 WHAT ARE THEY?
The average American is indoors nearly 90 percent of
the time, and more than half of this time is spent in
the home. This checklist is a guide to help determine
the general status of indoor air quality in your
home.
SOURCES OF
INDOOR CONTAMINANTS
 Do any household
members smoke?
Do you have any unvented gas
appliances?
Do any furry pets live indoors?
Are insecticides or pesticides
used indoors?
Are cars left running in an
attached enclosed garage?
Are any of the following hobbies
conducted indoors: woodworking, jewelry making,
pottery or model building?
Is part of your living area below
ground?
Is your home insulated with
urea-formaldehyde or asbestos?
Do burner flames on gas heating
or cooking appliances appear yellow instead
ofblue?
STRENGTH OF
INDOOR CONTAMINANTS
Are there unusual and
noticeable odors?
Is the humidity level unusually
high or is moisture noticeable on windows or
other surfaces?
Does the air seem stale?
Is the house temperature
unusually warm or cold?
Is there a noticeable lack of air
movement?
Is dust on the furniture
noticeable?
Is dust or dirt staining walls,
ceilings, furniture or draperies?
High-Risk Household Members
Are any household members less
than four years old or more than 60 years old?
Is anyone normally confined to
the house more than 12 hours per day?
Does anyone suffer from COPD,
asthma or bronchitis, allergies or heart
problems?
INDOOR AIR
QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES
Implementing some of
the control measures listed below will help
improve indoor air quality. A severe problem
associated with any of these items may require
immediate corrective action:
Do not allow smoking in your
home. Ask smokers to confine smoking outdoors.
Leave doors between rooms open
most of the time.
Leave some windows partially open
when possible.
Install exhaust fans in
bathrooms.
Fit gas ranges with hood fans
that exhaust outside. Use the fan or open a
window while cooking.
Install outdoor air intake to
return air duct work of forced-air system.
Have furnace, gas water heater
and clothes dryer inspected regularly.
Clean air-conditioners,
humidifiers, and heat exchangers regularly.
Test for radon levels in your
home.
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For more information on lung health programs, and
special events, call your local American Lung
Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872)
When You Can't
Breathe, Nothing Else Matters®
Copyright 1998 American Lung Association
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