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Air

Air PollutionPollution breakdown

Fifty percent of all illnesses are either caused by, or aggravated by poor indoor air quality.

We receive 58% of our energy from the air we breath, more than from water and food combined. Hold your breath and see how long you can go without air. Humans drink at most two liters of water a day. In contrast, we breathe fifteen to twenty-five thousand liters of air a day. Every minute, we are taking more than a dozen breaths, every breath a half liter or so, with children breathing four or five times more per body weight than adults, the billions of various molecules heading for the lymph system, the blood, the digestive tract, fight their way toward trillions of human cells. At about sea level there are approximately 10 billion trillion air molecules in a breath of air, or as many molecules as there are stars in the known universe. We live totally submerged in an atmospheric ocean and do not realize the importance of air until it is cut off from us and we have none to breathe. Air is heavy. It weighs 14.7 pounds for every square inch, which means that every square inch of our bodies is under 14.7 pounds of weight. An average hand has a force on each side of it equivalent to the weight of two men. That's 353 pounds of air on your hand.

There are trillions of air molecules between your eyes and this page. Some of them may have once flowed from the lungs of Christ, or been part of a high-flying cloud just last week. But all it takes is one molecule of an extraordinarily reactive chemical to knock down the door to the nucleus--the control center--of a single cell, which can then begin cancerous proliferation. One part per quadrillion, tiny as it seems, can translate into 10 million dioxin molecules in each breath! One part per billion is comparable to a single inch in sixteen thousand miles. One part per trillion is comparable to an inch in a stretch 16 million miles long--over 13 trips to the moon. The chemistry is like peering into a distant galaxy and trying to comprehend all the stars there. No one has actually seen a toxic molecule, at least not the ones we're talking about, but each atom composing them can be pictured as a miniature solar system. The telescopes into the infinitely small world around us are the gas chromatograph and the more recent mass spectrometer. The chromatograph separates the compounds; the mass spectrometer gauges precise molecular weight.

The Atmosphere

Almost 99 percent of the atmosphere lies within eighteen miles of the surface. In fact, if the earth were to shrink to the size of a beach ball, its inhabitable atmosphere would be thinner than a piece of paper. The atmosphere is a chemical cocktail, and our measurements are very crude at this point. Compounds vary as far as their reactivity. Some of them travel for thousands of miles; some will deteriorate quite rapidly. Once you get a few thousand feet up you are above more than 60 percent of pollution aerosols. The first five thousand feet is probably the most important. Most of the material remains fairly near the surface. Most large particulates remain within five or ten miles of their origin, but the smaller they are the farther they fly, and if they are small enough they can remain aloft for days or weeks. At times, if they get caught in the stratosphere, the weeks may turn to months, the months to a year. Gases, if they decay slowly enough, can travel still farther. You could turn loose a molecule of vinyl chloride in Texas City today, and you could have it over New York City by eight in the morning. No one is quite certain what all is in the wind from California, or for that matter in the currents from Oregon and Washington, from New Mexico or Colorado (where the air has been spiked with plutonium). While the overall trend of air is eastward, it can move every which way, and in the heartland, the wind comes not only from the west but more importantly up from the Gulf states. Mixing together, these air masses pick up the formulations of the Midwest and proceed eastward.

The central part of America, is rather like a huge pot that accepts what the west and south gives, mixes in its own formidable concoctions, and overflows with a nebulous broth. Though the winds vary according to their height, and according to heat and terrain, they generally sweep across the entire American landscape, whirly and often unpredictable, joined by a tunnel system from Texas, or a whiff of Louisiana oil, the soot and pesticides of the great Bread Basket. From the deep South comes the aroma of paper manufacturing. Up the Atlantic coast, gases and aerosols converge with the New York Megalopolis and its own daunting smog. The colors change with the altitude: a cerulean blue smudged with charcoal at one height, and below that, a hint of pink or yellow-lime. One way to get these substances way up to the fast winds is a large, convective thunderstorm. Dust and all manner of other particulates are not just stirred around but actually sucked up in such a weather system. If the spiral of upwind becomes violent enough, and touches the earth, it is known as a tornado. Nationwide, four trillion pounds (not counting federal land) of soil is lost because of wind erosion. Most settles out quickly, but some of the particles are sucked up to the jet systems or ride a wave of low-altitude air. In certain cases such a ride might go on for hundreds of miles. In Michigan one year, an analysis of dust showed that some of it came all the way from Oklahoma. Hawaii has encountered silicate particles from Chinese dust storms. From preliminary indications, in fact, farm dust would appear to be a major, unrecognized source of toxic air pollution, dispersing weed killers and fungicides that can cause everything from relatively innocuous hay fever-like symptoms to fetal death.

Polluted Organs

Chemicals

The potential for environmental exposure to hazardous air pollutants has increased significantly over the last four decades, primarily because of the dramatic increase in our use of chemicals. Since World War II, chemical production has increased ten-fold, from less than 20 billion to over 220 billion pounds per year. By July 8, 1986, the American Chemical Society had registered 7,936,191 chemical compounds, and though not all are toxic, and not nearly all are in common use, a good number of the most toxic ones can be found almost anywhere. Yet, of these, federal air laws control less than one in a million--a grand total of seven. Of 60,000 chemicals in use in North America, less than 2% have been studied sufficiently to make a complete hazard assessment. Fifty thousand have never been tested for toxicological effects at all. The potential for these to reach our air passages is a frightening thought.

