HEALTHY HOMES
HEALTHY HOMES
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
HEALTHY HOME SERVICES
| aappolicy | Answers to policies & resources for detecting & treating disease | |
| airwaterbestprices | Unbeatable prices for environmental home health products and services | |
| All County Evironmental | Full service insurance repair & restoration service. Environmental clean up | |
| Allied Lead | Phase 1 Environmental site assessment. Sampling and remediation. | |
| Alpine Air Corp | So Cal remediation, restoration, and project management | |
| aolhealth.com | Health centers, diet & fitness, healthy living, health encyclopedia, tools | |
| Calenviro.com | Environmental geologists & engineers.Groundwater and soil contamination | |
| Cancer.org | American Cancer Society: treatments, cures, prevention, research, | |
| Cpilink.com | Catalytic products. Pollution control for VOCs, toxins,, & hazardous air. | |
| Earth Easy |
Non Toxic home care. Homemade solutions, formulas,and new habits |
|
| ECOLAB | LOS ANGELES: Termite and Pest Management. Voted Best Green exterminator. | |
| ehso.com/carecinogens | Environment, health, & safety on-line. Carcinogen detection. | |
| Envirocheck | Environmental testing kits for Mold & other hazards in your home | |
| EPA Government | Health effects, ways to reduce exposure. Standards and guidelines. | |
| Formaldehyde Testing | Formaldehyde Testing Lab. Most up to date testing and processes | |
| Fresh One | Air duct and dryer duct cleaning. Asbestos removal. Greater LA area. | |
| Gold Healthy & Safety | Customized health & safety consultation: Mold, Air quality, hygiene | |
| Gust Environmental | Certified building biologist: Mold, Chemicals, electromagnetic Radiation | |
| Health Line | Treatment search and options. Connect to better health. | |
| Home Tips | Experts for home improvement and DIY repairs, hazard remediation | |
| KRBConstruction | Mold removal. Remediation, Restoration, Remodeling. Water & fire damage. | |
| L A Mold | Professional Mold Inspections: Reliability, Accuracy, Integrity. | |
| Mesothelioma Center | Asbestos Cancer: Information, support, prevention. | |
| NCHH | National Center for Healthy Housing. Proven & Practical steps. | |
| Precision Environmental | Protecting your health & indoor environment. The Therma (tm) process | |
| Prevent Cancer | Cancer Prevention Coalition for safer home, & work environments | |
| Pure Restoration | Water & Fire damage restoration. Mold remediation. | |
| Radon Detection | Affordable Inspection Services: Experienced & responsive Radon testing | |
| Radon Zone | Your source for radon testing products | |
| Safe Home Products | A safer life starts here. Improve your home environment. | |
| Strategic Diagnostics | Environmental assessment, environmental testing and remediation. | |
| Service Magic | Testing & Abatement services for mold, radon, lead, & asbestos. | |
| SKC, Inc. | Get the Lead Out ! Identify, decontaminate, Confirm | |
| T R Restoration | Complete cleaning services for your carpet, upholstery, tile and air ducts | |
| Wolf Sence | Photo Ionization Detectors for toxins, particulates, moisture, & ventilation | |
| 1-800-Contractor | Find contractors for all your home repair and improvement needs | |
| ZEROREZ | "Green" carpet & surface cleaning. No soap. No toxic chemicals. |
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
DEFINITIONS
A healthy Home is a home that is free from toxins, carcinogens, volatile organic compounds, or any other elements that might cause disease adverse physical reactions during short term or long term exposure.
HUD sponsors a "Healthy Homes" program, designed to set goals for "safe, descent, and sanitary housing as a means for preventing disease and energy." (Click Link)
"Sick" homes (www.hometime.com) describe "homes with poor, even hazardous living environments." Find more helpful information about "sick building syndrome" by clicking on the preceding link.
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
ELEMENTS OF DANGER
| Toxin | Found In | Solution | ||
| Airborne-Particles | Carpets and Ducts | Replace carpets with hard surface flooring. Seal air ducts. Prevent garage odors from entering home by any means possible. | ||
| *Asbestos | Older furnaces & fireproofing areas, textured ceilings | Professional removal and disposal by trained and certified specialists | ||
| Biphenol A (BPA) | polycarbonate plastic; canned foods and beverages | Birth defects; hormone disruptor | ||
| Carbon Monoxide | Unserviced furnace burning propane, butane or oil. Exhaust fumes from an attached garage. | Keep furnaces in repair, make sure no leaks are present. | ||
| *Formaldehyde | Resin-based particle board, MDF, particle board, cabinets, counter-tops, carpet, fabric. | Use only products that have are Formaldehyde free. Look | ||
| Hydrofluoric Acid | Found in rust removers and other harsh, household cleaners | Dispose of materials via approved local standards. May cause pain and damage to tissues and bone if recommended gloves have holes in them. | ||
| *Lead | In paint & plumbing in older houses, household dust, consumer products in soil near highways and busy roads. | Contributor to learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Causes neurological and kidney damage, high blood pressure, disrupted blood cell production and reproductive problems. | ||
| *Mold & Mildew | Air Conditioner, Leaky plumbing areas | Stop leaks, ventilate damp areas, | ||
| Mercury | Consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish | Toxic to brain and nervous system | ||
| Nitrogen Dioxide | Wood-burning stove & fireplace smoke | Open damper on fireplaces and stoves, make certain chimneys, flues, & smoke stacks are properly connected & sealed. | ||
| Perchlorate | Drinking water; consumption of irrigated crops; milk | Interferes with iodine uptake of thyroid gland, which regulates hormones necessary for proper development | ||
| Phthalates | Polyvinyl chloride plastic, household cleaners & other products with synthetic fragrance; cosmetics; food packaging | Hormone disruptor; birth defects; reproductive disease; reduced sperm counts; heart disease; diabetes | ||
| *Radon | Seeps through cracks in foundation from ground beneath | Seal all cracks and patch holes. Use special sealant products & underlayment | ||
| Vinyl Chloride | Plastics or products that emit that "new car" smell. Water sitting in PVC pipes overnight. | Known carcinogen may cause severe liver damage and ballooning of the fingertips. | ||
| Triclosan | Antibacterial agent used in liquid soap, beauty products and cleaning products. | Toxic to liver; disrupts thyroid hormone system (necessary for development); may cause cancer | ||
|
*Volatile Organic Compounds(VOC) |
Carpet, Paint, Fabrics | Use Low or NO VOC paints, Use VOC free carpet & fabrics, Replace carpet with hard surface flooring. | ||
| * MOST COMMON PROBLEMS | ||||
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
We spend 90% of our time indoors where air is far more polluted than outdoor air. Improving our homes' air quality can also improve our health.
