Could your house become sick?

    The leaves are turning, there’s a crispness to the air, it’s autumn in Maine. With the changing season comes increasing possibilities of allergies and illness as we tighten up our homes for winter. But did you ever think tightening up your home could make you sick?
    As a result of our increasing interest in energy efficiency, buildings are becoming more airtight with less fresh air ventilation. This can lead to inadequate ventilation for maintaining the health and comfort of your family. You can avoid “Sick Building Syndrome,” (SBS) by being aware of potential indoor air pollutants.
    Potential indoor contaminants can include copiers, printers, adhesives, as well as new upholstery, carpeting, manufactured wood products, cleaning agents and pesticides that may emit chemicals including ozone, formaldehyde and other toxics. These chemicals can cause acute (immediate) and chronic (long term) health effects.
    Tobacco smoke and combustion products from stoves, fireplaces, and unvented space heaters also add contaminants into your homes air. Pollutants from car and truck exhausts, plumbing vents, exhausts fans from bathrooms and kitchens can seep back into your home through vents and windows too.
    Biological home contaminants could include pollen, bacteria, viruses, and molds. Some even grow in stagnant water accumulated in humidifiers, drain pans, and ducts, or where water may have seeped onto ceiling tiles, insulation, or carpet. Biological pollutants can result in fever, chills, cough, chest tightness, muscle aches and allergic reactions.
    Adequate ventilation rates are a cost effective means of reducing indoor pollutants. Be sure your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems meet standard building codes. Keep your indoor air system operating and serviced regularly with new filters. In some cases, indoor air may even need to be vented directly to the outside using an air – air heat exchanger that will preheat your fresh air.
    Check your home to be sure you are using best management practices for: routine maintenance of HVAC systems, replacing water-stained ceiling tiles and carpets, banning smoking or providing a separately ventilated room, venting known contaminants to the outdoors, storing paints, solvents, pesticides, and adhesives in tightly closed containers in well-ventilated areas, using such products only when you can open the windows; and allow time for new furnishings and building materials to off-gas – with windows wide open before moving back in.
    Find out more about SBS at: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html
    In Our Back Yard is a column of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. E-mail your environmental questions to infodep@maine.gov or send them to In Our Back Yard, Maine DEP, 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.