Poor indoor air quality is an ‘invisible epidemic’

Indoor air pollution can cause headaches, fatigue, depression and more symptoms

Headaches and other symptoms may be
related to poor indoor air quality.

No matter where we are and what we do, we need to breathe. But the indoor air quality in many homes and workplaces can be full of chemicals, gases, odors, particles, dust, allergens, mold spores, bacteria, viruses and more.

The number of people that react to these indoor air pollutants is growing steadily.

While headaches, respiratory issues, fatigue and depression belong to the most immediate symptoms, research has shown that long-term effects from exposure to toxins include heart disease, respiratory disease, reproductive disorders, sterility and cancer.

The four most common sources of indoor air pollution are

1. Pressed wood products (formaldehyde fumes)
2. Carpets (volatile organic compounds from glues and dyes)
3. Paints (VOCs like formaldehyde and benzene)
4. Furnishings with flame-retardants, like mattresses, upholstery, drapes, curtains;

For better indoor air quality, experts recommend source control (choosing the least toxic and healthiest options and products), ventilation and air cleaning.

According to Dr. Mercola in an article for Food Consumer, an air purifier is the most effective way to improve your indoor air quality, after fixing the problems that may contribute to poor IAQ.

However, his list of air filtration technologies was missing activated carbon, one of the most important filters when it comes to harmful indoor air pollutants.

Activated carbon is a safe, affordable and highly effective filter media for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases and odors. Make sure you get an air purifier with many pounds of granular activated carbon, since thin spray-on or mesh carbon filters won’t do the job.

With activated carbon, you need a large internal surface area where gaseous pollutant will get trapped – that is why more carbon is better and will last longer.

AllerAir air purifiers combine activated carbon plus HEPA filter technology to remove both chemical pollutants as well as particulate matter (up to 99.97% of all particles at 0.3 microns, in fact), and many air purifiers can also accommodate a UV lamp for extra protection against bacteria, viruses and molds.

Contact AllerAir for more information and options!

Chemical Exposure During Pregnancy: How Exposure to Toxic Chemicals Affects Your Baby

Chemical exposure during pregnancy can have a serious impact on a child’s life. Studies reveal that exposure to toxic chemicals begins in the womb, and may result in behavioral and cognitive problems, chronic disorders, environmental injury, or cancer.

Pregnant women must protect their infants from toxic injury in the womb. A study conducted by the Endocrine Society revealed that chemical exposures during pregnancy, specifically BPA, lead to cancer in 33% of cases. In most instances, the cancers began at puberty or in young adulthood.

Similarly, an Environmental Working Group (EWG) study found 232 chemicals in the umbilical cords of ten babies. Avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals is now vital to a healthy pregnancy. The EWG insists that better measures are necessary in order to protect against chemical exposures during pregnancy.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contends that prenatal exposure to air pollutants contributes to low birth weight and early delivery, which in turn contributes to high infant mortality rates as well as a lifetime of disabilities.

What can you do to avoid chemical exposures during pregnancy to protect yourself and your unborn child?

Here are a few tips to help limit Your Exposure to Toxic Chemicals

1. Do not smoke.  Stay away from Second hand smoke. There are over 4,000 chemicals in second hand smoke and over 250 of these chemicals are considered carcinogenic. Ask people to smoke outside, not in your home or vehicle. Remember, even after the baby arrives, these chemicals can cause asthma among other chronic diseases.

2. Watch out for toxic cleaning chemicals

Many cleaning products contain hazardous chemicals, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and carcinogens.  Even commonly used aerosols inject over 80 distinct chemicals into your ambient air (EWG).  The use of green cleaning products, at home and at work, is just one way to limit your exposure to toxic chemicals.

A recent study conducted by EWG discovered over 457 chemical emissions from disinfectant powders, bleaches, aerosols, glass cleaners and more. Employ the use of natural cleaning agents such as baking soda and all-purpose enzyme cleaners.

At work and at home, having an air purifier with activated carbon will help keep gaseous and particle pollutants at bay, significantly reducing exposure to toxic chemicals. Look for an air purifier with at least 15 pounds of activated carbon that is ozone-free.

3. Limit your exposure to paint.

You’re expecting a new baby and it’s exciting, but remember that most paints contains VOCs. A freshly painted room is no place for an expecting mother. Once the room is painted, make sure it is well ventilated. Open the windows and if you have an air purifier, use it.

4. Watch out for ozone

Exposure to ozone can occur in two instances: through smog exposure or from ozone generators. Smog is a cocktail of air pollutants largely composed of ground level ozone, while ozone generators refer to personal air purifiers that emit ozone gas. Smog going outdoors when there are smog warnings in effect; however, smog (like other outdoor air pollutants) can find its way inside your home.

5. Steer clear of the dry cleaners

In your attempt to avoid Chemical exposure during pregnancy, opt to hand wash your delicates. The dry cleaning process involves the use of organic solvents like tetrachloride that are recognized as hazardous, causing liver, kidney and nervous system damage.

6. Go scent free

Many perfumes are concocted with a number of chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects and organ damage. A study conducted by the EPA revealed that most department store perfumes contain toluene---a proven carcinogen---while a number of other cosmetic products contain petrochemicals and pesticides. Studies reveal that perfume use can cause undue chemical exposure during pregnancy, and may lead to infertility in male babies.