Incinerators

Incinerators produce a witches' brew of green house gases, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide, responsible for global warming and acid rain. Gaseous emissions also contain heavy metals, such as chromium, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and lead, causing disorders from birth defects to nervous system disorders. Some of these metals can be "scrubbed" out of emission gases, but then they end up in the ash. Traces of cancer-causing dioxin including 2,3,7,8-TCDD, are found in both gaseous emissions and ash samples from incinerators across the country. Hazardous waste incinerators produce their own type of pollution, including new compounds, created by the process itself, more poisonous than the material fed into them. These include carcinogenic heavy metals, furans and dioxin. Another source of air pollution are land fills and sewage treatment plants.

Indoor Pollution

According to the EPA the air you breath in your home on the average is 4 times more polluted than the air you breath out doors. We breathe in more than 15,000 quarts of polluted air each day. As many as 20 to 150 hazardous chemicals in concentrations 10 to 40 times those outdoors can be found in the typical American home. One solution the chemical manufacturers have so generously advertised is to mask odors by using aerosol sprays, air wicks, chemicals, and scents, all of which only add to the chemical soup we call indoor air. Indoor air pollution can be far worse than outdoor pollutants. Some chemicals are 100 times higher than outdoor levels--levels indoors that would be illegal outdoors. Yet we spend 90% of our lives indoors. Of that 90%, 65% is spent at home. A recent EPA report ranked indoor air pollution at the top of the list of environmental risks Americans face. It is estimated that over 50% of all illness are caused by the poor quality of our indoor environment. Many of the contaminating substances give no warning and produce vague and sometimes similar symptoms that are hard to pin down to a specific cause. Or produce symptoms years later, when it's even harder to discover the cause.

Hidden Toxins in Your Walls

Most of this pollution outgases from a variety of substances in building products like joint compound and in interior decor products like carpeting, caulking, particle boards, sealers, finishes, furniture and paints. Knowing where toxins hide is half the battle. Once you do it’s easy to find alternative safer products. For just about everything there are safe very low toxic or completely nontoxic choices. Be a conscious consumer. Your health will benefit.

Health damaging toxins hide in unsuspecting places. That’s especially true in the case of some building products. Take, for example, the walls of your home. Most walls in homes and offices are made with dry wall. Dry wall is composed of gypsum board with paper (usually recycled) on either side. It comes in 4 foot by 8 foot pieces, usually ½ inch thick. Dry wall itself isn’t toxic, but the plaster-like mud substance used to cover seams usually does contain toxins. When dry wall is hung it is fastened to wallboards and studs with nails and screws. Where the individual dry wall boards meet there are small gaps or seams. To hide these seams and create a smooth even wall surface, the seams are covered with a paper tape and then plastered over with something called joint compound. Joint compound is also used to cover the nails and screws. The joint compound or “white mud” as it is referred to in the industry usually comes pre-made. About three coats are required and for the average home which translates into about 25-50 gallons.

The Dangers of Joint Compound

Joint compound is composed of gypsum or sometimes limestone, polyvinyl acetate, and benzene (the preferred solvent). A natural or synthetic starch is used as a binder and mica, clay, talc or perlite is used as a filler. Ethylene glycol helps to control the drying time. Antibacterial and antifungal agents are also added. Many of these substances are known toxins. In a Harvard study done for the EPA, joint compound was found to release as many as 25 volatile organic compounds or VOC’s. Six of the compounds they identified are suspected human carcinogens. The picture gets worse because the release of these VOC’s into the air of your home increases over time. That’s right. Instead of decreasing as you might expect, the vapors were found to increase, depending in temperature and humidity conditions. Interestingly, the higher the temperature and humidity the more VOC’s released. This means breathing the air in your home may increase your risk of cancer—indefinitely.

Toxic Threat, Government Neglect

More than 4,900 people in a five-state federal study suffered strokes, anemia and urinary tract disorders, including prostate trouble, at rates double or triple the national average. All these people lived in homes polluted with toxic gas. Beneath numerous neighborhoods flow streams of industrial chemicals oozing from local dry cleaners, auto shops and factories. The pollution was supposed to be safe underground as long as people didn't drink it. But now, thousands of Americans face a frightening fact: They've been breathing it. The contamination became gas. It leaked inside their living rooms. Environmental regulators often did nothing. Even today, after tow decades of scientific warnings, few state agencies are doing much about the health threat. The federal agency that's responsible for protecting people from environmental hazards instead has downplayed and even disregarded the problem. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's main computer model, which judges whether it's safe to breathe inside thousands of polluted homes, often underestimates the threat. And the EPA relied on false scientific information in dropping a planned review of toxic gas in homes around the nation's worst hazardous-waste sites. EPA also admits that it ignored the threat of toxic gases in the 1980s and 1990s while deciding how dozens of polluted neighborhoods would be cleaned up. The agency now is re-examining cleanups that were supposed to be completed. It's not just that many polluted neighborhoods haven't been checked for toxic gases. It's that EPA doesn't even know how many neighborhoods the agency has checked. It may well be a big number.

