Healthy Air - Healthy Homes Workshop
Questions & Answers
- What are the effects of biodiesel?
- I have heard about NASA plants that clean air. Do you have more information about them?
- Is pollen highest in the morning or evening?
- How does asthma compare from the Willamette Valley to east side of Oregon?
- If we live in San Jose, CA can you refer us to a program similar to this one?
- How effective are the air filters that are sold by Sharper Image? Any dangers associated with their use?
- Where can I find information on the top 20 Hazardous Chemicals?
- What determines radon presence?
- Discuss HEPA air filters and vacuums.
- Overall – How is the air quality in the Willamette valley?
- Where can I purchase mattresses that are organic?
- What does “green” product mean?
- How do I test for VOCs in my home?
- Is it helpful to have your ducts cleaned – or waste of money?
- I’ve read and heard about people who exercise to lose weight, especially teens, and having it cure their asthma. Is this true?
Question: What are the effects of biodiesel?
Answer: The tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for almost a third of the air pollution in the United States . Biodiesel is a type of renewable fuel made by combining animal fat or vegetable oil (such as recycled restaurant grease or soybean oil) with alcohol. 100% biodiesel is safe and biodegradable, and all blends reduce serious air pollutants such as soot, particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and toxic air pollutants. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality offers much information on biodiesel and reducing air pollution.
Question: I have heard about NASA plants that clean air. Do you have more information about them?
Answer: While researching natural indoor air filters for space habitation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) discovered that some plants are more effective than others at filtering certain pollutants. On the last page of the Healthy House fact sheet (pdf) from the American Lung Association of Washington is a chart of pollutants and specific plants they found effective for improving air quality.
Question: Is pollen highest in the morning or evening?
Answer: On the NIEHS Asthma and Allergy Prevention site, it states that pollen counts are highest from 5-10 am in the morning. Other information has said that pollen counts are highest in the mid or later part of the morning and early evening. It may be
important to gather specific information of the plants around your home and the specific season to get a clear time when pollen is highest.
Question: How does asthma compare from the Willamette Valley to east side of Oregon?
Answer: The Oregon Asthma Network has statistics for the number of people with asthma living in different parts of Oregon. There looks to be only a slight difference with fewer people with asthma living in eastern Oregon .
Question: If we live in San Jose, CA can you refer us to a program similar to this one?
Answer: The California Department of Health Services has an Indoor Air Quality Program
that may be a good starting place in finding educational programs supporting healthy air in your home. Other universities with similar NIEHS Community Outreach and Education Programs in California include Southern California and UC Davis.
Question: How effective are the air filters that are sold by Sharper Image? Any dangers associated with their use?
Answer: Sharper Image sells an air cleaner with OzoneGuard™. There is a large body of written material on ozone and the use of ozone indoors. Much of this material makes claims or draws conclusions without substantiation and sound science. For more information on this topic, read the following article from the EPA:
Also, you can learn more about the controversy over air purifiers from Consumer Reports.
Question: Where can I find information on the top 20 Hazardous Chemicals?
Answer: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, wants to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment.
For more information on the top 20 hazardous chemicals, please see the list at the ATSDR website.
Question: What determines radon presence?
Answer: Radon comes from the Earth and rock beneath home; well water; building materials. The only way to know for sure if your home has radon is to have your home tested. Testing kits, which are easy to use and take only a few minutes to complete, can be purchased at many local hardware stores, as well as the health department. For more information about radon, visit the EPA Radon page.
Question: Discuss HEPA air filters and vacuums.
Answer: For a vacuum filter to be labeled "True" HEPA, it must be certified 99.97% efficient in capturing 0.3 micron (not 0.1 or 0.01 etc.)
respirable-size-particles (RSP) according to the U.S. Military Standard MIL-STD-282, commonly known as the DOP test.
Particles that are 0.3 micron in size are the most difficult particles to trap and contain within a filter. Also, 0.3 micron particle, when inhaled, passes easily into the body's respiratory system so the body's natural defense system is more vulnerable to these small particles. This is why ONLY "True" HEPA filters are recommended by Allergists and
Doctors.
A micron is a measure of length: "1 micron equals 1 millionth of a meter!". A particle that is 10 microns or less in size is not visible to the naked human eye.
