Accomplishments of a 10-year indoor air quality program.The Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes program is a collaborative interagency effort to increase the general publics knowledge and understanding of residential IAQ IAQ Indoor Air Quality IAQ Investment Administration Qualification IAQ Infrequently Asked Questions IAQ Internal Air Quality IAQ Inuit Art Quarterly IAQ Illinois Air Quality issues. The objective of the program is to educate consumers about sources, health risks, and control measures related to common residential indoor air problems and to help consumers reduce their health risks from these problems. The need for this program was established by research showing that indoor air quality Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants. The IAQ may be compromised by microbial contaminants (mold, bacteria), chemicals (such as carbon monoxide, radon), allergens, or any mass or energy stressor can be worse than outdoor air quality. Consumers are instructed in IAQ problems involving moisture and biologicals, combustion products, formaldehyde, radon, housing products and furnishings, asbestos, lead, particulates, and tobacco smoke. Funding has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and and the USDA USDA, n.pr See United States Department of Agriculture. Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. The program is coordinated by the Montana State University Montana State University, at Bozeman; land-grant; coeducational; chartered 1893. It is primarily a technical institution specializing in agriculture, engineering, and applied sciences. The Museum of the Rockies is there. Extension Service and implemented by over 3,000 county Extension Service offices. Accomplishments of 10 years of the program (1995-2005) are highlighted in Ten Years of Work So You Can Breathe Easier. Educational impacts have included the training of almost 170,000 individuals comprising Extension Service educators, health department officials, teachers, utility representatives, real estate professionals, and builders. Approximately 4.2 million consumers were reached through workshops and 33.6 million through the media. Publications consisted of a booklet titled Indoor Air Hazards Every Homeowner Should Know About booklet (English and Spanish versions), the IAQ Training and Toolkit, Air'ickson's coloring book, and an asthma book cover and book marker. As a result of Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes, over 372,000 consumers improved the IAQ of their homes. Behavioral changes included stopping exposing their children to secondhand smoke sec·ond·hand smoke n. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoke that is inhaled unintentionally by nonsmokers and may be injurious to their health if inhaled regularly over a long period. Also called passive smoke. , having homes tested for radon and mitigated, testing for lead and hiring professionals to do lead abatement, installing carbon monoxide carbon monoxide, chemical compound, CO, a colorless, odorless, tasteless, extremely poisonous gas that is less dense than air under ordinary conditions. It is very slightly soluble in water and burns in air with a characteristic blue flame, producing carbon dioxide; detectors, selecting and using household products more wisely, and improving moisture levels in their homes. Copies of the 28-page booklet Ten Years of Work So You Can Breathe Easier can be purchased for $1.25 each: e-mail your request to blallen@montana.edu. Other IAQ information and publications produced by the program are described at www.healthyindoorair.org. |
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