In a EPA program that oversees major cleanups of still-operating factories, fewer than half of the 1,714 worst factories have been screened for gas. Managers of EPA's Superfund program, which directs the nation's biggest hazardous-waste projects, concede they are unsure how many of the 1,220 cleanups have been screened for toxic gas. In the past, regulators found toxic gas in homes but refused to make the polluters spend $2,000 or so per house to clean it up. Also, at least 13 states either never check or rarely check neighborhoods for toxic gas. They are Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. National EPA managers defended their handling of the issue. They said EPA managers defended their handling of the issue. They said EPA has been recently issuing advisories telling state regulators to check polluted neighborhoods for toxic gas.

Fifty years after the great manufacturing boom of post-World War II America, taxpayers have grown accustomed to paying hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up Superfund sites and other toxic leaks. But now a new environmental bill is coming due. It's from the chemicals that stripped grease from the gears of the Industrial Revolution. The manufacturing of metal parts relied on vast quantities of oil and gunk. To remove this grease from steel and aluminum--and to lift dirty spots from suits and dresses--engineers developed a series of chemicals called chlorinated solvents. With an alphabet soup of names including TCE, PCE and DCE, these solvents were cheap, easily manufactured and popular. At its peak in the 1970s, the industry used more than 2.4 billion pounds a year of just the three most popular solvents, TCE (metal degreaser), tetrachloroethylene (dry cleaning spot remover) and carbon tetrachloride (refrigerant component and degreaser). That was 10 pounds a year of solvents for every man, woman and child in America. But all those chemicals did more than combat grease. They also made people sick. Exposure to many of these solvents at high levels or over a long period, hurts the liver, kidneys and nervous system, medical studies show. Many of these chemicals also are linked to cancer, especially of the liver and kidneys. The government tried to protect workers with indoor air standards in factories. But the chemicals often didn't stay in factories. The problem: All these solvents were dumped in thousands of places across the country. Today they are the most common chemical pollutants in America, turning places such as love Canal, N.Y., and Woburn, Mass., setting of the movie and best-selling book A Civil Action, into front-page national news.

Many states now have dozens, or even hundreds, of little-publicized streams of underground toxins. The government allowed many of these plumes to remain unchecked beneath homes. Through the 1970s and '80s, the EPA instructed regulators that the main risks from solvent contamination came from drinking polluted groundwater or eating polluted dirt. EPA's rules presumed that low levels of pollution wouldn't contaminate homes with toxic gas. EPA was wrong. Only Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming regularly test polluted neighborhoods for toxic gas. Many of the biggest states--especially heavily industrialized areas such as Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania--take the federal government's advice. They skip actual tests of air and instead use an EPA computer model to estimate whether it's safe to breathe inside a home. Though EPA long has advocated direct testing of indoor air for another toxic gas, radon, the agency takes a different tack when checking homes for contamination by carcinogenic industrial solvents. The agency's published advice on solvent gas pollution is: "EPA recommends that site managers use a screening level model developed by Johnson and Ettinger to evaluate exposure." Several state officials say they now run the model dozens of times a year without ever testing air inside homes to verify the model's accuracy. But the model can be strikingly wrong.

At the nation's largest toxic gas cleanup site, in the southeast Denver neighborhood outside the former Redfield rifle scope factory, the EPA computer model predicted that fewer than three dozen homes would be beset with health-threatening levels of industrial solvent gas. In fact, air tests inside homes proved that more than 300 homes required toxic gas decontamination. In some cases, actual pollution inside southeast Denver homes was 200 times worse than the government model predicted. Robbie Ettinger, one of two inventors of the EPA model, ran data from Redfield through his own computer at the request of The Denver Post. He confirmed that the EPA formula underestimated home pollution there. EPA's model also makes dozens of other assumptions about outdoor conditions, figuring that neighborhoods in cold Alaska, arid Nevada and humid Florida, for example, are built over identical types of groundwater. Toxic gas often has a tougher time piercing the thick groundwater layers in states with heavier rainfall. The inventors say the model shouldn't be relied on for detailed information. Instead, they say, it should let regulators take a rough look at whether neighborhoods are toxic enough to merit more study.

Both inventors say their model has been used improperly by regulators. Nevertheless, EPA's Superfund program, which regulates most of the nation's worst toxic sites, continues to rely on the model to predict indoor air pollution. With that model, you'd get just as good results flipping a coin. Half the time it's right, and half the time it's wrong. The flaws carry national importance. It's rare for the agency to take air samples in homes. Air tests usually cost $1,000 each. "This indoor air issue is not a new thing," said David Lown, an engineer for the North Carolina state Superfund section. "EPA has brought it up. But EPA doesn't quite know what to do about it. I don't know what to do about it."

