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Total health assessment of chemicals in indoor climate from various consumer products 8 Practical advice about how risks may be reduced
In the DEPA reports about chemicals in consumer products, various specific advices were stated about how potential health risks from consumer products may be handled, including special conditions related to the indoor climate; see www.mst.dk. In the following, firstly, various general advices are stated about what you as a consumer could do to reduce risks and improve comfort indoors. A consumer and dweller can do a lot to reduce health risks, there may be in a home and which are related to the indoor climate. In many occasions you even share the responsibility for the quality of the indoor climate, and the behaviour of both yourself and your family is important. As indicated by the results in this report, there is a great risk for high levels of pollution and thus undesirable health effects specifically in children’s rooms. The reason is that such a room often is small and with limited ventilation in relation to the many products present, which may release chemicals into the air. Furthermore, children are a special susceptible group. An important scenario to be aware of is, therefore, a newly furnished children’s room, which besides a number of consumer products also has impacts from a number of new building materials and fixtures. Especially at winter time, where there is a tendency to reduce the ventilation in order to reduce the heating bill, it is important to ensure that the ventilation still is sufficient in children’s room. As a normal consumer it is difficult to assess concentrations of undesirable substances in the air and the ventilation conditions. However, it is possible to use the sense of smell, which is a sensitive indicator of odorous substances. By this it is possible to get a warning that something is wrong. Bad smell may be a warning of too less ventilation or too many pollution sources. It has to be underlined that even if bad smell is lacking, there is no guarantee that the air is free of health-problematic substances. For example, if there is a smell of hot electronics, or there is a smell of stuffy in a children’s room, then it may be a sign of a need for more airing of the room. It is recommended to shot down electrical apparatus not in use. As a dweller you may generally be aware of the following:
8.1 Sources which may pollute the airA large number of consumer products investigated by DEPA may contribute to pollution of the indoor climate. It includes the following products: Electrical products and electronics, for example computer, printer, monitor, playing console, household oven, hair dryer, pressing iron, decorative lamp, mobile phone with charger, TV apparatus, chargers and transformers, el panel, el radiator, and recharged batteries. Bathing curtains, vinyl floors, carpet tiles, vinyl wall paper, candle lights, carpets, floor wax, dry-cleaned clothes, textile fabrics, air fresheners, printed matters, sealing, incense, tents for children, products of exotic wood, impregnation agents, shoe care agents, beads to bead plates, cleaning agents, moulding wax, agents for metals, hair styling, Christmas spray, hobby glues, natural toys, stain removers, spray paint, windows paint, chloroprene products, textile colours, glass and porcelain colours. Of course, this list is not complete, among others, because all the time new products are introduced to the market. To this may be added that pollution, having its origin from building materials, e.g. from paint, varnish, carpets, furniture and fixtures. Damp may also cause increased pollution, e.g. by mould fungus. For many products there exist less polluting alternatives. Therefore, as a conscientious consumer you should consider the possibilities of substituting one product with another less polluting. As consumer you have the opportunity to influence the development of more indoor climate friendly products by demanding the less polluting products, e.g. by preferring products, which are labeled somehow reflecting their capacity to pollute the indoor environment. It is also recommended to look carefully on the products informative declaration. 8.2 VentilationThe dwelling should be ventilated with fresh out door air in order to dilute that pollution, which enters indoor air from consumer products, humans, materials and fixtures. In order to decrease the need for ventilation and the consequently increase in energy expenses; it is important, as mentioned above, to reduce pollution as much as possible. However, a complete phase out of pollution is not feasible, and in some situations it could be useful to increase the ventilation during some periods. Since release of pollution from consumer products, building materials and fixtures often is greatest at purchasing, and the release thereafter is decreasing over time, it is recommended to ventilate extra in the first hours or days after the products are taken into use. 8.3 Correct and reasonable use of productsWrongly use of some products may cause health risks. Therefore, it is important to follow the producers’ guide in correct use of their products. It could e.g. be an advice about only use of the product outdoors in order to prevent problems indoors. This may be the case for products, which are preserved against microbial growth with e.g. formaldehyde. Uses of spray products indoors are advised against generally, because such products often pollute indoor air more than alternatives. It could e.g. be recommended to use liquid cleaning products on a cloth, instead of using a spray flask and apply paint with a brush instead of a spray can. During use of some products combustion products are generated as a result of an incomplete combustion of organic material. These combustion products may be dangerous to health. This may be the case by burning e.g. incense and candle lights. Therefore, it is recommended against use of these products in small and poor ventilated rooms. If such products have to be used, it should be done in large rooms and with efficient ventilation both under and after the burning process. 8.4 CleaningIn a home dusts are formed all the time. Dust consists of many different constituents. It may consist of pollution from the activities going on, including use of a number of consumer products, from residues of worn-off material, from house dust mites, furred animals, pollen, moulding fungus, bacteria and phthalates. Therefore, it is important at regular intervals to clean the home in order to reduce the amount of dust. Otherwise, the dusts may cause health problems for special exposed groups such as allergy suffers and children. Small children stay more and closer to the floor, where they are more exposed to whirled dust than adults.
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