The History of the Housing Court
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
You will spend about half your life inside your home.
Is the air in your home safe for your family to breathe?
It’s not always easy to tell. We see smoke and notice
bad smells, but, carbon monoxide, radon, mold spores,
and other dangers can hide from our senses.
Take these steps to help ensure better air quality in
your home:
1. Test Your Home for Radon. Radon is a
cancer-causing gas found in many basements. Radon test
kits are cheap. Pick one up at your local hardware
store. Or call your local health department for more
information.
2. Don’t Smoke in Your Home. Don’t smoke in
your home or car. Never smoke near children.
3. Open Your Windows. Let the fresh air in
whenever someone uses chemicals in the home or garage.
4. Be Careful with New Carpeting. Ask the
carpeting salesperson to unroll a new carpet and let it
air out before bringing it into your home. Put in new
carpet when you can open your windows. Vacuum your old
carpet before removing it to control dust.
5. Be Careful with New Furniture. Air out new
furniture and building materials for a few days before
bringing them inside. Look for products made with
non-toxic chemicals and materials. Sometimes these green
building products cost more. Decide whether the cost is
worth protecting the health of your family.
Indoor air quality web links and contact
information:
Lucas County Health Department (419) 213-4074
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Air
Quality Home Page—www.epa.gov/iaq
National Radon Information Hotline—(800)SOS-RADON
((800)767-7236)
The National Consumer Federation’s Radon Website—www.radonfix.org
National Lead Information Center—(800)424-LEAD
((800)424-5323)
National Hispanic Indoor Air Quality
Hotline—(800)SALUD-12 ((800)725-8312), Monday to Friday,
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET
American Lung Association—(800)LUNG-USA
((800)586-4872)—www.lungusa.org
Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Homes (406)944-3451—www.healthyindoorair.org
Home*A*Syst: An Environmental Risk Assessment Guide
for the Home (608)262-0024—www.uwex.edu/homeasyst
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