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Family and Consumer Sciences Extension improves the quality of individual and family life through education, research, and outreach. This multidisciplinary field focuses on building assets of individuals and families to address the perennial problems faced across the lifespan. Family and Consumer Sciences Extension operates within an ecological framework with the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter at its core. The next level emphasizes well-being with a focus on human development, parenting, resource management, nutrition, health, and aesthetics. At the community level, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension prepares individuals for community and economic development and activity. Professionals in Family and Consumer Sciences Extension enable individuals and families to develop capacity for strengthening families and building community for an ever-changing society.
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Learning Session Information 2007-2008
Improving Indoor Air Quality Source: Suzanne Badenhop and Linda Adler
Air inside the home can be unhealthier than outside air. In fact, air in your home could be two to five times more polluted than the air outside your front door. Poor air quality creates health risks to your family but there are steps you can take to improve the air your family breathes. The first line of defense is frequent vacuuming. This cleans up dust, dirt and allergens. For best results use bagless or high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuums. Bagless vacuums capture particulates in a canister that does not release them with the air exhaust. Be sure to empty the canister outside the living area to prevent putting dust particles and other allergens back into your home. An added bonus is that you don’t have to buy replacement bags. A HEPA filter retains particles as small as 0.3 microns at 99.97 percent efficiency. In other words, it retains all harmful allergens in the vacuum cleaner. Regular vacuum cleaners only filter particles from 30 to 50 microns. Particles below 10 microns are invisible to the human eye and the most common airborne particle size is 2.4 microns. The most harmful respirable size particle is 0.3 microns. HEPA filters remove a wide range of particles from the living area, reducing levels of indoor air pollution. A sealed system means that the bag and motor are completely sealed by rubber gaskets so there is no leakage of dust-filled air and all the allergens and particles are kept in the vacuum. A central vacuum cleaning system works well because air is exhausted outside the main living area, meaning fewer allergens are redistributed indoors. Health risks associated with indoor air pollution include headaches, respiratory problems, aches, asthma, allergies, fatigue, nausea, lungs and liver damage, chemical sensitivity and death. Sources of air pollution in a home can include dust particles from asbestos, household chemicals and cleaning products, radon, carbon monoxide, mold and mildew, lead paint, tobacco smoke and more. For more information on indoor air quality, contact the Fulton County Cooperative Extension Service. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
Links
Steps to a Healthier You
HEEL Health Bulletins
Healthy Choices Newsletters
Pride of Kentucky Cookbook
Raising Kids, Eating Right, Spending Smart, Living Well
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Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
UK Cooperative Extension Service ·
UK College of Agriculture ·
University of Kentucky |
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Send mail to adchelp@uky.edu with questions about this web site. |
2008 Newsletters
