Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Most Americans spend about 90% of their
time indoors, primarily in homes, schools and office buildings. Indoor levels of
air pollution may be 2-5 times higher, and occasionally 100 times higher, than
outdoor levels. Sources of indoor pollution are diverse, ranging from natural
sources (e.g., radon, mold and moisture) to products used indoors (e.g.,
finishes, furnishings, and cleaning products) to indoor processes and behaviors
(e.g., smoking, use of un-vented combustion sources, cleaning, operation and
maintenance procedures). Building systems, as well as the many products and
materials used indoors, have a direct influence on the type and amount of
exposure building occupants may experience from environmental contaminants
indoors. Human exposure to unhealthy indoor air in buildings can be reduced
through better design, construction, operation and maintenance practices, and
mitigation of other indoor air quality problems.
The Licking County Health Department has adopted Indoor Air Quality as health risk reduction priority. Activities focus on education and assistance to help residents identify hazards and take actions to improve their indoor environment.
HOMES Some of the major indoor air contaminants found in the home include radon, environmental tobacco smoke, mold, irritant and allergenic asthma triggers, combustion by-products and volatile organic compounds released from cleaning products, building materials, and furnishings. People spend 60% or more of their time in their homes, more than in any other building type and therefore may be potentially exposed to several of these contaminants for extended periods of time.
ASTHMA Asthma afflicts about 20 million Americans, including 6.3 million children. Since 1980, the biggest growth in asthma cases has been in children under five. In 2000 there were nearly 2 million emergency room visits and nearly half a million hospitalizations due to asthma, at a cost of almost $2 billion, and causing 14 million school days missed each year. Read More...
IAQ TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS Twenty percent of the U.S. population, nearly 55 million people, spend their days in our elementary and secondary schools. In the mid-1990s, studies show that 1 in 5 of our nation's 110,000 schools reported unsatisfactory indoor air quality, and 1 in 4 schools reported ventilation -- which impacts indoor air quality -- as unsatisfactory. Students are at greater risk because of the hours spent in school facilities and because children are especially susceptible to pollutants. The Licking County Health Department staff evaluates indoor air quality as part of our school inspection program. We also investigate complaints about air quality problems in school buildings. USEPA Tools for Schools Site
MOLDS
Molds are part of the natural environment. Molds reproduce by means of tiny
spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and
indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces
that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without
water or moisture.
USEPA Mold Website
RADON You can't see radon, you can't smell it or taste it, but it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.
SMOKE-FREE HOMES Environmental tobacco smoke poses risks to all segments of the population; however children are especially vulnerable because they are still growing and developing.Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke causes serious health effects in children, including bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, worsened asthma and has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome. For children, particularly young children, the most likely place of exposure is their home. In the U.S., 11% of homes with children aged six and younger currently allow smoking. Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge Today!
SMOKE-FREE WORKPLACES The Licking County Health Department and the Licking County Tobacco-Free Coalition have been actively promoting smoke-free workplaces. Visit www.tobaccofreelickingco.org