7. Invest in an air purifier

An air purifier will remove chemicals and odors from the ambient air in your home. This is the best way to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals. An air purifier with at least 15 pounds of granular activated carbon and a medical-grade HEPA filter will trap 99.97% of particle pollutants. Avoid air purifiers that use a thin layer of spray-on carbon; they are useless.

8. Pesticides are toxic

Do not use pesticides in your home. Also, when entering your home, remove your shoes and ask others to do the same. Wash all produce before consumption, and whenever possible, opt for organic fruits and vegetables.

Remember, chemical exposure during pregnancy can affect your child for the rest of their lives, so isn’t worth it to be careful? This time it’s easy to make smart choices. Avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals can only help.

The Challenges Faced by SME's: A conversation between our MP, The Honourable Stéphane Dion and AllerAir Industries

We really enjoyed meeting our MP today, the Honourable Stéphane Dion and talking to him about the air purification industry and some of the challenges faced by SME's (small to medium sized businesses).

Many Canadians don't realize:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises comprise the majority of Canadian firms that sell goods and services abroad. Their exports are directly linked to increased productivity, job creation and economic growth.

• In Quebec, small and medium-sized enterprises account for 96 % of all businesses and have led larger firms in productivity and growth over the last 10 years.

• According to Statistics Canada's Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH), on average in 2007, just over 5.1 million employees on payroll, or 48 percent of the total private sector labour force, worked for small enterprises (those with fewer than 100 employees).

• Manufacturing accounts for nearly 1.8 million Canadian jobs (2007)

• Manufacturing jobs are being lost at a rate of 150 a day

We believe that access to financing is critical if SMEs are to develop and expand.
 
We look forward to more conversations with you Mr. Dion!

Toxic Cleaning Chemicals: Reducing Chemical Exposures at School

The use of toxic cleaning chemicals in your child’s school can have a big impact on his/her health. Many chemical exposures occur at school; the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently tested 21 cleaning products (many of which are regularly used in schools) and discovered that they release over 457 air contaminants, including chloroform and formaldehyde. These gaseous pollutants are linked to asthma and cancer, while many others are considered hazardous, with health risks that will only unfold in the future.

Over the past decade, the number of children with asthma has doubled, while childhood cancers have risen by 28 percent over the past two decades. Toxic cleaning chemicals in schools is affecting the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), as well as the frequency of chemical exposures in children. Multiple Chemical Sensitivities are becoming increasingly common worldwide, while the number of children with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is expected to rise.

With these alarming statistics, it becomes obvious that children are left vulnerable to chemical exposures that may have both acute and long-term effects on their developing immune systems. Chemical exposures in children are far too common, and toxic cleaning chemicals are playing a leading role in this assault.

The use of toxic cleaning chemicals needs to stop. It is time to take stock of our habits and encourage schools to implement the use of green products into their housekeeping routines.   Children are more at risk of chemical exposures because their metabolic rate is higher. Also, children take more breaths than adults, and so their bodies are more susceptible to toxins.

At School, you child is faces exposure to airborne pollutants like:
· Pesticides (for pest control)
· Formaldehyde (Portable classrooms, furniture, carpets, flooring)
· Mold (leaky pipes, washrooms, etc.)
· Carbon monoxide (school buses, cars, etc.)
· Cleaning products (various hazardous variations)
· Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
· Animal dander and pollen

Schools built prior to 1980 may have lead, asbestos and even radon in their walls, while newer buildings and school furnishings may have formaldehyde, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other gaseous and particle pollutants. Toxic cleaning products add roughly 65 more recognized toxins and carcinogens to the ambient air your child inhales for most of their day. To limit chemical exposures at school, it seems a military gas mask should be added to the school supplies list.

Children spend 90 percent of their time indoors. For a child suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities this can mean hours of torture. MCS America recommends simple tips for schools and teachers:

1)Use green cleaning products- eliminate the use of toxic cleaning
chemicals all together

2)Fix leaky pipes and remove any materials that have been damaged by water

3)Clean the air ducts regularly, and employ the use of an air filtration
system equipped with inert materials and many pounds of activated carbon

4)Implement a fragrance and smoke free policy

5)Make sure that school buses are not located in an area where air is
vented into the school.

6)If a classroom was remodeled within the last 3 years, keep your MCS
student out of there

7)In the event of a reaction, remove the student from the source and them
to fresh air immediately

8)Find out what happened for avoidance purposes

9)Be patient with your student


Avoid Portable Classrooms at All Costs

Student populations are growing in the U.S.A and as a result, the number of portable classrooms is growing. These portable classrooms have caused quite the stir among teacher’s unions and parent committees because of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) concerns.

Studies show that these classrooms have high concentrations of air pollutants like mold, formaldehyde and VOCs. Not only can a student with Multiple chemical sensitivities not step foot into these classrooms, regular students can develop multiple chemical sensitivities and other chronic diseases through repeated exposures to these hazardous airborne pollutants.

Consequently, the EPA has developed the IAQ Tools For Schools Award Program that encourages educational facilities to improve their IAQ, which can mean eliminating toxic cleaning chemicals, implementing the use of an air purifier in classrooms, and limiting their use of pesticides.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities threaten the health and happiness of children across the globe. As parents, it’s time to take this threat very seriously. Say no to toxic cleaning chemicals, your children deserve better.