| Indoor Irritant | Sources | Potential Health Effects | ||
| Tobacco Smoke | Cigarettes, cigars, pipes | Respiratory irritation, bronchitis & pneumonia in children; emphysema, lung cancer, heart disease | ||
| Carbon Monoxidde | Unvented or malfunctioning gas appliances, wood stoves, tobacco smoke | Headache, nausea, angina, impaired vision and mental functioning; fatal at high concentrations | ||
| Nitrogen Oxides | Unvented or malfunctioning gas appliances | Eye, nose and throat irritation, increased respiratory infections in children | ||
| Organic Chemicals | Aerosol sprays, solvents, glues, cleaning agents, pesticides, paints, moth repellents, air fresheners, dry-cleaned clothing, treated water. | Eye, nose & throat irritation, headaches; loss of coordination; damage to liver, kidneys & brain; various types of cancer | ||
| Formaldehyde | Pressed wood products such as plywood and particleboard, furnishings, wallpaper, durable press fabrics | Eye, nose, & throat irritation; headache; allergic reactions; cancer | ||
| Respirable Particles | Cirgarettes, wood stoves, fireplaces, aerosol sprays, house dust | Eye, nose & throat irritation; increased susceptibility to respiratory infection and bronchitis; lung cancer | ||
| Biological Agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, animal dander, mites) | House dust; pets; bedding; poorly maintained air conditioners, humidifiers & dehumidifiers; wet or moist structures; furnishings |
Allergic reactions;asthma; eye, nose & throat irritation; fever; influenza, other infectious diseases |
||
| Asbestos | Damaged or deteriorating insulation, fireproofing & acoustic materials | Asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, other cancers | ||
| Lead | Sanding or open-flame burning of lead paint, house dust | Nerve and brain damage, particularly in children; anemia; kidney damage, growth retardation | ||
| Radon | Soil under buildings, some earth-derived construction materials, groundwater | Lung cancer |
| KEEP INDOOR AIR CLEAN & HEALTHY WITH THESE SIMPLE TIPS |
| 1. Clean the air | 2. Bring in fresh outside air naturally & mechanically | 3. Control pollution resources |
(CLICK ABOVE FOR STORE)
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
RESOURCES:
SHOP MY GREEN STORE ON LINE FOR GREAT GREEN PRODUCTS:
Icluding Ionic and Enzyme based non-toxic cleaners. Don't allow chemicals, phosphates, and other carcinogens to endanger your home and your family's safety. For a complete GREEN HOME MAKOVER, email us or phone us at (805) 248-3491. Get a full home report for $99.00.
n
Create Your Healthy Home Control mold, water & air quality, electromagnetic radiation
FASTSTATS Centers for Disease Control: Source for credible health info
GREEN PROGRESS Green technology and science news
WORLDofGOOD.com (by EBAY) First on-line marketplace for Eco Positive sellers & products
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
| Disinfectants | Phenols, which include biphenyl, phenolics, and the preservative pentachloraphenol. Found in disinfectants, antiseptics, perfumes, mouthwashes, glues, and air fresheners. | |
| Pesticides | Chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin, though all banned continue to show up airborne in older houses. | |
| Solvents |
Benzene and methyl ethyl ketome traverse cell walls unchecked by normal cell defense. Both are carcinogens. Toulene, xylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and trichloroethylene make up most solvents. |
healthy home definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
HIDDEN HARMS
| Carcinogen | A chemical that can cause cancer | |
| Developmental Toxicant | A chemical that can produce advedrse health effects prior to conception, during pregnancy and during childhood. Adverse effects: death, stillbirths, malformations, mental retardation, sensory loss, growth alteration and/or functional deficit. | |
| Neurotoxins |
A chemical that affects the nervous system, and can adversely affect intelligence, cause memory deficits, and result in cognitive an behavioral problems and sexual dysfunction |
|
| Reproductive Toxicants | A chemical that adversely affects the male or female reproductive system. | |
| Teratogen | A chemical that specifically causes birth defects. |
*Check Resources Above for more information on "Unintentional Injuries" & Disease Control.
healthy home services definitions elements of danger indoor pollutants resources usual suspects hidden harms back to top
Links from YourEcoTeam.com are not endorsements or validation of any claims made by their hosts regarding "green" products or services. Each link is responsible for its own marketing. You are encouraged to report inconsistencies, 'greenwashing,' or false claims through our contact page.
