Cascade Built Blog
February 16, 2009
Toxics in and around the home
Posted by admin, 8:40 PM
Went to a lecture on Toxics in the home given by toxicologist and author Stephen Gilbert, of Toxipedia. Top tips for reducing toxins in existing homes (my summary):
1) Remove carpets from home (carpets harbor toxins & dust mites and are very difficult to get clean, and the material backing may be made from toxins such as PVC)
2) take off shoes when entering home (you are tracking in lots of different toxins on your shoes, leave them outside)
3) Ventilate home to below 60% humidity, use bathroom and kitchen fans regularly to prevent mold, mildew, and dust mites, which all thrive above 60% humidity.
All the above are much more relevant for children, who are in closer proximity to the toxins…wash your hands kiddos.
Of course these suggestions apply to new homes too. The basic gist of the lecture was: people spend 90% of their time indoors, and indoor air quality (IAQ) is poor due to man made chemicals that don’t biodegrade, but rather bio-accumulate over time, as well as poor ventilation that can result in worse IAQ levels.
Improve your air quality by building homes with non-toxic building materials (urea formaldehyde is a very common toxin), using non-toxic paints and finishes (formaldehyde and others), including drapes and furnishings (which may contain PBDEs, Phthalates, Urea Formaldehyde, BPA, etc). It’s a jungle inside!
