If I said air pollution is harming us now and our future, you will probably think of outdoor air pollution. But that is not the case, it is actually indoor air pollutants such as mold and pollen, tobacco smoke, household products (oven and drain cleaner) and pesticides, gases like radon and carbon monoxide and materials used in the building such as lead and formaldehyde that are causing the most harm. 

I argued that we are harming ourselves and our families by using all of the indoor housing non organic products in our homes. The use of firewood and crop waste for cooking and heating inside the homes can cause respiratory diseases for everyone involved. 

According to the Centers of Disease and Prevention, people exposed to indoor air pollutants for a long period of time are the most susceptible to the effects. Groups such as young and elders who are already ill will suffer more respiratory or cardiovascular disease. John Bower the founder of Healthy House Institute wrote that a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air in our homes are more dangerous and seriously polluted than the outdoor air in industrialized cities. Indoor pollutants can be placed in two groups according to the CDC. The first is Biologic Pollutants which are mainly bacteria, molds, viruses, animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and pollen can be related to the most serious health effects. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pets can be asthma triggers because of dead skin flakes, urine, feces, saliva, and hair. Warm-blooded animals such as dogs, cats, and birds can sensitize individuals and lead to allergic reactions or trigger asthmatic episodes. The second is Chemical Pollutants, there are many chemicals that affect indoor air pollution. Some of them include carbon monoxide, ozone, and secondhand smoke. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a combustion pollutant in the United States. It is the leading cause of poisoning deaths. Unintentional CO deaths is the highest for children ages four and younger and the elders ages seventy-five and older. Inhaling ozone can damage people’s lungs, cause chest pain, coughing, and shortness of breath. Indoor ozone levels can vary from 10 percent of outdoor levels to 80 percent of the outdoor air. Secondhand smoke is the smoke from burning tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. It is also smoke that has been exhaled or breathed out by the person who is smoking. 

In conclusion, indoor air pollution may not be the hot topic that everyone is talking about, but it is a serious matter that can affect people and families in their homes. I ask the readers to take steps to protect their families in their homes by using safer cleaning chemicals, not smoke in the house, and keep the temperature in the house regulated. For more information on maintaining healthy indoor air visit Simple Solutions for Indoor Air Pollution at https://www.allweatherheatingandairconditioning.com/blog/simple-solutions-indoor-air-pollution/