As if we don't have enough to worry about, tracking down trans fats, avoiding dangerous over-the-counter drugs and monitoring our kids' page on myspace.com, now our own homes might be hazardous to our health.
"There are so many toxins in our homes that are linked to illnesses," says Lisa Beres, a California interior designer whose personal health crisis inspired her to start Green Nest, a company specializing in environmentally sound products, including air purifiers, water filters, and organic linens. In her own case, toxins in textiles, furnishings, and building materials in her new home gave her a case of chronic fatigue syndrome, combined with hormonal imbalances, that totally immobilized her. When traditional doctors couldn't diagnose the problem she started exploring alternative medicine and doing research on her own. "I found out that paint, particle board cabinetry, carpeting, and upholstery could outgas dangerous toxins like formaldehyde into the air."
As she gradually made changes, her health dramatically improved. Of course, Beres acknowledges that not everybody has the same level of sensitivity to environmental factors; in fact her husband had no health problems at all, despite living in the same home.
Pesticides, something most of us keep out of the way on a shelf in the garage, are another offender. They can enter our home by being tracked in from the outdoors, or, according to Debbie Foster, owner of Organic Nest in Morristown, New Jersey, as residue on cotton textiles. Foster, who sells eco-friendly sheets, clothing, bedding, and mattresses, believes babies and small children are especially vulnerable.
If you're like most people, the very notion of tracking down toxins in your home fills you with dread. What are you supposed to do, rip up the rugs, throw out your furniture and deep six your mattresses? Who can afford to do that?
"One of the things that public health folks are reluctant to do is tell the public about a health risk if there's nothing they can do about it," said Brenda Afzal, a community health specialist with the Environmental Health Education Center at University of Maryland School of Nursing. "I try to raise awareness, give people information, and just get people to think about the reasons they make purchasing decisions. It's impossible to reach a completely non-toxic level, but we can choose less toxic alternatives."
For Ellen Kranefuss, 45, who lives in Madison, N J with her husband, Jack, and their daughters, Caroline, 8, and Olivia, 6, awareness of environmental issues within her home came gradually.
"I think of it as taking baby steps," she said. "It's an evolutionary process. The more you become aware of the products you're purchasing, the more you read, then you start to feel that you can make a difference. So many times we feel powerless in our lives. But in this area, in our home, we can have an impact."
Once she'd made the switch to buying organic milk, fruits, and vegetables, she started thinking about other products. "It's all about consumption. If we consume less things that need plastic and packaging, we burn less fossil fuel and we emit less carbon dioxide into the air, which we all know is creating all the nasty problems that go along with the greenhouse effect." Making green choices for the home has the extra benefit of reducing toxins, both inside the home, and in the greater global landscape.
Cleaning products were the first order of the day. Many store-bought cleaning products emit toxins and leave unhealthy chemical residues behind. "The message we get from commercials is that if we don't buy antibacterial cleaning products that make our house smell better, we're not good parents," said Afzal. "Recent science tells us that we don't need to be germ free, in fact it's a bit of a problem if children aren't exposed to a normal range of germs. Good old fashioned soap and water works the best." Instead of spraying a chemical in the air, follow the EPA's recommendation to "Eliminate or control the source of the pollution and dilute and exhaust the pollutants through outdoor air ventilation." In other words, open a window.
Once she switched to green products to clean her home, including forgoing a chemical cleaner for a simple solution of vinegar and water to clean glass surfaces, Kranefuss and her husband made a commitment to become better recyclers, even involving their daughters in the process. "Our garbage is truly just garbage. We separate every can, every scrap of paper, and every single piece of plastic. Cutting down our garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at least 1,100 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. That really adds up."
Other changes included replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescents. Although they cost more initially, they save money in the long run by using only one-quarter the energy of an ordinary bulb and lasting 8-12 times longer. One of these bulbs replacing an incandescent can cut CO2 emissions by 822 pounds in five years.
Running the dishwasher only when full, using a low-flow showerhead and washing clothes in cold or warm water only were other measures the family instituted. They also installed a carbon water filter for the household water supply, eliminating the need to purchase bottled water.