Healthy lifestyle? You’re still exposed to toxins

Even with the best intentions, our living space
may expose us to harmful toxins.

When it comes to our exposure to chemicals and toxins, we can make certain choices to be healthier – but even with the best intentions it is pretty much impossible to live a toxic-free life.

Great starting points are

• Eating organic foods
• Avoiding compressed wood furniture in the home that off-gas formaldehyde
• Opting for natural materials like stone, ceramic tile and granite instead of plastic laminates and vinyl
• Using natural cleaning agents like vinegar and baking soda instead of harsh store-bought cleaners
• Banning smoking and pesticides
• Curbing the use of perfumes and chemical-laden personal care products
• Picking eco-friendly and low-VOC paints and materials when renovating
• Drinking filtered water
• Etc.

But unless you have unlimited funds and a never-ending thirst for more information and the willingness to make changes in your life, chances are you will still be exposed to some chemicals and volatile organic compounds.

Only a small number of people can build their own home according to their non-toxic requirements, the majority lives in homes that were built with materials that can off-gas VOCs and chemicals, including oil and latex paints, varnishes, caulking and so on.

Your electronic equipment and printers with toners and ink cartridges may be culprits, and certain products in the garage or shed: bike chain cleaner, car maintenance products, …

Even if you can’t smell anything inside the home, a blood, urine and/or hair test will likely reveal some surprises in toxin levels.

Source: NOW

So, what’s a toxin-conscious human being to do?

Keep using the most natural and green products and materials whenever you can, make sure the home is well ventilated, humidity levels under control and the air is kept clean no matter what.

Air purifiers with carbon and HEPA
can remove chemicals and particles.

A portable and powerful air purifier from AllerAir can help clean the air 24/7, by drawing it through the most effective air filters on the market: A deep-bed activated carbon filter and a medical-grade HEPA filter as well as optional UV germicidal filtration.

AllerAir’s popular base model 5000 Exec and the AirMedic Series can rid the air of chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odors, particles, dust, mold, viruses and bacteria.

Contact AllerAir for more information and a personalized recommendation.
  

Basement reno projects and chemical off-gassing

So thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of sweat equity later,
we finally refinished our basement...only to learn that our beautiful new family space was virtually unusable!

The vast amounts of chemical off-gassing leaching from the new drywall, flooring and paint wasn't completely evident at first. It just had a "new" sort of smell - like that new car smell. Surprisingly, that distinctive odor actually means the air is filled with VOC's and other chemicals from the resins, glues and bonding agents in the building materials.

Soon our whole family was experiencing headaches and a variety of other symptoms - our amazing new space was making us sick. For security reasons, we didn't feel comfortable leaving the basement windows open for extended periods of time, but it was clear the air quality needed attention.

When I asked one of our air quality experts how long I'd be living with this off-gassing, I was stunned to hear that it could be YEARS before the materials fully out-gassed...leaving my family exposed to airborne chemicals on a daily basis. 

Armed with that warning, I reluctantly took the AllerAir Air Medic air purifier from my bedroom and moved it to the basement where it remains turned on 24/7. AllerAir is one of the only air purifier manufacturers that uses a significant amount of activated carbon that works like a gas mask to soak up chemicals, gases and odors for at least 2 years in typical home environment. My unit also has a medical-grade HEPA filter for dust and other particles.

After 24 hours we noticed a big difference in the basement, but now I have another problem...I'm sneezing again in my bedroom!