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It has long been known that fresh air is important for good health and longevity. Unfortunately, air has become increasingly polluted both outdoors and indoors in much of the world. Many people are surprised to learn that indoor air is often far more polluted than outdoor air. This pollution comes from a variety of sources, including formaldehyde (which can cause cancer) leaking from chemicals used to create synthetic carpets and furniture, radon gas (which can also cause cancer), aerosols and other household chemicals, household dust, germs from people exhaling and coughing, and bacterial and mold that thrive in ventilation systems and other hard-to-clean locations. It is also the result of a somewhat misguided trend to make buildings hermetically sealed, with windows that do not open and to seal areas around windows and doors in order to reduce heat consumption. Fortunately, there are few simple and low cost things that can be done to greatly improve the quality of air that one breathes indoors, at least in one's own house or apartment. One of the most efficient is to occasionally open all of the doors and windows in order to replace the air. A good habit is to do this every morning after waking up. This is a traditional practice in Japan, which has one of the world's longest life expectancies. Although it may seem that it is wasteful because it would increase heating bills, there is actually relatively little effect on energy consumption because much of the heat is retained in the walls, floor, etc., and the benefits greatly outweigh any added cost. Another thing that is often recommended for improving indoor air quality is having plants inside. It is said that they absorb not only some of the carbon dioxide exhaled by humans and pets and release oxygen, but that that they also absorb other toxic gases in the air. Created September 30, 2006. |