Environmental Illness

Indoor Air Pollutants

Common indoor pollutants that most affect health include:

• Secondhand smoke, such as smoke from the burning end of a cigarette or smoke breathed out by someone who smokes.
• Radon. This is a type of gas that can enter homes through cracks and drains.
• Formaldehyde. It's released mainly by building materials.
• Acrolein. This comes from heating cooking oil to high temperatures. It also comes from cigarette smoke.
• Tiny particles, called respirable particulates, that can get into the lungs. Common sources are tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust.

Secondhand smoke

Secondhand smoke comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe and from the smoke that a smoker exhales. The smoke contains nicotine and many other harmful chemicals. Breathing secondhand smoke can cause or worsen health problems, including cancer, asthma, coronary artery disease, and respiratory infections. It can make your eyes and nose burn and cause a sore throat.

Secondhand smoke is especially bad for babies and young children whose lungs are still developing. Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to have ear infections, pneumonia, and bronchitis in the first few years of their lives. Secondhand smoke can make asthma symptoms worse in children.

If you are pregnant, it is important that you not smoke and that you avoid secondhand smoke. You are more likely to give birth to a baby who weighs less than expected (low birth weight) if you smoke. And your baby may have a greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies whose mothers are exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy have a higher risk for health problems. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your baby's risk.

Secondhand aerosol mist from vaping has fewer harmful chemicals than cigarette smoke, but it still contains things like nicotine, tiny particles, and other substances that may irritate or harm the lungs. Because of this, experts are concerned that breathing in vaping mist over time may have health risks, especially for children and people with lung or heart problems.

Radon

Radon is a radioactive gas that you can't see, taste, or smell. Radon comes from uranium that normally exists in rock and soil. It can enter a building through cracks in concrete walls and floors and through floor drains. Any home, school, or other building can have high levels of radon.

Exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke. People who smoke have an even higher risk of lung cancer from radon exposure than people who don't smoke.

You can't smell, taste, or see radon. But it's easy to test for it with a do-it-yourself kit available in hardware stores or through your local health department or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Woodstoves and gas ranges

Woodstoves that are not properly maintained and vented can give off tiny particles (particulates) and gases, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and hydrocarbons. Children in homes heated with woodstoves are at increased risk for respiratory problems. Gas ranges, particularly when they are not well-vented or when they are used as a source of heat, may produce nitrogen dioxide, which can cause respiratory problems.

Building materials

Exposure to building materials, products used for home improvement, and textiles can cause health problems. For example, particleboard, insulation, carpet adhesives, and other household products emit formaldehyde, which can cause nausea, respiratory problems, dry or inflamed skin, and eye irritation. Newly built homes and the confined spaces of mobile homes can be a particular problem. Using environmentally safe products—such as paint that contains a low level of or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—can reduce the chemical load on your body.

Sick building syndrome

It may not be possible to know exactly what causes building-related symptoms. But they may be a response to poor indoor air plus poor ventilation. Things that may affect you include:

• Toxic chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde. Items like carpet, glue, and cleaning products give off VOCs.
• Irritants such as dust, mold, smoke, fragrances, or exhaust fumes.
• Extreme temperatures or humidity.

Bacteria, molds, viruses, and other biological contaminants

Molds can breed in stagnant water that builds up in humidifiers, drain pans, and ducts, or where water collects on carpet, ceiling tiles, and insulation.

Pet dander, pollen, dust mites, molds, and rat and mouse urine are allergens that can cause asthma attacks, allergic rhinitis, and other lung problems. Other symptoms caused by allergens may include sneezing, watery eyes, shortness of breath, lethargy, dizziness, and digestive problems.

Exposure early in life to indoor allergens such as molds may increase the risk of allergies or asthma. When modern building materials get wet, they provide an ideal place for the growth of molds. Allergies to molds can also make asthma attacks worse or cause other breathing problems.

Asbestos

Asbestos is an insulating material that was commonly used from the 1950s to the 1970s. It was used for soundproofing and to cover floors, ceilings, water pipes, and heating ducts. When this material becomes crumbly or frayed, asbestos fibers can be released into the air. Breathing in these fibers may cause lung cancer, asbestosis (scarring of the lung tissue), or mesothelioma. This is a cancer that forms in the thin tissue that lines many of your organs.

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Preventing Health Problems From Indoor Pollutants

Allergens in your home

You can use the following tips to help avoid health problems that are caused by allergens in your home.

