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f they appear after a person moves
to a new residence, remodels or refurnishes a home, or treats a
home with pesticides. If you think that you have symptoms that
may be related to your home environment, discuss the with your
doctor or your local health department to see if they could be
caused by indoor air pollution. You may also want to consult a
board certified allergist or an occupational medicine specialist
for answers to your questions.
Another way to judge whether your home has or could develop
indoor air problems is to identify potential sources of indoor
air pollution. Although the presence of such sources (see
illustration at the beginning of this booklet) does not
necessarily mean that you have an indoor air quality problem,
being aware of the type and number of potential sources is an
important step toward assessing the air quality in your home.
A third way to decide whether your home may have poor indoor air
quality is to look at your lifestyle and activities. Human
activities can be significant sources of indoor air pollution.
Finally, look for signs of problems with the ventilation in your
home. Signs that can indicate your home may not have enough
ventilation include moisture condensation on windows or walls,
smelly or stuffy air, dirty central heating and air cooling
equipment, and areas where books, shoes, or other items become
moldy. To detect odors in your home, step outside for a few
minutes, and then upon reentering your home, note whether odors
are noticeable.
MEASURING POLLUTANT LEVELS
The federal government recommends that you measure the level of
radon in your home. Without measurements there is no way to tell
whether radon is present because it is a colorless, odorless,
radioactive gas. Inexpensive devices are available for measuring
radon. EPA provides guidance as to risks associated with
different levels of exposure and when the public should consider
corrective action. There are specific mitigation techniques that
have proven effective in reducing levels of radon in the home.
(See Radon section on p. 11 of this booklet for additional
information about testing and controlling radon in homes.)
For pollutants other than radon, measurements are most
appropriate when there are either health symptoms or signs of
poor ventilation and specific sources or pollutants have been
identified as possible causes of indoor air quality problems.
Testing for many pollutants can be expensive. Before monitoring
your home for pollutants besides radon, consult your state or
local health department or professionals who have experience in
solving indoor air quality problems in nonindustrial buildings.
WEATHERIZING YOUR HOME
The federal government recommends that homes be weatherized in
order to reduce the amount of energy needed for heating and
cooling. While weatherization is underway, however, steps should
also be taken to minimize pollution from sources inside the home.
(See Improving the Air Quality in Your Home for recommended
actions.) In addition, residents should be alert to the emergence
of signs of inadequate ventilation, such as stuffy air, moisture
condensation on cold surfaces, or mold and mildew growth.
Additional weatherization measures should not be undertaken until
these problems have been corrected.
Weatherization generally does not cause indoor air problems by
adding new pollutants to the air. (There are a few exceptions,
such as caulking, that can sometimes emit pollutants.) However,
measures such as installing storm windows, weather stripping,
caulking, and blown in wall insulation can reduce the amount of
outdoor air infiltrating into a home. Consequently, after
weatherization, concentrations of indoor air pollutants from
sources inside the home can increase.
THREE BASIC STRATEGIES
Source Control
Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is
to eliminate individual sources of pollut
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