NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

September 30, 1999

Note to Editors: October is National Home Indoor Air Quality Action Month

Allergies, Asthma Linked to Indoor Air Quality

Asthma is the leading chronic illness of children in the United States. It can be aggravated by exposure to tobacco smoke, pollen, and allergens from animals, plants and insects.

"Because many people spend 90 percent or more of their time indoors, it is important to have good indoor air quality," says Ken Hellevang, an air quality expert with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. He offers the following tips:

• Check combustion devices annually to make sure they are operating properly. Combustion gases and particles can cause breathing difficulties for people with asthma.
• Try to keep humidity levels between 30 to 40 percent in the winter and below 60 percent in the summer. High humidity can promote growth of biological agents such as mold and mites that can trigger asthma or cause allergic symptoms such as a runny nose and itchy eyes or difficulty breathing. Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens or bathrooms when taking showers or cooking. Make sure clothes dryers are vented to the outdoors. If necessary, use a dehumidifier in the basement during warm weather or ventilate if outside air is cooler and drier than the basement.
• Clean humidifiers according to manufacturer's instructions. Refill them with fresh water everyday so harmful microbes will not grow and be dispersed into the air.
• Keep the house clean. Cleaning minimizes allergy-causing agents like microscopic dust mites, animal dander and pollen. Consider installing higher efficiency filters in home heating and cooling systems to reduce the number of particles in the air.

For more information about indoor air quality visit the NDSU Extension Service Indoor Air Quality site at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/iaq.htm , the Environmental Protection Agency's web site: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ , or call the EPA Indoor Air Quality Info Line at (800) 438-4318.

October is national Home Indoor Air Quality Action and Awareness Month as part of the Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes Project, a cooperative effort of educators in each state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA.

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Source: Ken Hellevang (701) 231-7243
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629