Healthy Lung Month: 5 Ways to Improve the Air Around You

Most people notice air quality when wildfire smoke dims the sky or a strong odor fills the room. But the air that reaches your lungs is also shaped by smaller, everyday conditions, including what happens while you cook, how quickly moisture is handled, and whether your home has been tested for radon.

October is Healthy Lung Month, making now a useful time to look beyond familiar lung health reminders and pay closer attention to the environments where you spend your day.

As you go about your workday, pay some more attention to your environment and take note of five practical ways to reduce exposure to common pollutants and irritants at home, at work, and outdoors.

Lung Health By the Numbers

• Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors.*
• Concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher indoors than typical outdoor concentrations.*
• Nearly 1 in 15 U.S. homes has a radon level that should be reduced.**
• Air quality becomes unhealthy for sensitive groups when the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 101.***
• Drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours can help prevent mold growth.****

5 Practical Ways to Protect Your Lung Health

1. Read the AQI, Not Just the Weather Forecast

The AQI turns outdoor air conditions into a number you can use. An AQI of 0 to 50 is considered good. Once it rises above 100, the air is unhealthy first for sensitive groups and then for everyone as the number climbs. Check the AQI on your preferred weather app before yardwork, outdoor events, a long commute, or other activities that may keep you outside. People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or other conditions that increase their risk should follow the individual plan they developed with a healthcare professional.

2. Test for the Pollutant You Cannot See or Smell

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can enter a building from the ground. High levels have been found in every state and in new, old, well-sealed, and drafty homes. Low-cost test kits are available online and at many home improvement stores. Test the lowest level of the home that is used regularly, such as a basement family room or ground-floor living space, and follow the kit instructions closely. EPA recommends taking action when a test shows 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.

3. Give Cooking Emissions a Way Out

Cooking can add particles and other pollutants to indoor air, even when a meal does not look smoky. The EPA recommends using the back burners when possible and leaving the hood or fan on for 10 to 20 minutes after cooking. Opening a window can also help when the outdoor air quality and weather make it safe to do so. Clean the hood’s grease filter regularly so airflow does not become an afterthought.

4. Treat Moisture as an Air-Quality Issue

A slow leak or a damp room can affect more than the surface you see. Mold grows where moisture remains, and exposure can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, as well as cause asthma attacks. Fix leaks and dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours. Run the bathroom fan during and after a shower, use exhaust ventilation while cooking, and pay attention to condensation on windows or pipes. A small humidity meter can help, especially in basements and bathrooms.

5. Match Your Protection to the Exposure

A cloth face covering does not protect against wildfire smoke or various inhalants. When smoke or ash cannot be avoided, a properly worn, NIOSH-approved N95 or P100 respirator can filter fine particles before they are inhaled. A particle-filtering respirator is not a universal shield against gases or chemical vapors. Start by reducing the source, improving ventilation, and reading product labels before cleaning, painting, sanding, or using solvents.

Air quality can be easy to overlook because many common hazards are not visible. A radon test on the calendar, a range hood switched on before the pan heats, a humidity check after a leak, or an AQI check before outdoor work can reduce unnecessary exposure.

Choose one of these checks to put into practice during Healthy Lung Month. The goal is not to overhaul your routine. It is to make the air around you a more visible part of how you care for your health.

Sources:

* U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Air Quality

** U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Radon in Homes, Schools and Buildings

*** AirNow, Air Quality Index Basics

**** U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home