• Keep your home clean and as free from dust and dust mites as possible. This can help reduce allergens. There are many ways to control dust and dust mites in your home, such as washing bedding in hot water to kill dust mites and eliminating furnishings, such as drapes, that collect dust.
• Try to control animal dander and other pet allergens. Ideas include dusting and vacuuming often and regularly cleaning areas where your pet sleeps, such as pet beds or cages.
• Use exhaust fans that vent to the outdoors. These fans are typically installed in kitchens and bathrooms. They can help get rid of moisture that allows microorganisms, including molds, to grow. Ventilating attic and crawl spaces and keeping humidity levels below 50% can help prevent moisture buildup in building materials.
• Try other ways to control indoor molds. Ideas include preventing leaks, removing wet materials, storing fireplace wood outside the home, and using a dehumidifier during humid weather. Try to:
  • Keep humidifiers clean and refill them daily with fresh water.
  • Frequently clean evaporation trays in air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigerators.
  • Replace or remove water-damaged items from your home. This includes water-damaged carpets and building materials.
• If possible, make changes in your home to help reduce allergens.
  • Remove carpets and replace them with hardwood or tile floor.
  • Have sofas with covers that can be removed and washed.
  • Use blinds instead of drapes, because they collect less dust.
  • Have air filters in some rooms, especially in the bedrooms.

Household products

Many of the products you use to clean your home or use for hobbies and home improvement projects contain potentially hazardous chemicals. Some can be toxic and in sufficient doses can cause eye and respiratory problems, headaches, dizziness, visual problems, and memory impairment. You can use the following precautions to help prevent problems.

• Follow the instructions on the label. This is one of the most important ways you can protect yourself.
• Have good ventilation. When you use cleaning or other products, be sure to open windows or use an exhaust fan.
• Never mix household chemicals. For example, do not mix chlorine bleach and ammonia. Some mixtures can create toxic fumes that can be fatal.
• Use environmentally safe products. Vinegar, lemon juice, boric acid, or baking soda can be used instead of store-bought household cleaners. And they are less damaging to you and to the environment.
• Be especially careful with products containing methylene chloride. Methylene chloride is in certain products such as paint strippers, adhesive removers, and aerosol spray paints. If you use products that contain this chemical, make sure you have adequate ventilation or use them outdoors, if possible. Also, wear gloves to avoid skin contact. But whenever you can, use environmentally safe products instead.
• Avoid exposure to benzene. Benzene can cause cancer. Benzene is found in tobacco smoke, fuels, and paint supplies.
• Limit your exposure to newly dry-cleaned clothing or furnishings. Dry-cleaned goods may give off chemicals that can cause skin rashes, headaches, and dizziness. If your clothes have a strong odor when you pick them up from the cleaners, hang them outside, if possible.

Woodstoves and gas ranges

You can use the following tips to help prevent indoor air pollution from woodstoves and gas ranges.

• Make sure the woodstove doors fit tightly.
• Burn only aged or cured wood that is completely dry.
• Never burn pressure-treated wood. This type of wood is treated with chemicals.
• Get regular inspections. Have chimneys, flues, and furnaces inspected each year.
• Make sure that the flames on your gas stove are blue. If your gas stove has a persistent yellow flame, it may be improperly adjusted. Ask your gas company to adjust the burners so the flame tips are blue.
• If you're planning to buy a new gas range or stove, consider one that does not use a pilot light. Consider changing to an electric stove.

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Outdoor Air Pollutants

Polluted air comes from many sources, such as factories, cars, buses, trucks, and power plants. And there are other sources that you may not think of, such as dry cleaners, wildfires, and dust.

There are at least six major components of air pollution.

Ozone

Ozone is a gas that exists at ground level as well as miles above the earth. It's made by a chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of heat and sunlight. "Good" ozone occurs naturally about 10 to 30 miles above the earth's surface. There, in the stratosphere, it forms a layer that protects the earth's surface from the sun's harmful rays. At ground level, "bad" ozone (smog) exists. Exhaust from vehicles, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are major sources of nitrogen oxides and VOCs. Add sunlight and hot weather to the mix, and harmful concentrations of ozone may develop.

Particulates

Particulates include dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets found in the air. They come from many sources, such as vehicles, factories, construction sites, unpaved roads, and burning wood. Other particulates are formed when gases from burning fuels react with water vapor and sunlight. This can result from the combustion of fuels in motor vehicles and from industrial and power plants.

