Air Quality (for Families & Communities)

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Air Quality

Air pollution is among the top environmental health threats in the United States. Children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution because their brains, lungs and other organs are still developing. They breathe twice as fast as adults, often by mouth, taking in more pollutants than adults in the same environment. They also participate in heavy exercise more frequently, raising their breathing rate. Air pollution can cause lung related diseases and worsen health conditions that children may already have, such as asthma and bronchitis.  

The Good News: Taking steps to reduce exposure to air pollution in your homes and schools can lead to HUGE improvements. Some areas have home visit services to help guide families with children that have asthma in making these changes. Lower cost air purifiers or other materials may be available through health providers or organizations like local departments of public health. These steps help keep your family, and community, safe.  

Boy flying kite in field

2x-5x

Most people spend about 90% of their time indoors, and indoor air can be 2-5 times as polluted as outdoor air (1). 

^ good days

Because of policy and interventions like the Clean Air Act in the United States, the number of bad air days have been decreasing, and the number of good air days have been increasing from 1999-2017. Children have enjoyed some of the greatest improvements from this policy (2).

4.9 million

Around 4.9 million children in the U.S. have asthma- that's nearly 1 in 13 children (3, 1). Asthma is a leading cause of missed school (1).

In Your Environment

What Causes Poor Air Quality?

Air pollution is made worse by poor ventilation and can come from many different indoor and outdoor sources. Indoors, these sources include appliances that burn natural or LP gas, fuel oil, kerosene, wood, or coal, smoking and vaping, building materials and furnishings, asbestos-containing ceiling tiles and insulation, newly installed flooring, upholstery, or carpet, cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products, products for household cleaning and maintenance, pest control (pesticides), central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices, excess moisture, and mold growth. Outdoor sources include radon, allergens such as pollen, pesticides, and pollutants. 

What to Look For

What are the Health Effects of Unhealthy Air Quality?

Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly, years later. Immediate effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, cough or wheeze, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Extreme cases, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, can include nausea, loss of consciousness and death. Immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Health effects that may show up years after exposure or after long and repeated periods of exposure include respiratory diseases such as asthma, heart disease, and cancer. So, it’s important to ensure the air is as clean as possible every day.    

Actions to Take

What Can Schools or Childcare Centers Do to Lower Children’s Exposure to the Unhealthy Air Quality Outside?

School and early care administrators can enhance indoor air quality in centers and schools through regular monitoring, better ventilation, filtration systems and other approaches. 

  • Choose safe arts and crafts products for schools and home (see Additional Resources section).
  • Promote no idling zones for buses near schools and daycare facilities.
  • Contact your child’s school or center to see if they are using MERV13 or higher rated filters in their air conditioning and heating system (HVAC) and replacing these filters frequently. If these systems are not in place, encourage them to use portable air purifiers/filters. Choose those that are HEPA certified and avoid those with “ionizers”. You can also make fairly effective low cost filters by taping a MERV13 filter onto a box fan. For safety reasons, make sure the box fan used is from 2015 or later.
What Can Families and Communities Do to Lower their Exposure to Unhealthy Air Quality Inside?  

The best way to protect your family and yourself from indoor air pollution is to prevent or minimize the release of pollutants indoors.

