From the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, from the School of Public Health, June 2000
"For the average person, where does air pollution pose the worst risk?
a) on the freeway?
b) near a power plant?
c) in their own home?
You guessed it, kids! The answer, according to UC Berkeley, is "in your own home."
Here is the red meat:
"By measuring exposures in people, scientists have found, surprisingly (eyton shalom adds, this should be NOT surprisingly) that personal exposure to pollutants in most homes exceeds exposure to outdoor pollutants in both rural and industrial areas.
...culprits: exhaust from improperly vented or unvented kitchen stoves, space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, room deodorizers and so-called air fresheners."
To which should be added formaldehyde and other carcinogens found in synthetic carpeting, in plywood and sheetrock used in construction of new homes, and all the various toxins in synthetic fragrances used in body care and cleaning products.
Again, from UCB, "The best ways to reduce home pollution, along with your health risks, are ample ventilation, good maintenance of heating equipment...and don't use air fresheners and room deodorizers, which actually pollute the air. "
Now this is from the year 2000. By now I am sure the UCB list would far longer, as the point made about air fresheners and deodorizers applies exactly to all the other carcinogens in the cleaning and body care aisles of the supermarket.
Another very big problem is burning parrafin candles (use soy or beeswax), especially scented ones. Even natural essential oils like lavender are toxic when heated, but what most folk get are cheapo parrafin (comes from petroleum, guys) with lead wicks and synthetic fragrance. Really toxic.
If you want to use essential oils to make the house smell good, you need to use a diffusor, which now you buy on Amazon.com. Nothing smells so good as a clean, well aired out house, though. I like to use cleaning products that smell good, of citrus, parsley, pine.
Key point: OPEN THE WINDOWS AND LET FRESH AIR IN. IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES TO POLLEN, USE A FILTER WITH A FAN.
Copyright Eyton J. Shalom, M.S., L.Ac. San Diego, CA All Rights Reserved, Use With Permission Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in San Diego http://www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com
"For the average person, where does air pollution pose the worst risk?
a) on the freeway?
b) near a power plant?
c) in their own home?
You guessed it, kids! The answer, according to UC Berkeley, is "in your own home."
Here is the red meat:
"By measuring exposures in people, scientists have found, surprisingly (eyton shalom adds, this should be NOT surprisingly) that personal exposure to pollutants in most homes exceeds exposure to outdoor pollutants in both rural and industrial areas.
...culprits: exhaust from improperly vented or unvented kitchen stoves, space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, room deodorizers and so-called air fresheners."
To which should be added formaldehyde and other carcinogens found in synthetic carpeting, in plywood and sheetrock used in construction of new homes, and all the various toxins in synthetic fragrances used in body care and cleaning products.
Again, from UCB, "The best ways to reduce home pollution, along with your health risks, are ample ventilation, good maintenance of heating equipment...and don't use air fresheners and room deodorizers, which actually pollute the air. "
Now this is from the year 2000. By now I am sure the UCB list would far longer, as the point made about air fresheners and deodorizers applies exactly to all the other carcinogens in the cleaning and body care aisles of the supermarket.
Another very big problem is burning parrafin candles (use soy or beeswax), especially scented ones. Even natural essential oils like lavender are toxic when heated, but what most folk get are cheapo parrafin (comes from petroleum, guys) with lead wicks and synthetic fragrance. Really toxic.
If you want to use essential oils to make the house smell good, you need to use a diffusor, which now you buy on Amazon.com. Nothing smells so good as a clean, well aired out house, though. I like to use cleaning products that smell good, of citrus, parsley, pine.
Key point: OPEN THE WINDOWS AND LET FRESH AIR IN. IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES TO POLLEN, USE A FILTER WITH A FAN.
Copyright Eyton J. Shalom, M.S., L.Ac. San Diego, CA All Rights Reserved, Use With Permission Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in San Diego http://www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com
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