American Lung Association Health House Program Launches Nationwide Campaign to Help Improve Indoor Air Quality Systems

Indoor air quality systems - The American Lung Association Health House program today launched a nationwide public information campaign to help make the air Americans breathe inside their homes cleaner and healthier. "Fall is a time of year when many of us are preparing our homes for winter," said Steve Klossner, American Lung Association indoor air quality expert. "As we do, we need to consider the quality of the air we'll be breathing at home since most of us spend 90 percent of our time indoors." The indoor air quality campaign includes production of a video that shows simple, inexpensive techniques homeowners can use to improve the air in any home. The video also features comments from Dr. Andrew Limper, director of pulmonary medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Indoor air pollution is a substantial problem," notes Dr. Limper. "The Environmental Protection Agency ranks these problems. It's ranked as one of the top five most serious environmental risks to public health. So it's a very significant problem." The video is being distributed to more than 800 television stations in the United States. It is also available online at http://www.HealthHouse.org .

One of the easiest steps to help improve air quality in any home is to upgrade the filter system for the furnace or air conditioner. "Choose a filter that is pleated and electrostatically charged with a minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV of 10 or higher, or that has the gold American Lung Association Health House logo," Klossner noted, "and don't forget to change it, at least every 90 days." The American Lung Association also recommends Americans use simple home kits to test for radon; place carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area; and prohibit smoking within their homes.

For the first time, homeowners can now also receive customized tips to help improve air quality in their homes by visiting http://www.HealthHouse.org and taking the Clean Air Assessment. Health House is a national program of the American Lung Association developed to improve the indoor air quality sytem in the homes of all Americans through its national demonstration homes, training programs for consumers and builders, and educational partnerships and alliances.

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