Carbon monoxide

In cities with lots of traffic, most of the carbon monoxide put into the air comes from vehicle exhaust. It also comes from manufacturing processes, wood burning, and forest fires. Indoor sources include cigarettes and space heaters.

Nitrogen dioxide

When mixed with other particles in the air, nitrogen dioxide can often be seen as a reddish brown layer over many urban areas. Sources are fuels burned by vehicles, electric utilities, and industrial plants. Nitrogen dioxide is one of the nitrogen oxides, a group of highly reactive gases that contain various amounts of nitrogen and oxygen.

Sulfur dioxide

This gas is formed when fuels containing sulfur are burned. Examples are when coal and oil burn, when gasoline is extracted from oil, or when metals are extracted from ore. Sulfur dioxide is put into the air when fossil fuel is burned, such as by coal-fired power plants. Other sources are industries that create products from metallic ore, coal, and crude oil or those that burn coal or oil, such as petroleum refineries or metal processing facilities.

Lead

Leaded gasoline used to be the main source of lead in the air. But because leaded fuels have been phased out, the main sources of lead emissions are metals-processing facilities, especially lead smelters.

Effects on your health

Air pollution is a threat to your health. And it also damages crops, trees, water, and animals. The different sources of air pollution can cause different problems.

Ozone

Because of the heat factor, ground-level ozone is a summertime air pollutant that can be dangerous, especially for people with respiratory illnesses. Problems include:

• Irritation of the lungs.
• Coughing, wheezing, and pain when taking a deep breath, and breathing problems while exercising.
• Permanent lung damage from repeated exposure.
• Aggravated asthma, increased susceptibility to pneumonia and bronchitis, and reduced lung capacity.

Particulates

Very small particulates that can get into your lungs are especially harmful to your health and may increase your risk of lung cancer and heart problems. Particulates in the air you breathe can cause:

• Asthma attacks.
• Chronic bronchitis.
• Coughing and difficult or painful breathing.
• Reduced lung function.
• Eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide reduces the body's ability to deliver oxygen to tissues and organs, such as the heart and brain. It is especially dangerous for people who have heart problems. Carbon monoxide can be fatal to those exposed to extremely high levels. Every year carbon monoxide poisoning is a leading cause of deaths from toxic chemicals. People with carbon monoxide poisoning may have:

• Headaches, irritability, or loss of consciousness.
• Difficulty working, learning, or doing complex tasks.
• Aggravation of heart problems, such as angina, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.

Nitrogen dioxide

Nitrogen oxides cause many problems, including:

• Breathing problems for people with asthma and heart conditions.
• Visibility impairment. Nitrogen dioxide and nitrate particles block light transmission and reduce visibility in urban areas.

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide causes:

• Breathing problems for people with asthma and heart conditions.

Lead

Lead may cause serious health problems, including:

• Damage to kidneys, liver, brain, nerves, and other organs. Lead may also cause osteoporosis and reproductive problems. Excessive exposure can cause seizures, intellectual disability, behavioral disorders, memory problems, and mood changes. Low levels of lead cause brain and nerve damage in young children and fetuses, which can lead to learning problems and low IQ.
• High blood pressure and increases in heart disease.
• Anemia.

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Water Pollution

Your drinking water may come from a public water system or a well, or you may use bottled water. Public water systems are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But water from a well may need testing to make sure it is safe to drink. You may be able to use a water filter or a water purification system to provide safe water. It is important for you to know where your drinking water comes from, if it is treated, and if it's safe to drink.

Be aware that water can be contaminated by organisms such as bacteria or fungi, by chemicals such as pesticides, and by metals such as lead or mercury.

Here are ways you can avoid pollution in your drinking water.

• Have your private well water tested. If you have a private well, you are responsible for getting your well water tested to see if it is safe to drink. You may want to get your well water tested regularly to make sure it is safe. Also make sure that the well is not located too close to a septic system.
• If there is a problem with your public water, follow instructions from authorities. If you are on a public water system, a local agency will let you know when there is a problem with the water. Follow all instructions for purifying your water (commonly called "boil orders") or for using other water sources. Authorities will tell your community when it is safe to drink from the public water supply again.

Other Chemicals in Our Environment

Pesticides

Exposure to pesticides may come from residual agricultural pesticides in foods; from household or workplace products used to control rodents, insects, and termites; and from disinfectants and fungicides. The most likely ways you are exposed are small quantities of pesticides in the foods you eat and by direct contact with surfaces (such as plants, soils, or structures) where pesticides have been used.

