Asbestos, meaning "miracle mineral" in Greek, is a group of minerals with long thin fibrous crystals. There are six different minerals commercially available that can make up "asbestos", including chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.
Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is a white solid that is commonly used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastic is a lightweight, high-performance plastic that possesses a unique balance of toughness, optical clarity, high heat resistance and electrical resistance. Due to these physical properties, polycarbonate is used in a wide selection of common consumer products.
Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)
Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) are a group of chemicals that help protect the public in fire situations. When heated, the bromine detaches from the molecule and slows down the spread of the fire, giving the occupants time to either extinguish or escape the fire. Because BFRs are only additives to the different materials, these chemicals may leech out onto surfaces or into the air over time. BFRs have also been found in the environment in various animals, plants, soils, and water.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, tasteless, practically odorless, highly-toxic gas that is the byproduct of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Worldwide, CO intoxication is one of the most common forms of poisoning, while in the United States it is the leading cause of poisoning death.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
Walk into a room with a smoker, and you've walked into a cloud of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Also known as second-hand smoke, this cloud contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic, cause cancer and exacerbate asthma.
Formaldehyde is a contaminant that has been categorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a hazardous air pollutant (HAP). It is a colorless, pungent-smelling gas that is found both indoors and outdoors. However, formaldehyde levels are usually higher indoors than outdoors because of the numerous sources within buildings. This could represent a health threat since we spend most of our time inside buildings and formaldehyde has been associated with respiratory problems and cancer.
Lead is basic element, like carbon or oxygen, with the symbol Pb. It is a soft and malleable metal that has been commonly used many years because of its various beneficial properties. While lead has been banned from most construction materials, paints and consumer products, it is still present in older homes that were painted prior 1960 and some homes prior to the 1978 Consumer Product Safety Commission regulation.
Molds, also commonly referred to as mildew and fungi, are neither plants nor animals, but rather organisms that belong to the Kingdom Fungi. Molds found indoors typically belong to one of five groups: Alternaria, Penicillium, Cladosporum, Stachybotrys and Aspergillus.
Nitrogen Oxides, commonly called NOx, are a group of gaseous compounds, all of which contain nitrogen and oxygen in varying amounts. The most common two are nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Outdoors, NOx combines with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to form ozone and smog. Both NO and NO2 are common in outdoor air, which influences indoor concentrations. About 40% of the changes in indoor NOx concentrations are caused by changes in outdoor concentrations. In addition, NOx has common indoor sources that strongly influence indoor concentrations.
Ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms, but it is very different then the oxygen that we breathe, which only has two oxygen atoms. One more atom does not sound all that bad, but it causes a 'two's company, three's a crowd' situation, and entire compound becomes unstable. That one atom is the difference between a healthy gas (air) that our bodies require and a toxic gas (ozone) that is highly reactive, unstable and a major component of smog.
Particles, also known as particulate matter (PM), are a combination of solid particles and liquid droplets that are airborne. The particles can come in a range of sizes and compositions. Ultra fine particles are typically less than one micron (one millionth of a meter) in diameter, requiring a microscope to be seen, while larger particles, such as dust or smoke, can be seen with the naked eye. Particles can be made of one single chemical or many.
A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances that is intended to repel or destroy a pest. Pesticides are classified by the type of organism they are designed to control including herbicides for weeds, fungicides for fungus or mold, microbes for bacteria, or insecticides for insects. Common indoor applications of pesticides control for insects, termites, rodents, fungi, and microbes. Inherent in their design, pesticides are toxic, so it is important that they be handled properly and that human exposure to them be minimized. Exposure to pesticides can occur through accidental ingestion, inhalation, or by absorbtion through the skin.
Phthalates (pronounced thalates) are a group of chemicals that are added to plastic materials to make them soft and flexible. The majority of phthalates produced are used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, but other uses include building materials, floor and wall coverings, cosmetics, automobiles, children's toys, medical supplies, and food packaging.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon can be harmful to your health because it may accumulate in your home by entering through cracks in the basement and foundation. Long-term exposure to radon can be harmful to the health of your family. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Reducing the level of radon in your home is relatively inexpensive.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a diverse group of chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature, and they are capable of evaporating even when they are a part of consumer products used in a home on a daily basis . The Environmental Protection Agency defines VOCs as any compound containing carbon, except for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate, which participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions. Common VOCs found in homes include benzene, toluene, texanol, xylene, and many more.