2. Doesn’t outdoor pollution have a greater affect on our health?
No. While we usually think of the environment as the outside world, scientists have long known that, for most pollutants, indoor exposures far exceed outdoor levels. Because toxic substances (such as lead and asbestos) and harmful gases (such as carbon monoxide and radon) build up in confined spaces, contamination can reach at least ten times higher levels than outdoors.

3. Who is at risk?
Everyone is at risk, but infants, toddlers, and elderly people are at greatest risk. Because infants and toddlers, whose developing systems make them most sensitive to pollutants, are in the home so much of the time, substandard housing is the nation’s #1 environmental threat to their health. The elderly, who also tend to stay at home more than other age groups, are similarly at heightened risk for exposure to health hazards at home. The fact that older, substandard housing is often concentrated in low-income communities of color makes housing-related health hazards a pressing environmental justice priority as well.

4. What does the Alliance do about health problems in homes?
The Alliance advocates at the national level and works with national policy makers and agency staff to ensure that funding and the most protective and effective standards are in place to make homes healthy. For example, the Alliance was instrumental in shaping the landmark 1992 federal legislation that defined the nation’s approach to addressing lead-based paint in housing. At the same time, the Alliance provides technical assistance to and works closely with community-based organizations and state and local agencies who are “on the ground,” striving to keep families safe from lead hazards, mold, pests, radon, and other home-related health threats.

5. How long has the Alliance been around?
The Alliance was founded in 1990 as the Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning. In 2003, we changed our name to the Alliance for Healthy Homes to reflect our expanded work. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that lead is only one of the many health hazards connected to the condition of one’s home. Further, practice and experience illustrate the need for and efficiency of comprehensively addressing multiple health hazards at the same time.

6. Has the Alliance stopped working on lead? Is lead poisoning still a problem in America?
The Alliance continues to work on the primary prevention of lead poisoning, and yes, lead poisoning persists as a significant problem in the United States. Despite the incredible decline of childhood lead poisoning since the 1970s – in part due to the Alliance’s work – currently at least 310,000 children suffer from lead poisoning every year in the United States. Adults also suffer from lead poisoning, though in smaller numbers.

7. What is the major cause of lead poisoning?
The major source of lead poisoning in the United States is deteriorated lead-based paint in homes built before 1978. Although it is a significant problem in older, low-income neighborhoods, deteriorated lead-based paint can exist in any older home, especially one plagued by water damage that causes paint to peel and flake. Remodeling and renovation without following lead-safe work practices can disturb intact lead-based paint, poisoning children and adults alike. Lead poisoning can place a heavy financial burden on local governments, school districts, and health care systems, not to mention individual families. Lead poisoning has also been tied to increased violent crime among juveniles, leading to higher costs to state and local correctional institutions.

8. What is primary prevention? How is it different from the historical approach to lead poisoning and other housing-related health problems?
In the past, government agencies and health care practitioners addressed lead hazards, excessive moisture, and other substandard housing conditions only after someone became sick. Primary prevention rejects that approach and directs agencies, community-based organizations, and property owners to assess conditions in homes proactively; identify hazards where they exist; and require repairs before anyone becomes sick. The Alliance firmly believes that a primary prevention approach is the most effective way to maintain a healthy home environment and improve the health of all Americans.

9. Is asthma related to housing conditions?
Yes. While no one completely understands what causes asthma, various substances and conditions are known to lead to asthma symptoms, commonly called asthma attacks. These substances and conditions, known as triggers, can be directly related to conditions in one’s home. Common housing-related asthma triggers include dust mites, pet dander, rodent infestation, cockroach infestation, environmental tobacco smoke, excessive moisture, mold, home temperatures that are either too hot or too cold, and indoor pesticide use.

10. What is the impact of asthma on society?
In all, asthma costs our nation at least $16 billion every year. Asthma-related work productivity losses alone cost American employers $1.7 billion annually and the disease is the number one cause of school absences from chronic disease. Through its efforts both at the national and local levels, the Alliance is committed to helping families minimize asthma triggers in their homes, allowing them to lead healthier lives and reducing health care costs to both individual households and all of society.

11. What is the real story about radon?
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 21,000 people die annually from radon-induced lung cancer. Only smoking cigarettes causes more lung cancer cases. While EPA has estimated that radon is of more intense concern to some regions of the United States than others, it is not true that radon is of no concern in a residential property based solely on regional location. In fact, radon levels can be extremely random, with a high concentration existing in one home and very low levels in a home next door. The Alliance strongly recommends that every home be tested for radon. Testing and remediating homes with elevated radon levels is simple and affordable.

12. What do I need to know about safely ridding a home of pests?
High toxicity pesticide applications are dangerous and ineffective: they can cause eye and respiratory irritation, trigger asthma attacks, and poison children and pets. Some types of pesticides have been linked to leukemia, lymphomas, and other cancers. In addition, most traditional pesticides do not offer complete, long-term solutions to pest problems because they do not address the underlying conditions which allow and even encourage infestations.

13. So how can I eliminate pests safely from my home?
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an alternative to chemical pesticide applications that is effective and economical, and IPM presents the lowest possible hazard to people, pets, property, and the environment. IPM is a set of combined approaches to pest prevention and reduction. Inside the home, this typically involves eliminating food and water sources and preventing pests from entering the home. In instances where an infestation has occurred or is not diminishing with preventive measures, and it seems as though high toxicity pesticides are necessary, alternatives such as baits and boric acid are safer, preferable forms of treatment as they limit the level of human exposure to pesticides. The Alliance has compiled a list of resources on IPM and has written two authoritative articles on the subject.