Archive by Author
Mold: The Silent Home Invader
Posted on15. Apr, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
Take a look around your house – you probably don’t see any green and grimy mold growing, do you? Of course not. You maintain a clean home and take pride in providing a healthy environment for your family, especially through indoor air quality. But what you don’t know about your own home may make you [...]
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Furnace Repairs & Care
Posted on18. Mar, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
When filters become clogged with debris, they cut down on a furnace’s efficiency and, over time, can cause parts to wear out faster. A permanent air screen or electronic air filter should be cleaned according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Disposable filters should be checked periodically— monthly during winter—and cleaned or changed as needed. Pleated fabric filters [...]
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Where Does Dust Come From?
Posted on17. Mar, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
Dust. It floats lazily through beams of sunlight, it settles gently on surfaces, and it tangles with other mysterious miscellany to create inanimate creatures beneath the couch–but where does it come from, and is it harmful? Scientists in Arizona are reporting a surprising answer to those questions in a new report, “Migration of Contaminated Soil [...]
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How to Extend the Life of Your Furnace
Posted on11. Mar, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
By having the furnace cleaned out, you will get what is called “gas scale build-up” out of the heating elements of the furnace such as the heat exchangers and combustion chamber. This substance looks like rust, and will plug up the components of the furnace, causing them to overheat and eventually crack. The other part [...]
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Banned Building Materials Are Real Home Health Hazards
Posted on10. Mar, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
Millions of homes harbor lead-based paint, asbestos, and toxic wood preservatives. All three have been banned from building products, but they continue to plague building owners and occupants. Lead-based paint Of the three, lead-based paint is by far the greatest hazard. Young children who ingest old paint chips or get lead-contaminated dust on their [...]
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Air Pollution Increases Risk of Heart Attack
Posted on25. Feb, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
A new study out of the University of Michigan shows that air pollution increases blood pressure and the risk of heart attack. The study is the first to identify that fine particulate matter is worse for cardiovascular health than ozone. It also shows the specific ways that air pollution affects one’s heart health. To reduce [...]
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How Indoor Air Quality Affects People
Posted on22. Feb, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
The greatest difficulty in solving indoor air quality problems is that effects on people can vary. One of a pollutant can have a completely different effect on two different people. While pollutants found in indoor air can be responsible for many harmful effects, there is considerable uncertainty as to what concentrations or periods of exposure [...]
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Heating, Air-conditioning and Carpets May be Hazardous to Your Health
Posted on29. Jan, 2010 by Oksana Irwin.
Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, where they are repeatedly exposed to indoor allergens and airborne particles that can lead to respiratory symptoms and conditions. Arlington Heights IL – infoZine – Newswise – Damp environments, poorly maintained heating and air-conditioning systems and carpeting may contribute to poor indoor air quality, according to [...]