Not A New Subject

EPA has known for decades that toxic gas could pose a threat in the home. The health risk from vapors was a main reason why then-President Jimmy Carter approved the emergency evacuation of 950 Love Canal families from 1978 to 1980. A 1978 government report on Love Canal noted that liquid pollution was becoming gas inside basements and "resulting in hazards to health." National fears over Love Canal led Congress to pass the Superfund law, one of the world's best-known pieces of environmental legislation. But Love Canal's lesson about toxic vapors has since gone unheeded by EPA, which repeatedly has overlooked--or dismissed--the same threat at other polluted sites across the country. A prime example is the BKK Landfill of West Covina, Calif., where 19 homes were evacuated in 1984 after public utility crews found explosive levels of methane gas in backyards. While testing inside homes for methane vapors, regulators also detected vinyl chloride gas, a carcinogen, at concentrations 900 times worse than what the government says is safe. Vapors from four other industrial solvents were detected, some at levels up to 60 times worse than health standards. The BKK Landfill case was widely publicized, and scientists at the time warned that similar vapor threats could be found at other polluted sites across the country. EPA didn't heed the warnings. Though the agency did order BKK to decontaminate the landfill's edge, cleanup standards were so loose that residents were allowed in 1984 to reoccupy homes that still could have been polluted with unsafe levels of toxic industrial gas, records show. Today, contamination from the same BKK Landfill continues to seep 10 feet below dozens of other homes in West Covina. But 18 years after the first evacuations, none of those homes had been tested for indoor air contamination. In response to questions, an EPA hydrologist working on the BKK Landfill cleanup, said, "It's definitely something we'll look into." Other states have tested for toxins, but disregarded findings that residents' health was at risk.

There is no dispute that industrial solvents have hurt and even killed people. Scientific studies long have linked chlorinated industrial solvents to neurological damage, as well as liver, kidney and heart disease. In the worst cases of on-the-job exposure to solvents--often when workers scrubbed the insides of industrial tanks for long periods with degreasers--victims suffered severe dizziness and vomiting before death. No one at home faces such high concentrations of solvents. But the federal centers for Disease Control and Prevention say long-term exposure at lower levels of pollution also makes people sick. Cancer looms large. Vinyl chloride, a component of PVC pipes and breakdown product for several other chemicals, is a known human carcinogen. And the federal government says other solvents, such as tetrachloroethylene dry-cleaning fluid, or PCE, are probable human carcinogens. The cancers most often associated with solvent exposure are leukemia, especially for children, and cancer of the brain, bladder, colo-rectal system, lymph nodes, liver, pancreas and stomach, the CDC reports.

The CDC began regular health checks in 1988 on 4,900 people in 15 neighborhoods in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania where home drinking water supplies were contaminated by TCE. Many of those people also breathed TCE seeping through their home foundations and vaporizing from contaminated water as they showered and washed dishes. Children under 9 suffered speech impairment, deafness, anemia and urinary tract disorders at rates significantly exceeding the national average, the CDC found. Adults suffered from anemia, diabetes, deafness, hypertension, kidney disease, liver problems, skin rashes, speech impairment, strokes and urinary disorders at rates significantly exceeding the national average. Immune system disorders, such as lupus, have been linked to solvents.

What Else In Indoor Air Pollution?

Smoke, odors, mildew, mold and dust are some of the indoor pollutants that are easy to see and smell. Others, like organic volatile gases, certain chemicals, bacteria, pollen and static electricity are harder to detect. Formaldehyde is one example of an invisible pollutant. The EPA lists formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. (Aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde at 87 degrees F.) It enters the air from synthetic materials such as carpeting, upholstery and wall paneling. The EPA studied 10 office buildings, schools and nursing homes for five years. At least 500 harmful chemicals turned up in each of the four buildings. Main sources: fumes from room dividers, telephone cables, paint and carpeting. Organic volatile gases are found in many household products, including dry cleaned clothing, paints, solvents (cleaners &degreasers), wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, stored fuels, hobby supplies, disinfectants, repellents and automotive products. One example, methylene chloride, which can cause cancer in animals, is widely used in paint removers and as a propellant in aerosol spray paint. One half billion pounds go into consumer products annually. Such biological pollutants as mold, pollen, dust mites and animal dander affect 25 million people, contributing to asthma, hay fever and headaches. Air conditioners and humidifiers provide the condition in which they breed. Asbestos was used in ceilings from 1945 to 1975, as an insulation on hot water and steam pipes from 1920 to 1972 and as wall and ceiling insulation from 1930 to 1950. Inhaled loose asbestos fibers cause cancer.

Gas, wood, coal kerosene stoves, fireplaces, gas appliances (ranges, water heaters, clothes dryers, etc.), emit carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) if improperly vented, can cause breathing problems. High levels of CO cause headaches, dizziness and nausea. The average home collects 40 pounds of dust a year, which plays host to 15 species of mites that live in beds, pillows, stuffed furniture, etc. These tiny critters live about 45 days, but 42,000 of them can survive in one ounce of mattress dust. Dust mites alone send asthmatics to hospital emergency rooms more than 200,000 times a year with allergic reactions to their shedding, according to researchers at the University of Virginia. Since the energy crisis, we began to insulate and seal our buildings more thoroughly. Because of this, we get very little fresh air into these structures. We keep concentrating the pollutants in our sealed up homes and offices. We also pollute indoor air with toxins in household products and furnishings.