If not used properly, both workplace and household pesticides can be dangerous. Exposure to high levels of some pesticides can cause headaches, dizziness, muscle twitching, nausea, weakness, and tingling sensations. Some experts believe that some pesticides may cause cancer or damage to the central nervous system. For agricultural workers, exposure to pesticides has been linked with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Pesticide exposure during pregnancy has been associated with miscarriage, fetal death, and early childhood cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Indoor use of pesticides increases children's risk of brain tumors, ALL, and birth defects. Children can be poisoned by stored pesticides, so these should always be kept out of reach. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children have as little exposure to pesticides as possible.

Mercury in fish

This is the advice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for choosing fish that's low in mercury. This advice is for children ages 1 to 11 and for people who might become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding . Eating fish and shellfish that are low in mercury can be part of a healthy diet.

The EPA divides fish into these three lists.

• Best Choices. These fish are lowest in mercury. Some examples from the Best Choices list are salmon, canned light tuna, trout, and shrimp.
• Good Choices. These fish have more mercury than fish in the Best Choices list. Some examples from the Good Choices list are halibut and canned, fresh, or frozen white albacore tuna.
• Choices to Avoid. These fish have the highest levels of mercury. Avoid eating tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, swordfish, and shark. Also avoid king mackerel, bigeye tuna, orange roughy, and marlin.

The EPA suggests eating 2 to 3 servings of fish a week from the Best Choices list, or 1 serving a week from the Good Choices list. A serving size is 4 oz (ounces) for people age 11 or older.

Children ages 1 to 11 can have 2 servings of fish a week from the Best Choices list. Avoid serving children fish from the Good Choices or Choices to Avoid list. Those fish may have too much mercury. A serving size is 1 oz for children ages 1 to 3, 2 oz for children ages 4 to 7, and 3 oz for children ages 8 to 10.

If you're unsure about fish that has been caught locally, check local fish advisories about the safety of the fish. If no advice is available, eat only 1 serving a week. And eat no other fish that week.

Chemicals from plastics and other products

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in some types of plastic (polycarbonate) bottles. BPA also is used to line the inside of some types of food cans and other containers.

Research is still looking at how exactly BPA affects our health. High levels of BPA in the body have been linked to an increased risk of heart and metabolic problems. BPA may also affect brain development, learning, and behavior in babies and young children.

If you want to lower BPA exposure, avoid bottles marked with the number 7 or the letters PC near the recycle symbol. And consider using glass or BPA-free plastic containers instead.

In the past, a group of substances called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in electrical equipment, plastics, and dyes. Although they are no longer made in the U.S., they remain in the environment. Exposure to PCBs has been linked to health problems, especially mental functions such as memory and attention in children. Exposure to PCBs also has been linked to sperm problems.

Chemicals called phthalates may cause problems with the reproductive organs of infants and young children, especially in the male reproductive system. Phthalates can be found in some plastic items (such as some medical devices) and in products such as powders, lotions, and shampoos. Phthalates may also affect brain development, metabolism, and heart health, making those who are pregnant and young children more at risk.

Sand or silica dust

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny pieces of sand or silica dust. Silica is a common mineral found in sand and rock. Breathing in silica may be a risk in certain jobs, such as construction, mining, rock drilling, sandblasting, and masonry. Silicosis may also be a risk for people who work with glass or ceramics.

Silicosis can cause breathing problems and damage to the lungs. Symptoms may appear many years after exposure to silica. But they can occur much sooner when there is a high level of exposure.

Silicosis can't be cured, but medicines can help manage the symptoms and treat problems such as infections.

To help prevent silicosis, try to reduce or avoid dust exposure. For example, you can wear a mask or other device that prevents the fine silica dust from getting into your lungs. Employers are legally responsible for limiting exposure for workers and taking steps to protect workers.

When to Call a Doctor

Call the Poison Control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or use their online tool at triage.webpoisoncontrol.org right away if:

• You have ingested household chemicals.
• You fear you may have a carbon monoxide leak in your home. Get outside and call.

Contact your doctor if you think you have been exposed to some toxin and have symptoms of an environmental illness. The symptoms may be like those you can get with other conditions, such as:

• A headache.
• Fever and chills.
• Nausea.
• A cough.
• Muscle aches.
• A rash.

You may find it helpful to write down what you were exposed to, how much, and when, and to take this information to your doctor to try to identify the cause of your illness. You can also take the product label to your doctor.