Environmental Safety in the Home
The home is thought of as a “safe place” to many people. The home acts as a refuge from the strains and stress of daily life. An environment review should begin by looking at dangers that may exist in the home. You should look for things that may be hiding any hazards. The home can have hidden toxins. A toxin is like a poison and can create shocking and costly health care risks for you.
- Pesticides can cause brain damage, cancer, and death.
- Carbon monoxide, dust, and fireplaces increase chances of asthma and other breathing problems.
- Lead exposure can cause anemia, coma, and even death.
Make Your Home Toxin Free
Reduce exposure to lead
- Do not disturb lead-based paint if it is not damaged.
- Do not sand or burn lead paint.
- Do not wear clothes home from work that may contain lead dust.
- Vacuum inside of car weekly.
- Run cool water for a few minutes before using. Do not use hot water for cooking.
- Eat a balanced diet high in calcium and iron. Lead is absorbed through the stomach. If you do not have a balanced diet high in calcium and iron, your chances of absorbing lead are increased.
Reduce exposure to pesticides
- Use with care. Store chemicals in sealed glass jars in a shed away from home.
- Mix outdoors and follow label directions for how to dispose of them.
- If you use them indoors, take plants and pets outside. Open windows and doors to get fresh air.
- When spraying, wear mask and gloves. Be sure to air out the rooms well after use.
- If you can, store clothes with moth repellents away from other clothing.
Reduce exposure to gases
- Take special care when using space heaters that are not vented.
- Install exhaust fans over gas cooking stoves and ranges.
- Choose new stoves that meet EPA standards.
- Do not idle your car in the garage.
- Have someone clean and inspect central air, chimneys, and furnaces yearly.
- Follow label instruction of household cleaners. Reduce use if you can.
- Safely dispose of chemicals you are no longer using.
- Do not buy large amounts of paints, paint strippers, and kerosene. Buy only as much as you need.
- Avoid contact with methylene chloride and benzene, which are in household products such as drain cleaners, oven cleaners, bleach, and window cleaners. These are known to cause cancer.
- Newly dry-cleaned clothes contain a substance that can cause cancer in animals. Keep pets away from them.
- Avoid using pressed wood products such as hardwood plywood panels (used for wall covers or on cabinets and furniture). They are known to cause cancer.
- Have well water tested for toxins.
- Install a carbon monoxide detector.
Other potential toxins in the home
- Air fresheners
- Asbestos floor tiles, pipe wraps
- Car exhaust
- Carpets
- Unclean drinking water
- Drapes
- Dry-cleaned goods
- Dust mites, cockroaches
- Flowering plants
- Household cleaners
- Humidifier
- Moisture
- Moth repellants
- Paint supplies
- Paneling
- Personal care products
- Pets
- Pressed wood furniture, cabinets
- Stored fuels
- Tobacco smoke
- Unvented gas stove or clothes dryer
- Wood stoves
Federal Services
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C. (202) 260-7751
- National Lead Information Center, Washington, D.C., 1-800 LEAD FYI
- Indoor Air Quality Information Clearing House, Washington D.C. 1-800-438-4318
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 05/17/2007
Copyright © 3/2003 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. . Produced by the Department of Nursing. UWH #5621.
Print Health Fact For You