Energy efficiency doesn’t necessarily mean your house is green. It has to ensure the health of the people living there. This is the last of a four part series that explores just how unhealthy many North Americans’ homes are because of indoor air quality and what you can do to improve this growing pollution problem.

The ultimate solution for improved indoor air quality (IAQ) in today’s homes is much like another hot-button issue, global warming, where science and politics are often at odds.

The World Health Organization has corralled enough evidence over the years from building, health and social scientists around the world to suggest our indoor environments contribute directly and immediately to one’s physical and mental health.

In order to improve standard IAQ qualifications and overall environments of new and existing homes, cooperation is essential, roles need to be redefined within the industry and our houses need to be treated as living systems, said Robert Bean with healthyheating.com.

“Heating, ventilation and air conditioning, along with interior design, should be redefined as part of the health care industry and removed from the grasp of a construction business, which is primarily regulated by how it puts parts together instead of how it influences the physical and mental health of the occupant,” he said.

The majority of the population has sufficiently strong defense to deal with most indoor environments, but based on the recent discoveries in epigenetic research, it seems scientists do not know conclusively what the long-term effects are of poor indoor ventilation and air quality.

“The health care profession was talking about these issues hundreds of years ago and still the battle continues,” said Bean. “It reminds me of these words from William McDonough, FAIA in his Being Less Bad Is Not Being Good presentation: ‘We need to realize that it took us 5,000 years to put wheels on our luggage. We’re not that smart’.”

Unfortunately for the average homeowner, minimum ventilation standards is not the sole IAQ solution, since diluation of indoor air with outdoor air will not rid their home from the invasion of chemicals, toxins and contaminates.

“IAQ requires a team effort involving government, developers and building professionals and related trades under guidance from the health care industry,” said Bean. “It means a homeowner orientation before they get the keys to the new home including a cookbook description of the homes ingredients and how to manage these potential problems.”

Next year, Canada’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Housing program is expected to make a splash and will provide some motivation for the changes needed.

For the time being, for the average homeowner improving IAQ starts with identifying the problem.

Most health effects are useful indicators on IAQ problems, especially if they appear after a person moves into a new residence, remodels or refurnishes a home or treats a home with pesticides.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends discussing any symptoms with your doctor or local health department to see if they are caused by the IAQ of the home.

Additionally, seeking consultation from a board-certified allergist or an occupational medicine specialist is also recommended.

Usually the most effective way to improve IAQ is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions, says the EPA.

Some sources, like those containing asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions.

In many cases, source control is also a more cost-efficient approach to protecting indoor air quality than increasing ventilation because increasing ventilation can increase energy costs.

Specific sources of indoor air pollution in your home are listed later in this section.

Another approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors.

Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house.

Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open increases the outdoor ventilation rat

Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase the outdoor air ventilation rate.

It is particularly important to take as many of these steps as possible while you are involved in short-term activities that can generate high levels of pollutants.

For example, painting, paint stripping, heating with kerosene heaters, cooking, or engaging in maintenance and hobby activities such as welding, soldering, or sanding.

Lastly, homeowners can also purchase an air cleaning unit in an effort to improve IAQ.

There are many types and sizes of air cleaners on the market, ranging from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems.

Some air cleaners are highly effective at particle removal, while others, including most table-top models, are much less so.

Air cleaners are generally not designed to remove gaseous pollutants. However, for most indoor air quality problems in the home, source control is the most effective solution, said the EPA.

For those seeking more information, southern Alberta is home to some of North America’s best IAQ specialists like U of C educator and practitioner, Professor Tang Lee or Canmore based Karen Rollins, an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer.

Dr. Lee offers through the university’s Continuing Education program, certificate courses for those who want this specialized knowledge.

In addition, The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada will also be launching their IAQ Awareness Course in Alberta and across the provinces for mechanical and related building professionals in the spring/summer of 2008.

According to Bean, there is almost too much information available on the topic however, for those who want to dig deeper he suggests reading, “The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities” by Margaret E. Sears, written for The Canadian Human Rights Commission in May 2007.

—Dan Leahul is the Calgary Real Estate News resident reporter.