Four indoor features that tend to pollute the air in your home

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February 4, 2015

In today’s article, we will turn your attention to the four most common sources of indoor air pollution.

  1. A new carpet and sofa– some carpet and upholstery materials emit volatile organic compounds known as VOCs. Some of these particles are so dangerous that they can cause several types of cancer. This is why it is very important that you purchase a carpet that has low VOC emitting qualities. Another option is to get a wool carpet which is absolutely eco-friendly. Also when you are cleaning your carpet or upholstery use a vacuum that has a HEPA filter. Or you can book a professional rug cleaning help.
  2. Broken fluorescent lights – fluorescent lights contain mercury and when they are broken the mercury gets airborne and pollutes the indoor air. This is why a lot of health experts are against the usage of such lighting fixtures. If a fluorescent light breaks in your home open the windows and evacuate the room. Wait between 15 to 30 minutes before you re-enter the room and clean the broken light residue. During the cleaning do not use a vacuum cleaner as it will disperse the remaining mercury in the air.
  3. New electronics – some new electronics are made from polyvinyl chloride. Polyvinyl chloride emits phthalates which is an element that can cause hormonal and reproductive problems. To prevent the phthalates from getting airborne open your new electronic device on your porch or balcony and leave the box open for 20 minutes. Once that the chemical odour dissolves bring your new electronic device in your home.
  4. Hard floors – some hard flooring materials tend to provide a favourable environment for various harmful particles. These particles get airborne during the cleaning. An easy way to prevent this is to clean your hard floors with hard floor cleaning machines. You can get hard floor cleaning machines from any specialised cleaning hardware store in your area.

Highly regarded scientific studies in the United States discovered that lower exposure to fine particles reduces the risk of serious ventilatory and heart diseases and increases the average lifespan. The benefits of lower exposure will be greatest for people who are most vulnerable to the effects of fine particle pollution, including the elderly, children, and people with cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes.

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