Guest author Eric Stevenson grew up in the Mountain West in the United States, and through ambitious family projects learned a lot about home renovation. Eric Stevenson now lives in the the South Eastern US, and his love for home renovation continues. Over the years he has collected a vast knowledge on health issues in regard to renovation of old houses, some of which he shares with us in this article. Even though it’s scary to read about diseases caused by toxic home environments; it is our responsibility as parents and homeowners to know how to keep our homes toxin-free and safe for our children. Enjoy and learn:
Your home should be a safe, comfortable place to raise a family and watch them grow. It should be a refuge from the outside world and all the dangers we face every time we pull into traffic or push our kids onto the school bus. However, this is not always the case, especially when one considers the recent rise in immune system disorders, neurological issues, multiple chemical sensitivities, allergies, fatigue syndromes and hormonal disturbances that increasingly plague families at an alarming rate. Because of this, home renovation needs to account for this recent trend and ensure that removing these hazards is the primary focus of renovation.
Surprisingly, indoor home air often contains more toxins than outdoor air.
Furthermore, some of these products intended to keep homes sanitary do the opposite, like unnatural pest controls, cleaners and air fresheners. However, existing risks are often present when families move into their homes, especially if they’re more than 30 years old.
Certain materials like asbestos, which leads to a cancer called mesothelioma (read more about it here), and lead, an especially dangerous heavy metal to children, can put families at risk every day. Asbestos, in particular, has serious long-term consequences, with mesothelioma symptoms often not appearing until 20 to 50 years after exposure and mimicking those of other illnesses. Because this cancer threat lies dormant in bodies so long and it is often misdiagnosed, patients rarely catch this cancer early enough to have a full range of options to fight this disease, making it especially lethal.
A well-known heavy metal, lead is one of the most infamous chemicals today. Although recognized as a serious threat in older, deteriorating paints, it continues to be hazardous because it was used in many household products. Gasoline, furniture and water-carrying pipes all historically contained lead, making its detection difficult. Devastating impacts to mental, physical and behavioral health are common with exposure to this chemical, especially in children because it is more easily absorbed into growing skin. In addition to chipping paint, lead exposure can occur through the air in the form of lead dust, in drinking water, in food or even in contaminated soil. Arsenic, cadmium and mercury are other common heavy metals found abundantly in older homes that can lead to serious effects like organ failure and neurological degeneration.
The British Medical Journal recently found environmental and lifestyle factors in homes are the primary causes of many of these increasingly-frequent diseases we see today.
While most Americans might trust the EPA to monitor and regulate the materials used in new homes the simple fact is that until revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act are carried out by Congress, the EPA is under no obligation to ban hazardous products.
Unfortunately, that means that living in toxin-free homes is a responsibility homeowners must take on themselves. Although all home dangers cannot be immediately addressed, safety measures exist that can improve overall safety, such as not wearing shoes indoors, improving ventilation and using natural cleaning products. Unfortunately, because of the difficulty in locating and identifying more serious dangers, like toxic insulation and heavy metals, homeowners are wisest to hire professionals to remove these products. Furthermore, searching for and mishandling these chemicals can actually aggravate these risks, especially with asbestos. When fractured and released into the air, these tiny particles can be inhaled and introduced into the body.
To truly make our homes the refuge we desire for our families, we must ensure their safety through careful renovation that replaces the toxic materials in our homes and allows our children to grow up as healthy as possible.
Hello Nicone! What a great post.
Most parents worry about the dangers in the outside world but don’t realise that their very own home is haven for dangers. We often worry how to keep children from harm but a lot of things are so over-look such as asbestos and toxic chemicals in paint. Raising awareness about about toxic chemicals that may exist in homes is a great way of promoting a safer enviroment for children.
Well done.
Thanks Funkkee. I agree that we need to have higher awareness on this topic.
Have a great weekend!