Pollution Prevention
Healthy Indoor Environments
Americans spend close to 90% of their time indoors.
Hazards found in indoor environments including lead, carbon monoxide, mold, allergens, radon, and second-hand smoke can pose a serious threat to the health and productivity of building occupants. Effects can be especially detrimental to children. Areas with older building stock, like Baltimore, often face heightened risk of indoor contamination. Great strides have been made in Baltimore to reduce lead poisoning in children and second-hand smoke in public buildings, but more work needs to be done to safeguard the health of residents and employees. Here are four strategies to help:
- Use green cleaning products in schools, government offices, and businesses
- Explore the feasibility of making all Baltimore multifamily dwellings smoke-free
- Increase and coordinate all healthy housing efforts
- Ensure coordination among weatherization, lead remediation, and healthy homes activities
Metrics
Partner Organizations:
What You Can Do:
- 1Do not smoke or allow smoking in your home, and avoid indoor areas where smoking takes place
- 2Use natural household cleaning products and reduce exposure to potentially toxic airborne substances
- 3Regularly clean the vents in your kitchen, bathroom, and dryer, and make sure they operate properly
- 4Open your windows to circulate fresh air inside when not using your heating or cooling system
- 5If you know or suspect you have lead paint and/or asbestos in your home, office, or school, leave undamaged areas alone, and have professionals handle control and cleanup
- 6Prevent carbon monoxide exposure by keeping gas appliances properly adjusted and vented, having your central heating system inspected and cleaned yearly, and never idling your car inside an attached garage
- 7Test your home for radon. Radon can seep into the house from contaminated earth and rock under the home, or from well water and/or building materials. Easy, do-it-yourself kits can be purchased at hardware and other retail outlets. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a free guide to radon.