air pollution Archives - Page 2 of 3

The Benefits of an Outdoor Workplace

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, EMF, EMR, health, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, informed choice

Outdoor Workplaces

An outdoor workplace may sound odd – perhaps you imagine a landscaper, gardener or builder being people who have outdoor workplaces. But most of us can move our workplaces to the outdoors. It’s easier than you think, and well worth the benefits to health and wellbeing.

Here’s Why Outdoor Workplaces Are So Important

If you’re like a large population of Australians, you likely spend most of your day working in an indoor office setting. According to research from the Australian State of the Environment, the average Australian spends about 90% of their day indoors. For many, this often involves sitting at their desks and staring at computer screens for up to nine hours in a day.

Sitting all day indoors has many health repercussions, including exposure to indoor air pollutants, increased risk of heart conditions, and even sick building syndrome.

Human beings are biologically built to live in changing scenery conditions, which aren’t offered inside buildings. More and more our modern environments are controlled by HVAC systems, artificial lighting and air fresheners.

While adjustments like addressing humidity levels and reducing EMF and following best practices can help, working outdoors is the most effective solution.

Benefits of Outdoor Workplaces

Research shows that exposure to natural sunlight, trees, and outdoor fresh air can positively impact our wellbeing, creativity and performance.

While not all jobs can be conducted outside, a workplace that has things such as outdoor lunches, walking meetings, indoor plants, and allowing remote work can all make a difference in our health. The best workplace will combine both a well-maintained indoor building and the setting of nature.

For those of you who work from home, make sure you take your meal breaks outside, introduce plants into your home office, and open the windows!

To learn more about the benefits of an outdoor workplace, check out this new infographic from BigRentz. From improving your memory to honing your focus, the benefits show the value of taking your work from your desk into the outdoors.

Outdoor Workplaces

Created by BigRentz

Handy Essential Oils

by Lucinda Curran | air fresheners, air pollution, building biology, chemicals, essential oils, fragrances, health, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, perfumes, pests, sleep, VOCs

Handy Essential Oils to Use Around the Home

I wanted to share with you some handy essential oils that you can use with ease.

I don’t like conventional pesticides they are neurotoxins, many of which were developed for use in warfare!

Instead, I like to think about “pests” as a critter in the wrong place. Thus my approach is aversion. I would rather they chose not to be there, than be killed.

What works for cockroaches?

Cockroaches absolutely dislike pennyroyal essential oil.

I am not sure why, I love its minty aroma.

All you need to do to keep them out of cupboards is to put a few drops on a cotton ball and place this in your cupboard.

Essential Oils and Smells

Smells around the home can be unpleasant – but less so than “air fresheners” that add to the particulate matter in the air, and coat everything with a synthetic fragrance.

Whilst my favourite strategies are to:

Remove the source of the odour, and
Open doors and windows and exchange the air.

But sometimes there is a need to help “manage” the smells.

In this instance, I am referring to the bathroom/powder room/toilet. You know what I am getting at… 😉

And for Bathroom Smells?

An essential oil that works wonders for this is tea tree essential oil.

You can make up a small spray bottle with water and a few drops of tea tree and use this as needed.

Obviously, opening doors and windows is always a good option. 🙂

Essential Oils and Sleep

Many people recommend lavender essential oil to assist with sleep.

I don’t.

Ever.

I have heard from many people over the decades which I have used essential oils find that lavender “hypes them up.”

To help get a good nights’ sleep, a good routine is important.

Here’s what I suggest:

No later than 7pm each evening, turn off wi-fi and all devices (including phones and tablets)
After your evening meal, go for a short stroll. In Chinese medicine, it is often recommended to walk 100 steps after dinner
Avoid phone calls and conversations
If you have a lot on your mind, “dump” it onto paper to clear it from your mind
Journal or make your days’ gratitude list
Meditate or pray

What to Use for Sleep?

I think we need to keep our bedrooms as free from anything that the body needs to deal with – and for many of us, we have already had enormous toxicant-exposures through the day.

For this reason, I think it best not to use essential oils.

However, if you are keen to do so, I recommend sweet marjoram and sweet orange.

Chamomile may also be helpful.

Let me know your thoughts.

#essentialoils #handyessentialoils #naturalpesticide #smells #sleep

Carbon Monoxide – Beware This Silent Killer

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, carbon monoxide, death, gases, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health

As winter approaches, it is a great time to be having appliances serviced and checked for problems; as well, ensuring that flues are vented to the exterior and that there are no blockages.

There are many things to be thinking about, and today, I wanted to share this with you to prevent issues, and potentially deaths.

Carbon Monoxide – A Silent Killer

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas. It is deadly.

It is a combustion gas and can easily build up in the home.

Another common contributor is car exhaust.

CO Poisoning: Health Effects and Symptoms

CO has an affinity for haemoglobin and thus it easily disrupts oxygen transportation within the body.

flu-like symptoms
fatigue
headaches
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
confusion and impaired cognitive functioning
tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)

Heath practitioners need to be alert to CO poisoning mimicking influenza – and include this in their differential diagnosis when the whole household is exhibiting these symptoms.