Toxic Carpet

New synthetic carpets offgas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, acetonitrile, styrene, trichloroethylene, azulene, benzene, diphenyl ether and dodecane:

* Formaldehyde is included on the list and can cause watery eyes, aburning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). It is a carcinogen and can cause dermatitis, aggressive behavior, bronchial spasm and other medical conditions.

* Ethylbenzene has caused tumors in rats and mice, neurological effects in humans, throat and ear irritation and chest constriction. Other animal studies have reported fetal resorptions, skeletal deformations and an increased incidence of extra ribs.

* Toluene in high levels can cause birth defects in humans, and has made it to the EPA's "Community Right to Know List" and "Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory." Effects include fatigue, weakness, confusion, euphoria, headache, dilated pupils, dermatitis, central nervous system recording changes, psychophysiological test changes, and bone marrow changes.

* Xylene is on the EPA lists and causes some similar effects including vomiting, abdominal pain, coordination problems, weight loss, excitement, drowsiness and staggering gait.

* Acetone makes it onto the EPA's lists and can react vigorously with oxidizing chemicals. It is considered a severe irritant, and human systemic effects by inhalation include changes in electroencepalogram, changes in carbohydrate metabolism, nasal effects, respiratory system effects, nausea, vomiting and muscle weakness.

* Styrene, used in carpet backing, is a suspected carcinogen and irritant, has caused adverse reproductive effects in animals and can cause eye and nose irritation, drowsiness, olfactory (smell) changes, and defatting dermatitis.

* Benzene, a known carcinogen, can produce myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, and lymphomas. It is a poison by inhalation and a skin and eye irritant. Birth defects and adverse reproductive effects were found in animals exposed to benzene, and effects were seen at less than one part per million.

Other chemicals found in carpet include bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, caprolactum, diethylene glycol, p-Dichlorobenzene, hexane and vinylcyclohexene. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, diethylene glycol and vinylcyclohexene are suspected carcinogens, and p-Dichlorobenzene is a known carcinogen which can produce minor irritations as well as cirrhosis of the liver. Caprolactum and hexane hae caused fetal abnormalities in animals, and hexane can induce nausea and various other mild symptoms. In humans it has brought about hallucinations, structural changes in nerves, motor neuropathy and respiratory irritation.

Carpet Backings and Adhesives

Some of the abovementioned chemicals are contained in backings and adhesives, thus also contributing to the noxious emissions. One chemical, 4-PC, used in the latex backing on 95% of carpets in the U.S. and also used to glue backing to carpet, is the chemical that gives off that new carpet smell. It has been associated with producing eye, nose, throat, upper respiratory and other problems when people are exposed to new carpeting. It has also been named as a suspect in the EPA's infamous "sick building" incident of 1988. It continues to be emitted at measurable levels for a longer time than other chemicals associated with carpet, so long-term effects may be of concern. Ethylbenzene is found in carpet glue and it produces a long list of negative health effects on humans and animals. Adhesives and sealants initially offgas more than carpet does in the first few weeks. Commercial installation of carpet is of particular concern as glue is spread across the floor, whereas residential application requires much less adhesive and often uses stapling around the perimeter of a room. Seam sealant has also been named as toxic. The chemical 1,1,1-trichloroethane was a common ingredient used in the U.S. until government regulations stipulated that it be phased out by 1996. However, toluene can still be found in some sealants. The EPA lists moth repellents as containing valatile organic compounds. Used commonly on wollen carpets, mothproofing is considered a "necessary evil." Mothproofing chemicals contain naphthalene, which is cumulatively toxic and emits vapor that can produce toxic reaction in sensitive individuals. Naphthalene is most dangerous to newborns. Fire-retardant measures are also toxic.

Impact on Carpet Installers' Health

A high incidence of lung cancer has been reported within the carpet installation industry, in additon to typical reactions to chemicals. These reactions include neurological and respiratory symptoms such as dizziness, forgetfulness, tremors, memory loss, pins-and-needles sensations and recurring nosebleeds. Carpet installers who have been tested have shown high levels of chemicals in their blood, resulting in nerve damage and cognitive impairment. Studies have found that there is a higher instance of leukemia and testicular cancer in carpet workers than in control groups. Other studies have found carpet-layers at risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer.

Hazards of Older Carpet

Just because a carpet is no longer new, this does not mean it is healthy! Older carpets can be worse than new ones, because they act as a sink for dirt and chemicals. Older carpets and worn carpets are a great repository for deep dust. Dust mites thrive in carpet; they survive on flakes of dead skin and leave excrement that is extremely allergenic. Carpets contain more dust mites than do bedding. Carpets are actually the biggest reservoir for allergy-causing dust mite and pet allergens in the home. Many carpets tested showed notable levels of permethrin, used to control dust mites. Permethrin has been shown to have neurotoxic effects on laboratory animals--but if it permeates carpet fibers, dust mites continue to survive regardless of the chemical. Mold and mildew cannot be removed if a carpet has been wet for more than a day or two. In this instance, the carpet and padding or underlay is rendered useless and must be replaced, as cleaning will not dislodge the fungal growth. The EPA's advice is to replace carpet if it has been damp for more than 48 hours. Asthma attacks can be triggered by dust mite allergens.

