University of Wisconsin - Extension

Did you know that the air inside your home is often more polluted than the air outside? Most of us spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors. That means our families face significant health risks in the place we usually think of as safest. But how does someone know what poses a potential health risk around the home and what doesn¿t?

There¿s a simple first step to finding out. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension has just published the new edition of Help Yourself to a Healthy Home: Protect Your Children¿s Health, a booklet that helps people identify and address potential health threats at home. The publication is a product of a joint Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and Cooperative State Education and Extension Service initiative called the Healthy Homes Partnership.

According to Healthy Homes Partnership Program Manager Sarah Van Tiem, many people are unaware of the everyday dangers children may face around the house or apartment. ¿However, serious health threats come from seemingly innocent things like the air you breathe or the products you use to clean your bathroom.¿

For example, many homes all over the United States have high levels of radon. This colorless, odorless, radioactive gas causes many thousands of deaths each year, according to the National Safety Council. That's because when people breathe air that contains radon, they can get lung cancer. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in this country. For smokers who live in homes with high radon levels, the risk of lung cancer is especially high. However, people can protect themselves from radon by using a simple test to determine whether radon is a problem in their home. Even homes with very high levels of radon can be made safe again.

¿The new booklet is a great place to start for people who have concerns about health risks around the home,¿ says Van Tiem. ¿Not only does it give tips for how to make homes safer and healthier, the booklet also lets people know where to go for more in-depth information.¿

The new booklet covers nine areas of concern: mold, carbon monoxide, asthma and allergies, lead poisoning, drinking water, pesticide use, indoor air quality, hazardous household products and home safety. You can also download the booklet from the Healthy Homes website at: http://www.uwex.edu/healthyhome .

The Healthy Home Partnership has also made Help Yourself to a Healthy Home: Protect Your Children¿s Health available in English at no cost by calling the Consumer Information Catalog at 1-888-878-3256.

The Healthy Homes Partnership is a joint education initiative sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the USDA¿s Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Service (CSREES). The Healthy Homes Partnership is supported by a national network of Healthy Homes coordinators. For more information, contact Sarah Van Tiem, (608) 265-2774 or visit the website at http://www.uwex.edu/healthyhome .