Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor air quality Testing is important for our health. Which would you choose: to live in a home you could afford or one that is healthy for your family? Sadly, too many families in America are forced to make that decision every day.
We have adopted some of the HUD recommendations for your well-being. Our communities should make affordable and healthy homes available to families. “Healthy Homes” is a century-old concept that promotes safe, decent, and sanitary housing to prevent disease and injury. There is a lot of emerging scientific evidence linking health outcomes such as asthma, lead poisoning, and unintentional injuries to substandard housing, some due to poor Indoor Air Quality Testing or Indoor Air Quality Monitoring
But it’s not just older homes that contain hazards. Even newer, expensive homes may have hazards lurking within. Creating healthier housing promotes the healthy growth and development of children and has the potential to save billions in health care costs. Everyone needs a healthy home, and some of the children’s most serious health problems start in their homes. There are special reasons to think about children:
- Children’s bodies are still growing.
- For their size, children eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air than adults.
- Children play and crawl on the ground and put their fingers into their mouths.
- Children depend on adults to make their homes safe.
So what can you do?
Fortunately, there are some really simple ways to help make your home healthier for you and your family. By following the Eight Healthy Homes Principles below, you can help make your home a healthier place to live in. Indoor Air Quality Testing.
Follow the Eight Healthy Homes Principles
1. Keep it Dry, Moisture Brings Mold
Prevent water from entering your home through leaks in roofing systems and rainwater from entering the home due to poor drainage, and check your interior plumbing for any leaking. Mold can start to grow in as little as 48 hours after a flood or elevated moisture.
2. Keep it Clean; dust and dust mites affect your health.
Control the dust and contaminants’ source, create smooth and clean surfaces, reduce clutter, and use effective wet-cleaning methods.
3. Keep it Safe; Children can easily get hurt.
Store poisons out of the reach of children and properly label them. Secure loose rugs and free children’s play areas from hard or sharp surfaces. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and keep fire extinguishers on hand.
4. Keep it Well-Ventilated; ventilation reduces the amounts of Indoor Air Pollutants
Ventilate bathrooms and kitchens and use whole-house ventilation to supply fresh air to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the home.
5. Keep it Pest-free; Pest dander and bug parts.
All pests look for food, water, and shelter. Seal cracks and openings throughout the home; store food in pest-resistant containers. If needed, use sticky traps and baits in closed containers and the least toxic pesticides, such as boric acid powder.
6. Keep it Contaminant-free: Indoor Air Quality Testing
Reduce lead-related hazards in pre-1978 homes by fixing deteriorated paint and keeping floors and window areas clean using a wet-cleaning approach. Test your home for radon, a naturally occurring dangerous gas that enters homes through soil, crawlspaces, and foundation cracks. Install a radon removal system if levels above the EPA action level are detected. Also, Indoor Air Quality or Indoor Air Monitoring is recommended.
7. Keep your home Maintained:
Inspect, clean, and repair your home routinely. Take care of minor repairs and problems before they become large repairs and problems
8. Thermally Controlled
Houses that do not maintain adequate temperatures may place the safety of residents at increased risk from exposure to extreme cold or heat. Contact us for our Indoor Air Quality Services.
UHS provides Indoor Air Quality Services by providing Indoor Air Quality Testing and Indoor Air Quality Monitoring.