  • Switching from indoor appliances that run on electricity, instead of using gas, may reduce indoor air pollution up to 50% (Stanford, 2022).
  •  If your kitchen range hood vents to the outdoors, always turn on range hoods.Use the back burners and set the fan to the highest fan speed when possible. This helps the fan capture more of the polluted air. If there is no range hood, open a window to the outdoors and use a fan to blow air out the window if possible.
  • Use an electric heater instead of a wood stove or fireplace. Gas heaters are not as healthy as electric heaters but are still healthier than wood. If you do burn wood, use “seasoned” (dry) wood, and make sure that your fireplace or woodstove drafts properly.  Never use gas stoves to heat the house as this can lead to a build-up of deadly carbon monoxide and other air pollutants.  Never use hibachis, charcoal grills, unvented space heaters, or portable generators indoors that can also lead to build-up of deadly carbon monoxide. Have gas heaters and stoves checked annually by a professional before the heating season to assure that they are functioning properly and vent to the outdoors. 
  • Avoid burning candles and incense indoors and get rid of scented air fresheners.
  • Quit smoking! If you can’t quit, keep cigarette smoking, vaping, and marijuana smoking to outdoor areas and away from doors and windows. Wash hands after use.
  • Use unscented cleaning products. Or, make your own DIY products!
  • For construction or renovation, use formaldehyde-free products such as solid wood, gypsum board, stainless steel, adobe, bricks, and tile when possible. Choose “low VOC” paints.
  • Use paint, glue, and caulk outdoors when possible. 
  • Air out new carpets, furniture, or freshly dry-cleaned clothes for as long as possible before bringing them indoors.
  • Choose “3 Free” nail polish that does not contain formaldehyde, toluene, acetone, or dibutyl phthalate (DBP). If you choose to use nail polish do so in a well-ventilated area.

Families can also reduce existing indoor pollution:

  • On good air days, open windows and doors as weather permits especially if using products that may generate pollutants.
  • If you have a central heating and cooling system, “HVAC”, use high efficiency filters. Take extra precautions if you live near heavy industry or busy shipping routes like train tracks, warehouses or near seaports.
    • Filters rated as MERV 13 or higher are best for reducing small particles that may impact health.
    • Change air filters more often when there’s more smoke or pollen in the air.
  • Consider using portable indoor air purifier/filter with a HEPA filter in the rooms you spend the most time in. Avoid those with “ionizers” as these can create more pollutants.

References: 

  1. https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/why-indoor-air-quality-important-schools
  2. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/documents/ace2019-v17s.pdf
  3. National Center for Health Statistics. NHIS Child Summary Health Statistics. Data accessed September 19, 2024. Available from https://data.cdc.gov/d/wxz7-ekz9 
Resources for Health Professionals

Contact Your Region – find your regional PEHSU experts to contact them for more information about the health effects of unhealthy air quality.

Series

Prescription for Prevention on Indoor Air Pollution

The Western States PEHSU has a “Prescriptions for Prevention” series for families that covers more than 30 environmental topics, including the following related to air pollution:

Indoor Air, Outdoor Air, VOCs, PAHs, Particles and Nitrogen Oxides

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Tormentas de Polvo

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Infografía sobre el humo de incendio forestal

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Healthy Schools: Know Your Air Quality

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Healthier Indoor Air, Ventilation and Filtration to Improve Children’s Health

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Healthy Homes: Identifying and Reducing Asthma and Allergy Triggers in the Home

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Healthy Schools: Ventilation in Schools

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Healthy Schools: HVAC Systems: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

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Healthy Housing: Keep it Safe

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Healthy Housing: Keep it Ventilated

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Healthy Housing: Keep it Contaminant-Free

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El Humo y La Salud de Su Familia

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Region 10
Air Quality
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Is the Air Safe to Play?

This NW PEHSU infographic offers practical activity guidance during times of poor air quality. 

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Smoke from a fire over a field

UW Medicine Webinar: Smokey Air Threatens Children’s Health

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This short video provides information on how to improve indoor air quality in school buildings and classrooms.

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The Region 5 PEHSU recently updated  Investigating Environmental Contamination: A Guide for Communities. The guide is for community members who are…

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Child breaking cigarette

Smoking: Prescription for Prevention

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Cigarettes in ashtray

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Cigarette with smoke

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Kids at home.

Air Quality & Allergens in Your Home

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Prescription for Prevention on Indoor Air Pollution

Did you know…People spend about 90% of their time indoors where the air is usually 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

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Cigarette with smoke

Tabaquismo

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