Any chemical walked in on shoes or brought inside on wheels of bicycles, or carts and in the paws of animals can become trapped in carpet. An alarming statistic from the EPA states that 80% of most people's exposure to pesticides occurs indoors. Chemicals may also drift in through open windows or come in on clothes and be absorbed by carpet. Pesticides tracked inside will not be broken down, due to lack of sunlight. Vacuum cleaning can reduce the accumulation of such contaminants, but not even hot-water extraction can eliminate them all. Plush carpet samples aged between 10 and 33 years contain very high levels of chemicals when tested. Numerous carpets have accumulated pesticides used in insect sprays. Pesticide levels show up many times higher than any amount of insect spray that would be applied in a single use. VOC adsorption (gathering of a substance on a surface in a condensed layer) can occur on carpet fibers, and the chemicals released at a much later date. Curing paint can offgas VOCs which settle in carpet.

This is true of household pesticides such as those used in impregnated strips, bombs and foggers, also formaldehyde off-gassed from resins and subflooring materials as well as pressed wood products and glues. Toxic deposits can also remain after cleaning with certain products. According the the EPA, VOCs occur at levels two to five times higher indoors than outdoors and 1,000 times higher when renovations are taking place. Dwellings with many soft or textured surfaces collect more airborne benzene than homes without these types of surfaces. Airborne benzene is implicated as a cause of leukemia. Carpet shampoos, containing ammonia and perfumes, can be toxic. The known carcinogen perchloroethylene may be found in carpet cleaner. Some cleaners contain solvents, often pertroleum-based, which emit VOCs. Other hazordous chemicals such as toluene and benzene have been found in fiber cleaners. Carpet deodorizers are also cause for concern, as they degrade very slowly. Some contain musk-xylene, which has caused tumors in mice, or musk-ambrette, a neurotoxin to animals.

Any typical household dust sample will cause concern if tested, as it often contains high concentrations of heavy metals, including lead. Lead is a very major concern with carpet acting as a sink. Lead is still in the soil from it's prior use in gasoline, especially near roadways, and may come inside onto the carpet via shoes or drift in through windows and doors. Plush and shag carpets are more problematic than flat carpets, as they are prone to collecting more toxic dust. Carpet dyes pollute waterways, and showroom carpet samples and scraps create unwanted waste. Carpet is energy intensive to produce, and old carpets being replaced are generally put into landfills or incinerated. The average carpet's life span, whether in commercial or residential use, is eight years.

Infants are particularly vulnerable to ingesting contaminated dust in carpet because they spend so much time on the floor. Children and babies are at a high risk as they spend a large amount of time on or near the floor, have a higher rate of metabolism than adults and their organs are still developing. Relative to adults, they inhale 23 times as much air. Breastfed babies are at an even higher risk, as the toxins come through their mothers' milk.

Chemicals in cigarettes

Secondhand Smoke

Despite growing recognition of the fact that smoking causes health problems, many people continue to smoke. Smokers not only endanger themselves, but others as well, through "secondhand smoke"--the smoke a person may inhale from someone else's cigarette, cigar, or pipe. This kind of smoke contains carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and many other gases and particles, several of which are known to cause cancer. Secondhand smoke as been classified as a Group A carcinogen by the EPA, a rating used only for substances proven to cause cancer in humans. It is responsible for thousands of lung cancer deaths. Secondhand smoke is a direct health threat to people who already have heart and lung disease, and increases the risk of serious respiratory disease during the first two years of life. secondhand smoke contributes to 150,000-300,000 lower respiratory tract inflammations annually in children younger than 18 months of age, with many resulting in hospitalization.

Symptoms

Breathing problems are the most common symptom of indoor air pollution. Some people report dizziness, headaches, burning eyes, aching throats or loss of energy--symptoms often mistaken for colds or viruses, but disappear when victims leave the building. Allergies, depression, and chronic illness may also be a result. Children and the elderly, and anyone occupying a newly constructed home, office or building are the most vulnerable. Millions of people inhale too much carbon monoxide, and a host of other airborne hazards--benzene, lead, arsenic, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and pesticides. Each time air pollutants are inhaled, the lung's tissues are damaged, then repaired, but imperfectly. Young people, because of higher levels of outdoor activity, are highly vulnerable. According to the American Lung Association, air pollution from motor vehicles and industry may inflict annually between $40 and $50 billion in health costs and cause some 120,000 premature American deaths. One of the most vulnerable areas in the lung is the alveoli, those tiny, capillary-covered sacs that exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. Protecting the alveoli from toxic pollutants is an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase. Lacking this enzyme, the lung's alveoli rapidly lose their viability.

