Environmental Risks to your Health

A survey commissioned on behalf of the American Lung Association Health House

Be part of the Solution!

program and 3M in April 2002 found that many of those questioned were not aware of the potential dangers associated with poor indoor air. With 540 homeowners nationwide responding to the survey, which has a +/- six percent margin of error, key findings were:

• More than 50 percent of Americans are not aware that poor indoor air quality is one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health, and nearly 25 percent of Americans are not concerned ab

out the air quality in their homes and the impact it can have on their family’s health.
• Less than 20 percent of Americans believe that the air inside their homes is more polluted than the air outdoors, even though the EPA found that levels of air pollution inside the home can be two to five times higher — and occasionally up to 100 times higher — than outdoor levels.
• More than 70 percent of Americans have forced air heating and/or central air in their homes. Yet nearly 50 percent do not change the filter in their heating/air conditioning unit every 2 to 3 months as recommended, and 10 percent have never replaced the filter in their heating/air conditioning unit.
• Nearly 75 percent of Americans live with someone who has allergies, asthma, emphysema or another respiratory illness.

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified indoor air quality as one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health. Among the most common causes of indoor pollution are chemicals found in household cleaning products – the very products we think are helping keep our families safe and healthy.

EPA’s Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher – and occasionally 100 times higher – inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. According to the EPA, organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. While people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed, as well as continue the release of toxins when these products are simply being stored.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American home generates over 20 pounds of household hazardous waste every year. Cumulatively, it is a whopping 1.6 million tons – that is 3.2 billion pounds – of household hazardous waste per year, of which 176,000 tons is just from cleaning products. Those familiar, everyday cleaners, including tub, tile, shower and toilet cleaners; drain and oven cleaner; wood and metal polishes; laundry bleach and many more are designated by the EPA as household hazardous waste, and improper disposal can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health.
________________________________________________________________

There are many safe solutions to protect yourself and your loved ones for a better quality of health and life.  I use as many non-toxic, environmentally-safe products in my home and for personal care.  The health of many is substantially impaired and will result in impaired quality of our lives as we age.  But there are solutions to protect yourself and your family.  They are not costly and can clearly make a significant impact on your life and our environment.  Be part of the solution; not part of the problem!

Warmly,
Connie Clark
303-770-3180

Tags: health

Show More Skin

Limited exposure to sunlight contributes to a deficiency in vitamin D.

Posted by Peter at MSN Health on Monday, February 16, 2009 12:22 PM

A study published in the January/February issue of the journal Endocrine Practice showed dangerously low vitamin D levels in Arab-American women living in southeast Detroit. Women who wore the hijab—which covers the hair and neck, and sometimes the face, with a veil—had even more severe vitamin D deficiencies.

Few Americans wear the hijab, but we are all likely to bundle up in the winter before facing the cold—that is, when we are brave enough to venture out instead of enjoying the warmth and comforts of our home.

Even when the weather’s more pleasant, most of us are getting less exposure to the sun than we need because, health-conscious as we are, we regularly slather on sunscreen to protect us from skin cancer.

Such practices make sense but our bodies need ultraviolet light from the sun to produce vitamin D in the skin; by reducing our exposure to the sun, we risk vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency can be serious, causing rickets in children and contributing to osteoporosis in adults. It has also been linked to higher risks of diabetes, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D deficiency even increases the risk of an untimely death.

“When people live where the weather is colder and they are more covered with clothing, they depend on their diet for their vitamin D,” says Dr. Hobbs, M.D., a researcher at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the Endocrine Practice study. Unfortunately, few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D and the women in the study drank little fortified milk or orange juice.

The study’s authors recommend Arab-American women boost their vitamin D levels with a supplement. But for most of us, the easiest way to increase our vitamin D levels is to go outside more often and soak up a few more rays of sun. Taking a short walk a few times a week, sans sunscreen, usually does the trick.

Stay tuned for more “best health” information.

Warmly,

Connie Clark

303-770-3180

Tags: General, health

Wow, It’s So Great to Connect!