within two years and there is no known cure for asbes­tosis.

If you think that asbestos may be in your home, do not panic! Usually, the best thing to do is to leave it alone. Asbestos material in good condition will not release fibers. There is no danger unless fibers are re­leased and inhaled into the lungs.

Formaldehyde is a colorless pungent gas that can be suffocating and poisonous in high dosages. It is emitted in construction materials and consumer products that contain formaldehyde-based glues, resins, pre­servatives, and bonding agents. It was also an ingredient in home insula­tion foam used until the early eighties. Formaldehyde can be found in glue, paint preservatives, particle-board, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium-density fiberboard. Unvented appliances such as gas stoves and kerosene space heaters can also emit formaldehyde fumes.

Products manufactured with formaldehyde will release gas for two to five years. Sunshine will break down the gas much more rapidly, but heat and humidity will increase the amount of gas released into the air. It is best to check with the manufacturer to find out if formaldehyde was used in the product. Sealing the material with paint, lacquers or varnish will decrease the emissions, as a last resort get rid of the offending materials. Try to avoid buying pressed wood products and purchase real wood furni­ture and building materials.

Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of poisoning in the United States, more than 200 deaths a year are attributed to carbon monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that interferes with the deliv­ery of oxygen through the body. At low concentrations, it can cause fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. At higher concentrations, you can experience impaired vision and coordination, headaches, dizziness, confusion, and nausea. At very high concentrations you can become unconscious, after that, if you do not receive oxygen then you will die.

Back-drafting from furnaces, unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, leaking chimneys and furnaces, gas water heaters, wood and gas stoves, fireplaces, and even automobile exhaust from attached garages can emit carbon monoxide. Make sure your home is ventilated if you use any­thing with gas or kerosene. Be sure your flue is open when using the fireplace and try to burn hardwood. Hardwoods burn hotter and form less creosote. Inspect the chimney annually and repair any leaks promptly. Purchase a carbon monoxide detector at any home supply store.