Indoor Air Quality Highlighted in EPA Report

The EPA just released its 2008 Report on the Environment: Highlights of National Trends.  One of the topics covered in the report is air quality.  Since most Americans spend the majority of their time indoors at work, school, or home, we have decided to focus on the indoor air quality section of the report.

It’s important that we know what is in our air in order to mitigate our risk of exposure to potentially harmful pollutants.  Two types of indoor air pollution that are most prevalent are radon and tobacco smoke.

Radon is a dangerous gas that is found naturally underground but can seep into buildings and homes through cracks in the floors or foundation.  If you suspect you have a radon problem, it is strongly recommended that you test your home with a home radon test kit.  In order to lessen the chance of contracting lung cancer and other diseases associated with this gas, the EPA suggests installation of a radon mitigation system in the home or office if radon is found to be a problem.  

Tobacco smoke, which is the first leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. presents the biggest threat to our children, according to the EPA.  This is because they are still developing.  The only way we can safeguard our children from the dangers of tobacco smoke is by not smoking in our homes and not smoking around them.   The report contains additional information about air quality issues, water quality, land, human exposure and Health, and Ecological Condition.