Examples of some common air contaminants and their size in microns:
Human Hair ................................ (70 - 100 microns)
Human Sneeze ......................... (10 - 100 microns)
Pet Dander ............................(0.5 - 100 microns)
Pollen ...........................................(5 - 100 microns)
Spores from Plants .......................(6 - 100 microns)
Mold............................................(2 - 20 microns)
Smoke ....................................(.01 - 1 micron)
Dust Mite Debris ......................... (0.5 - 50 microns)
Household Dust ........................ (.05 - 100 microns)
Skin Flakes ...............................(0.4 - 10 microns)
Bacteria......................................(0.35 - 10 microns)
Question: Overall – How is the air quality in the Willamette valley?
Answer:
The Oregon DEQ has information on air advisories. Air Quality Index (AQI)
is a color-coded tool which shows air pollution levels in a variety of
cities around Oregon . Overall the air looks quite good.
Question: Where can I purchase mattresses that are organic?
Answer: There are a number of natural chemical free organic cotton mattresses. One company that sells them is called Nirvana Safe Haven at 1-800-968-9355. The web site offers much information about the mattresses. We do not endorse any particular company. Be sure to learn more about the product and where best to buy one. Another site with many products is greenhome.com
Question: What does “green” product mean?
Answer: Green Cleaning can have a lot of interpretations, but the main goal of green cleaning is to use cleaning solutions and methods that keep our environment healthy. There are many degrees to which homes can take this goal. For some homes, green cleaning means that they only use substances like baking soda, vinegar, and lemons to clean the home surfaces. Other homes may seek out commercial cleaners that are healthy for the environment. Other cleaning products may use recycled packaging or donate a portion of their profits to environmental causes.
Whatever choices you make about your cleaning supplies, there is a huge variety of environmentally friendly choices for those interested in green cleaning.
The Green Seal is awarded to products that have less impact on the environment and work well. To earn the Green Seal a product must meet the Green Seal environmental standard for the category as demonstrated by rigorous evaluation and testing and a plant visit. Green Seal standards are set so that they identify the most environmentally preferable products currently available; thus, they are leadership standards.
Read more information about green labels from the Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels.
Question: How do I test for VOCs in my home?
Answer: Some home screening kits are available to measure total volatile organic compound (TVOC) levels, and some individual VOCs. These home sampling kits should be viewed as providing “ballpark” amount of VOCs in the indoor air. Conditions such as ventilation, temperature and humidity can cause VOC concentrations to fluctuate daily. Prior to testing conduct an inspection of your home for some common sources of VOCs such as:
- New carpeting
- New furniture
- Idling automobile in attached garage
- Recent painting
- Chemicals stored in the home
- Recently applied adhesives
- New plastic or electronic devices
Once you determine the probable source of VOCs, steps can be taken to reduce your exposure. If you are unable to determine the source, a professional indoor air quality investigator / industrial hygienist can be consulted.
From the Minnesota Dept. of Health VOC Fact Sheet
Question: Is it helpful to have your ducts cleaned – or waste of money?
Answer: There is a very useful handout From the WSU Energy Program web site called Cleaning Air Ducts in Your Home(pdf). It states you should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:
1) There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:
- Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection, so ask the contractor to show you any mold they say exists.
- Although some substances may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an expert and may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation.
- If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.
- If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.
2) Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects); or
3) Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are released into the home from your supply registers.
View Cleaning Air Ducts in Your Home for much more valuable information.
Question: I’ve read and heard about people who exercise to lose weight, especially teens, and having it cure their asthma. Is this true?
Answer: The Oregon Asthma Program has a paper on Asthma and Obesity. To learn more about this relationship go here. Here is an interesting excerpt from the conclusion:
"Some researchers think that obese women are more likely to get diagnosed with asthma than nonobese women, even when they do not have it. This could result when possible symptoms of asthma, such as shortness of breath, occur in non-asthmatic obese persons, and these are mistaken for asthma. It is not clear whether this is contributing to overestimation of asthma in obese women. In any case, the gender difference is remarkable. Some have suggested that the difference reflects the fact that women have smaller airways. But we also know that women have more airway hyperreactivity than men, which points to additional factors. Further evidence exists linking estrogen to asthma, and obese women have higher levels of circulating estrogen than normal weight women".
Healthy Air - Healthy Homes main page
Submit questions to:
Naomi Hirsch at 737-8105
naomi.hirsch@oregonstate.edu
