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Shocking Sources Polluting the Air Inside Your Home
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If someone were to ask you about air pollution, you would most likely think of car exhaust, industrial fumes, coal plants, and big diesel trucks. These are all strong sources of pollution, true, but there are many other types of air pollution inside your home or apartment that can actually be much worse than what you find in the streets outside.
Keep reading to find out the shocking, and often hidden, sources of indoor air pollution, and some ways you can help fix them or lessen your exposure.
1. Paint
Paint and paint strippers emit harmful VOC’s, even water-based paints, especially when a room has been freshly painted. These vapors can result in headaches, nausea, dizziness, and sore throats. Always choose low or no VOC paints when you plan your next painting job.
2. Teflon
There is hardly a home in America that does not own at least one Teflon coated, non-stick pan. When non-stick cookware is put under high temperatures, it gives off fumes that can have serious health complications, including killing birds and other small animals almost immediately. Ditch the Teflon for cast iron, copper, stainless steel, or ceramic cookware instead. Find out other deadly toxic products you can live without.
3. Dry Cleaning
If you regularly send your clothes to the dry cleaners, then you are well acquainted with that funny smell they give off for a few days afterwards. That smell comes from a chemical called perchloroethylene, which has been strongly linked to cancer in tests on lab animals. To avoid this, try to air dry the clothes for a few days outside before you bring them into the house, or avoid buying clothes that require dry cleaning.
SEE ALSO: The Top 10 Dangerous Toxins That Are Inside Your Home Right Now
4. Carpeting
New carpets, the padding, and the glue they use to hold them in place emit harmful gases when they are newly installed. These gases cause headaches, sore throats, and even skin rashes. To avoid these chemicals, try to choose carpeting that is low VOC, and try to leave all the windows open for a few days while it airs out. You could also choose natural flooring, such as bamboo, instead.
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