Home Sick (Not the Good Kind!): Household Toxins and How to Treat Them

by Lee Cameron

Are you finding yourself getting the sniffles when it's not allergy season, or feeling as if you're getting the flu when there's nothing going around? Believe it or not, your own home might be making you sick. Whether it's the chemicals in your furniture, hidden mold growing underneath your sink, or something even worse, you may not be as safe and healthy in your own home as you think.

Ironically, in a noble bid to make our planet healthier, we may be making our own homes unhealthier. Being efficient with our energy means having well-insulated homes. This is great for our heating and our air conditioning but not so great when we may have toxic air inside that can't get out.

It's important to know what some of the most common household toxins are and how you can get rid of them.

Radon

Next to smoking, radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer. This colorless, odorless gas seeps from the soil and can make it's way undetected into any home in the country. Getting high levels of radon in your home is a very rare but very serious possibility. To protect yourself, buy a radon test kit from a hardware store (they can run from $10 to $20 bucks) and place it in your home for two days. If levels are high, you'll have to hire a radon removal expert to come in and install a venting system.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a poison that has been linked to cancer and has a wide range of harmful side effects. Up until 2005, this chemical was used as a preservative for wood. Any home with a wooden deck, porch or fence built before 2005 may be at risk. The chemical can seep into the soil and kill nearby plants. It can also come off on your hands when touched, making it especially dangerous for children who like to put their hands in their mouths. If you're worried about the possibility of arsenic poisoning, the solution is pretty simple - treat the wood with an oil-based stain every year so that when it's touched, only the stain is touched and not the arsenic.

Lead

We've all heard of lead poisoning, which can effect the central nervous system and the kidneys. In the '70s, many homes were painted with lead-based paint. If this paint is ingested or inhaled (such as when it gets ground down to a fine powder on your windowsills) it can impair physical and mental development. Call your state housing department for a recommendation for private labs that do testing for lead. If the test comes back positive, make sure that you cover all your walls with a coat of encapsulant to prevent further contamination. You might also want to consider replacing those windows and baseboards if they've been around since the '70s.

Formaldehyde

This chemical has been known to cause allergy-like symptoms, as well as nausea and dizziness. Liver and central nervous system damage is possible through increased exposure. If you've recently added new floors, carpets or furniture to your home, you might be at risk to formaldehyde. The adhesive used to lay carpet and to hold together wood furniture and floors usually contains formaldehyde which then gets released into the air. The good thing is, formaldehyde dissipates into the air, so if you've had your new carpet for a few months, it should have all circulated away by now. If not, the solution is simply ventilation. Leave your windows open for a little while after you get that new furniture to allow it to properly dissipate. You can also ask the carpet company to let the carpeting air out in the factory for a few weeks before delivering it. If you really want to splurge, you can find improvements and furniture made using VOC (volatile organic compounds) free building materials, though these are generally more expensive than normal.

Mold

Though not quite as serious a risk as some of these other toxins, mold can exacerbate allergies and asthma and make your home a less comfortable place to live. Where there's water (and especially water damage) there's the possibility of mold. If you have a small amount, you can clean it yourself simply with water and detergent, but if you find a large amount of mold it might be best to contact a professional to prevent the mold spores from spreading around the house. This can get pricey, depending on how bad it is. Your homeowner's insurance may cover this, but be careful before you ask them. Insurance companies have recently started excluding mold coverage and admitting water damage to them may get you slapped with higher premiums and deductibles.

It is most likely that your home is perfectly safe, but if you find yourself feeling ill often while you're in your own house, you might want to consider checking for some of these toxins. Sometimes a little caution and prevention can save you a lot of grief down the road.

About the Author

Lee Cameron is the top Orlando real estate agent in the Central Florida real estate market. Lee has over 13 years of experience in the industry, and can guide you in the process of finding properties in Orlando.