I can’t wait to open windows and air the place out. Did you know that indoor air quality is one of the EPA’s top five environmental risks to public health and that our “indoor air is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor and we spend about 90% of our time indoors” (Healthy Child)? It’s true!
Photo:AlejandraMavroski
…the indoor air in the typical American home contains over 500 chemicals. According to a study published in April 2009:
- 586 individual chemicals were identified in the air of 52 homes. The pesticides diazinon and chlorpyrifos were found in the greatest amounts and both were found in all of the homes tested.
- Twenty-seven different organochlorine pesticides were detected. p,p’-DDE, a breakdown product of the now banned pesticide DDT, was detected in more than 90 percent of homes.
- Amounts of PCBs were generally low but were found in more than half the houses. They were detected in 56 percent of the 52 homes studied.
- Phthalate chemicals were found at very large concentrations in indoor air.
So I say LET”S DO THIS! Open up the windows, air out your home and feel good knowing that it is a healthier solution all around – for your family and our planet!
Written By: Lynn Stone, Pre-school Teacher