The glutathione enzyme contains selenium and depends on the B vitamin niacin (B3) to restore the enzyme for metabolic activities. Without sufficient dietary amounts of selenium and niacin, an individual's lungs are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution. Frequently deficient in the American diet, these and other lung-supporting elements can be obtained by eating organically grown grains, legumes, root vegetables, and dark green leafy vegetables. Sea vegetables are also good sources. Diets high in unhealthy fat tend to add to the toxic load posed by air pollution. Whether from plant or animal sources, dietary fat (as well as excess body fat) leads to the formation of potent free radicals called lipid peroxides, which sap our oxygen reserves and damage cells. Fatty foods also diminish our oxygen supply by causing red blood cells to clump together inside blood vessels, which reduce the cells' ability to carry oxygen throughout the body.

Exercise, especially rebounding, is the ideal fat-lowering complement to a well-rounded plant-based diet. Physical movement of any kind helps prevent oxygen deprivation in the tissues, and regular aerobic activity, keeps the heart strong and the tissues well supplied with oxygen-carrying blood. Even moderate exercise, such as continuous walking for thirty minutes several days a week, tends to boost respiratory capacity. If you exercise outside, exercise in the morning when the smog levels are lowest, and in parks or forests, where pollution levels also are lower. The lungs have two primary purposes: to take in oxygen and to rid the body of waste gases produced by metabolic activity. If the wastes are not removed through excretory organs such as the lungs and kidneys, they begin to accumulate in the bloodstream. Even low-grade toxicity can weaken the lungs, causing a loss of vital capacity. By minimizing air pollution, and by consuming pure food and water, the lungs are free to discharge waste more effectively.

Ozone

Oxygen exists in the atmosphere as the stable O2 molecule. Natural energy forces such as lightning and ultra-violet rays from teh Sun act to break the bond between the two atoms that make up the stable Oxygen molecule. Ozone (O3), a three-atom form of activated oxygen, is a normal trace element in the earth's atmosphere. Because gaseous ozone is highly reactive, it readily oxidizes organic matter and kills bacteria and molds. Nature creates ozone, which purifies the air, by electrical discharges or by lightning. In other words, ozone is created by electrical energy in air space. We've all taken a walk after a thunderstorm and experienced the clean, fresh smell in the air. That's ozone at work. Now, technology has created ozone generators. Ozone actually purifies the air through the process of oxidation. Ozone is a form of oxygen which as been electrically energized. The energy makes ozone more chemically active than oxygen. O3 actually increases the oxyhemoglobin in the blood. Most odoriferous substances (indoor air pollutants) are unsaturated which means their molecular structure is not closed and will readily combine with oxygen. Ozone actually breaks down odor-causing molecules such as hydrocarbons (HC) into water vapor (H2O). An ozone generator does not mask odors with perfume or chemicals. It oxidizes (changes the substance of) odor molecules. One drawback of ozone generators that utilize ambient air is that nitrogen is oxidized as well creating undesirable irritating nitrogen oxides. This is not the case when medical grade oxygen is used as a source gas.

Aran

The patented Aran generator, creates a special electrical corona that energizes the Oxygen in the air similar to the effect of the discharge of a lightning bolt, and adds additional energy to this process causing single Oxygen atoms to group into higher forms than O3. These higher forms of energized Oxygen have more power to oxidize pollutants. The Aranizer activates the Oxygen in the air into O4, O5, O6, etc. Aran is the trade name for these higher forms of Oxygen. When an Aran molecule comes in contact with pollution, the pollutant is quickly oxidized, leaving only neutralized pollutants and stable Oxygen. This oxidizing agent attacks organic and inorganic chemicals, microbiologicals and changes their chemical composition leaving only oxidized particulate residues and diatomic Oxygen (O2). The Aranizer simply accelerates the process Nature uses to break downair pollutants leaving the air smelling fresh and clean--without using chemical fragrances or costly filters. An Aranizer does not produce undesirable oxides of nitrogen, as does the production of ozone from ambient air, so it is even safer to use than an Ozone generator. The energy required to make an Aran molecule is far greater than that which is usually used to make Ozone (O3). The nascent oxygen created not only has more active atoms, but their affinity to combine with each other to form the higher allotropic forms of oxygen, which are substantially greater than ozone, is not hindered by nascent Nitrogen atoms.

The Aranizer

The Aranizer is by far the most advanced and effective technology available today for pollution control and removal.

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The ARANIZER produces activated Oxygen. Activated Oxygen is the natural enemy of odors, pollutants and many other harmful substances, yet it is completely safe. The activated Oxygen produced by the Aranizer™ will naturally disperse through out any room and begin restoring the indoor environment. No maintainance is required and there are no expensive filters to replace.

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Compare the mg/hr of any Aranizer model to the competition and you will see just how antiquated the other manufacturers' generators are in production. See first hand why the competition is scared to even list the Aranizer in their comparison charts!

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The Aranizer is the safe, effective, and affordable solution to indoor air pollution, unleashing the natural purifying power of Oxygen to purify the air. The Aranizer makes your environment cleaner and healthier.

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The Aranizer is available in a wide range of models that cover residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

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Removes dust, pollen, mold and other particles from the air.

