Guarding Against Dangerous Gases

You can’t see them, you can’t taste them, you can’t even smell them, but they may be in your home.  Both carbon monoxide carbon monoxide and radon can be a danger to you and your family. Similar to lead, carbon monoxide and radon enter the bloodstream through breathing, and high levels of ingestion can cause serious health problems.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas produced by items commonly found in homes. Gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, chimneys, and space heaters—items that burn fuel—produce CO. If your home is not ventilated properly, or if these items are not properly maintained, you and your family maybe exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to those of the fl u or even the common cold, including nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and chest pain. Because these symptoms are present in many common illnesses, it may be difficult to suspect exposure to CO poisoning. If left untreated, CO poisoning may lead to permanent damage to organs such as the heart, and overexposure may be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2007) reports that over 500 people per year in the United States are fatal victims of “unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning.”

If you have not already done so, consider contacting your local utility companies to inspect any equipment you suspect may be faulty or that might contribute to the air quality of your home. The following steps can help minimize exposure to CO poisoning:

• Allow fresh air into your house regularly through open windows and/or screen doors.
• Remember to have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year to ensure the flue is clear.
• Wait until your garage door is open before starting your car.
• Always be sure your gas stove is completely turned off when it is not in use.

Radon

Another deadly gas that may be lurking in your home is radon. Like carbon monoxide, radon is invisible to the eye and undetectable by smell or taste. According to the American Lung Association (ALA, 2007), it is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking, and it is responsible for 21,000 deaths from lung cancer annually.

Radon gas is produced as uranium decays, and it is prevalent in soil and rock, which decay underground. Any building below three stories should be tested for radon. The following are a few facts to help you better understand radon and how it can affect you and your home:

• Radon makes its way into a home through openings such as foundation cracks and porous floors.
• Radon may be present in your water supply.
• According to the ALA, high levels of radon affect an estimated 8 million homes in the U.S., and radon has been found in all 50 states.
• Even if your neighbor’s home has normal levels of radon, your home may not have equally normal levels.

If you are wondering whether or not radon may be present in your home, you can test for it yourself by purchasing either a short-term test kit or a long-term test kit that remains in your home for more than 90 days. When you purchase a test kit, you will want to check that it has been cleared through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help ensure accurate results.

Education = Protection

Fighting a danger you may not even know is in your home is a frustrating battle. Educating yourself and your family can help you win. For more information about carbon monoxide and radon, visit the Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov or the American Lung Association at www.lungusa.org.

Personal Touch Online Vol. 16, No. 1 Copyright © 2008 Liberty Publishing, Inc