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Air quality at home

Common household pollutants
What you can do
Find out more

Homes today can contain more chemicals than in a chemistry lab

Air pollution can be where you least expect it.
Image courtesy of the Total Environment Centre

Air pollution can be where you least expect it. Being exposed to it while we're out and about may not come as a surprise, but did you know you could be breathing in air pollution inside your home?

While indoor air quality is influenced by the quality of air outside, there is another, less obvious factor.

The average home today contains more chemicals than were found in a typical chemistry lab at the turn of the 20th century. These chemicals can become airborne and make the air inside more polluted than the air outside. You and your family breathe in this air whenever you're at home, whether you are awake or asleep.

However you can take steps to reduce this pollution.

Common household pollutants
What you can do
Find out more

Air pollution can be where you least expect it.
Image courtesy of the Total Environment Centre

Air pollution can be where you least expect it. Being exposed to it while we're out and about may not come as a surprise, but did you know you could be breathing in air pollution inside your home?

While indoor air quality is influenced by the quality of air outside, there is another, less obvious factor.

However you can take steps to reduce this pollution.

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What makes a home sick?

Image courtesy of the Total Environment Centre

Hundreds of things we do around the home can expose us to potentially harmful chemicals - indoor air quality is not only affected by the household products you use inside.

The air in and around your home can become more polluted depending on its construction and design, your furnishings, and the way you heat your home.

Homes today are made and furnished with more and more synthetic materials and products which can give off fumes at room temperature.
We've become more reliant on chemical-based products for everything from cleaning our homes through to doing our hair.
Fireplaces and unflued gas heaters introduce even more pollutants.
Modern construction is creating more tightly sealed homes. This improves energy efficiency but stops fresh air entering.

Image courtesy of the Total Environment Centre

Hundreds of things we do around the home can expose us to potentially harmful chemicals - indoor air quality is not only affected by the household products you use inside.

The air in and around your home can become more polluted depending on its construction and design, your furnishings, and the way you heat your home.

Homes today are made and furnished with more and more synthetic materials and products which can give off fumes at room temperature.
We've become more reliant on chemical-based products for everything from cleaning our homes through to doing our hair.
Fireplaces and unflued gas heaters introduce even more pollutants.
Modern construction is creating more tightly sealed homes. This improves energy efficiency but stops fresh air entering.

Common household pollutants

The average home can contain hundreds of pollutants, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, ozone, radon, sulfates, sulfur dioxides, particulates, NOx and VOCs. The last two don't just create problems inside the home but also contribute to ground-level ozone in our cities.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
- found in some carpets and furnishings, cleaning products, polishes and waxes, paints, plastics, air fresheners, pesticides and aerosol sprays
- can be released when chemicals mix - for example, household bleach mixes with ammonia-based cleaners
- includes formaldehydes, benzene, toluene and xylene
- can often be smelled, for example, that new car smell is actually caused by VOCs!
NOx (oxides of nitrogen)
- emitted by unflued gas heaters, cook-tops and ovens, and kerosene heaters.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
- found in some carpets and furnishings, cleaning products, polishes and waxes, paints, plastics, air fresheners, pesticides and aerosol sprays
- can be released when chemicals mix - for example, household bleach mixes with ammonia-based cleaners
- includes formaldehydes, benzene, toluene and xylene
- can often be smelled, for example, that new car smell is actually caused by VOCs!
NOx (oxides of nitrogen)
- emitted by unflued gas heaters, cook-tops and ovens, and kerosene heaters.

What you can do

House plants help keep pollution in check.
Image courtesy of Rosie Nicolai

Ventilate
- Regularly open your windows and doors to air your home.
- Good air flow will dilute pollutants by pushing them out of your home.
- It will also help clear your home of house dust which can contain lead, toxic chemicals, allergens, moulds and fibres which irritate the lungs.
- Opening windows is cheaper and better for the environment than air fresheners.

Get some house plants
- They don't just look good, they're good for you as they can help keep pollution in check.
- Native Kentia Palm, Peace Lily and Devil's Ivy can reduce indoor air pollution.
- Fresh flowers and herbs are also a great alternative to air fresheners.
Stay clear of chemicals
- Choose carefully when you go shopping.
- Rid your home of unwanted chemicals.
- Keep the chemicals you do have tightly sealed.
- Don’t use chemicals on hotter days as they evaporate and enter the air.
- Take your unwanted chemicals to a Household Chemical CleanOut event.

House plants help keep pollution in check.
Image courtesy of Rosie Nicolai

Ventilate
- Regularly open your windows and doors to air your home.
- Good air flow will dilute pollutants by pushing them out of your home.
- It will also help clear your home of house dust which can contain lead, toxic chemicals, allergens, moulds and fibres which irritate the lungs.
- Opening windows is cheaper and better for the environment than air fresheners.

Get some house plants
- They don't just look good, they're good for you as they can help keep pollution in check.
- Native Kentia Palm, Peace Lily and Devil's Ivy can reduce indoor air pollution.
- Fresh flowers and herbs are also a great alternative to air fresheners.
Stay clear of chemicals
- Choose carefully when you go shopping.
- Rid your home of unwanted chemicals.
- Keep the chemicals you do have tightly sealed.
- Don’t use chemicals on hotter days as they evaporate and enter the air.
- Take your unwanted chemicals to a Household Chemical CleanOut event.

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Find out more

Visit the Your Home website for more information on indoor air quality. The Healthy Homes (PDF, 1.3MB) download from the enHealth website is a valuable resource for home buyers, builders and renovators.

See the Working Together to Clear the Air paper on the Total Environment Centre website for comprehensive information on indoor air quality, including sources of potentially harmful chemicals and safer alternatives.

The Safer Solutions website has a range of guides on improving air quality in your home.

Learn about the health effects of chemicals in the environment, home and workplace on the National Chemical Information Gateway.

The Nursery Pages (PDF, 189kb) research by the University of Technology Sydney shows how house plants improve indoor air quality.

The Safer Solutions website has a range of guides on improving air quality in your home.

Learn about the health effects of chemicals in the environment, home and workplace on the National Chemical Information Gateway.

The Nursery Pages (PDF, 189kb) research by the University of Technology Sydney shows how house plants improve indoor air quality.

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Air quality at home

Contents

Contents

What makes a home sick?

Common household pollutants

What you can do

Find out more