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Removes smoke, pet, cooking, and most other odors from the air. 98% of organic odors are removed by the Aranizer.

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Oxidizes chemical fumes and toxic gases.

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Kills molds, mildew, and fungi.

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Kills many viruses and bacteria, in the air and on surfaces for a cleaner, healthier environment.

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The Aranizer outputs not only O3, (ozone), but O4, O5, O6, O7 and beyond. Poly-chain oxygen is thought by many researchers to be very similar, to Chi or life energy.

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The Aranizer is the only ozone generator that creates poly-chain oxygen in high numbers. Also, some ozone generators output oxides of Nitrogen as a by product of the ozone making process. When these molecules combine with water vapor in the environment acid rain is the result. Aranizer ozone is the most advanced ozone system we have found. Highly recommended.

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2 year warranty on whole unit, lifetime warranty on power supply, the part that typically breaks down with ozone generators.These amazing machines remove allergens, animal odors, smoke and chemicals from the air, leaving clean fresh air in their place. They destroy many viruses and bacteria, and kill molds, pollen and fungi, making your home or work environment a healthier, safer, more pleasant place to be.

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The Aranizer produces rare molecules that contain four or more atoms of Oxygen. These molecules, known as Aran, circulate through your house, bind with and destroy smoke, chemicals, allergens, bacteria, molds, fungus, and viruses. The AranizerTM simply accelerates the process Nature uses to break down air pollutants leaving the air smelling fresh and clean without using chemical fragrances or costly filters.

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For commercial & residential applications. (Attics, Basements, Bars, Beauty Salons, Bingo Halls, Garages, Pet Stores, Restaurants, Storage Facilities, Waiting Rooms, Theaters, Manufacturing and Food Processing Plants, Farming Facilities, Greenhouses, Motels, Hotels, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Schools, Offices, Florists, Kitchens and more.)

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Unlike ozone machines, the Aranizer will not produce harmfull oxides of nitrogen.

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Removes dust, pollen, mold and other particles from the air.

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Removes smoke, pet & cooking odors.

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98% of organic odors are removed by the Aranizer.

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Oxidizes chemical fumes and toxic gases.

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Kills molds, mildew, and fungi

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Kills viruses and bacteria in the air and on surfaces for a cleaner, healthier environment.

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Restores the air's natural electrical balance through negative ionization.

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No moving parts.

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Nothing to clean.

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Just plug-n-play!

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Low cost operation.

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For 110v. AC use only.

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What ARAN Works On...

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Click Here For More Info

Negative Ions

As is the case with all matter, air is made up of molecules. Each molecule has a nucleus of positively charged protons surrounded by circling rings of negative electrons somewhat like our sun and the stars, including Earth, orbiting around it. Nature seeks to balance those opposite charges by having as many negative electrons per molecule as there are positive protons within the nucleus of the molecule. This is then a stable molecule (of oxygen, nitrogen or whatever element). All matter has weight including electrons and protons. Electrons are 1,800 times lighter than protons and since they are in the outer shell of the molecule, they are more easily displaced or added to. These positive and negative molecules, which are unstable because they are not electrically balanced, are called ions. Remember, like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract each other. Ions come in three sizes: large, medium and small. It is the small ions that are absorbed by living matter, from plant leaves to human tissue. It's these small ions we're talking about here; the larger ones have no apparent effect on living organisms. If a stable molecule gains an electron in its outer orbit of negative electrons, it then becomes a negatively charged molecule because there are more electrons of a negative charge than there are of protons of a positive charge. Conversely, if an electron is knocked out of orbit in a stable molecule, the molecule becomes a positive molecule. Humankind evolved over time in "normal" ionization, and consequently we are all bioelectric creatures designed by nature to function properly in an environment that contains a certain level of air electricity. Humans can, and have, adapted to myriad changes in their environment, and have to some extent been adapting to artificial environments ever since they learned to use fire.

Ions are generated by the natural radiation from the earth and the sun, and by water spray and lightning. A negative ion is formed when an electron attaches itself to an oxygen molecule. Ions influence our capacity to absorb and use oxygen to burn hydrogen in our cells. Negative ions revitalize and freshen air. Fresh country air has a natural ion balance of 1,000 to 4,000 ions per cubic centimeter, with a ratio of 5 positive ions to 4 negative. Negative ions, like ozone, are also created as a result of nature's lightning storms and assist in purifying air. Ions are short-lived and thus need constant replenishing from nature. In our artificial environments, the ion balance is critically upset. Central heating and air conditioning systems cause negative ions to disappear from the effect of friction. Once air is inside an office or home with windows closed, it has little chance of being re-ionized. In cities where the ground is paved over and ionization from the earth cannot take place, this balance is greatly aggravated. Air looses its basic "freshness" merely by being drawn through an air conditioning or heating system. This produces an approximate 90% loss in ion and O3 levels. When the ion balance in the air is upset, our bodies are influenced in many ways. Some of which are adrenal exhaustion (adrenaline & noradrenaline), stress hormone (serotonin) over production of thyroid hormones, increasing basal metabolic rate from hyperthyroid activity.

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