Step outside and take a deep breath. The cold, city air feels clean and fresh, yet you can't help but wonder if it's filling your lungs with toxins.
Air pollution may not be on your mind as much during the winter as it is in the summer (smog alert!), yet how often do you think about the quality of air inside your home?
It may not be as healthy as you think.
According to the experts, our homes are filled with air pollutants, everything from tobacco smoke and off gases to cleansers and paints.
And if you've recently added new furnishings, or haven't properly maintained a gas stove, oil furnace or wood burning fireplace, for instance, then you could have higher concentrations of certain pollutants, such as formaldehyde or carbon monoxide, inside the home rather than outside.
There are organizations -- The Lung Association, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Service Experts (see sidebar) -- that outline the facts on indoor air pollutants and how to avoid them.
'Respiratory health'
"Our website, Yourhealthyhome.ca, is a project of the Ontario Lung Association that aims to help people understand the links between the air quality in their home and respiratory health," says Brian Stocks, air quality manager with The Lung Association.
Their booklet, The Healthy Home Audit, is a comprehensive resource that identifies the major sources of air quality problems and tells you how to fix them.