Steps to Prevent CO Poisoning

Have all gas appliances serviced annually and checked for faults and defects
Check the flames – are they blue? Great. Are they yellow/orange? Call your gas company as this is a sign that the gas is nor burning properly.
Only use gas heaters that are flued and vented to the exterior
Use the extractor fan when cooking on a gas stove top
Keep your windows ajar to dilute the indoor air
Avoid idling the car in the garage or near windows
If you have a garage attached to your house, be sure to close the door and seal it well, and never idle the car in the garage
Also, ensure that windows are closed when the car is idled in the driveway
Avoid opening your windows during peak hour traffic (or school pick up and drop off), especially if you live near a busy road

Prevention is Better Than Cure

If you have any concerns, please get in touch.

#carbonmonoxide #gases #environmentalhealth #buildingbiology #gasappliances

Sick Building Syndrome: Is Your Workplace Healthy?

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, chemically sensitive, chemicals, cleaning products, drinking water, ehs, electromagnetic radiation, EMF, environmental sensitivities, health, high frequencies, humidity, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, mobile phone, mold, mould, perfumes, personal care, radiofrequencies, VOCs, water damage

“Sick Building Syndrome” is a term that has been around for a few decades to explain how and why people are affected by their buildings. As a building biologist, I am frequently assessing the health of buildings (whether they are sick or not) and how they may impact upon the health of the occupants – be that at home or at work.

Guest author Jennifer Bennett discusses sick building syndrome in relation to the workplace.

Sick Building Syndrome: Is Your Workplace Healthy?

Does it sometimes seem like everyone in your office is coming down with something?

Are you and your colleagues constantly coughing and sniffling, or complaining of headaches, dizziness and nausea?

Or perhaps you’re just really tired all the time?

And yet, when 5 o’clock rolls around and you’re on your way home, you start to feel a lot better.

You might be thinking that you just hate being at work!

Could it be more..?

However, there may be something other than burnout or a bad bout of the flu to blame.

If you’re experiencing odd symptoms that disappear when you go home, your building may well have a case of Sick Building Syndrome.

This is a somewhat mysterious condition that causes general feelings of ill health in occupants of a building, including headaches, aches and pains, skin irritation, fatigue and shortness of breath.

The precise causes of Sick Building Syndrome haven’t been identified, but the general consensus is that it’s a symptom of environmental problems within a building.

People first started reporting Sick Building Syndrome in the 1970s, when economic pressures and oil embargoes forced architects and engineers to design more airtight office buildings to cut energy costs.

As a direct result, indoor air quality drastically worsened, as polluted air became trapped in buildings rather than being recirculated outside.

Chemical pollutants such as VOCs and biological contaminants such as mould then gradually rose in concentration, resulting in the health problems in employees that we now call Sick Building Syndrome.

Poorly designed ventilation systems also resulted in uncomfortable temperatures and high humidity levels, which can further encourage mould growth.

What is the Impact?

A poor working environment doesn’t just have health implications – it can also have a profound economic impact on businesses.

Sick Building Syndrome drastically reduces productivity, with poor indoor air quality estimated to cost employers around $15 billion a year in worker inefficiency and sick leave.

It’s also been noticed that Sick Building Syndrome is most common in open plan offices, and it’s unlikely to be a coincidence that employees in open plan offices also take on average 62% more sick days than those in cellular offices.

It’s clear that something needs to be done.

This infographic…

Paint Inspection have designed this infographic to tell you everything you need to know about this important topic.

Covering everything from the symptoms and causes, to the costs to businesses and some actionable solutions, we’re sure you’ll leave this blog feeling more equipped to deal with your unhealthy office building!

About the Author

Jennifer Bennett is the Content Writer at Paint Inspection, a UK-based coating inspection and surveying company.

Want to learn more about how you can create a healthier workplace?
Book a call so we can create a plan for you. >>

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Scented Reeds And Candles: My Opinion

by Lucinda Curran | air fresheners, air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, chemicals, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, ingredients, perfumes, scents

What do I think of Scented Reeds and Candles?

Scented reeds and candles – peh! I have thought a lot about scented reeds and candles …and my opinion is very low.

Scented reeds and candles contain a cocktail of chemicals to make the “fragrance.” Many of these ingredients are known or suspected lung irritants (and remember, you are breathing these in) and some also contain suspected carcinogens (meaning that they may cause cancer).

Many candles are made from paraffin – a petrochemical.

Most of them contain wicks that contain lead.

Safer alternatives include:

opening windows to freshen the air instead
using unscented candles or even salt lamps for ambience
source candles that have lead-free wicks (remember, as a consumer, you have power, so ask your favourite companies… you will get the ball of change rolling)
if you tolerate essential oils (and many people don’t) then you can get scented candles that are fragranced with essential oils instead of chemicals
avoid incense
seek out non-GM soy candles – avoid palm oil (environment) and beeswax (for the bees)

For information about air fresheners (and scented reeds and candles do fall into this category, you may like to view this…

As well, there are a number of posts that explain fragrances in more detail:

And of course, if you would like assistance with reducing your exposure to chemicals and other hazards in your home or workplace, let me know.

You can book a call here >>

House Dust Mites are Everywhere

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, dust mites, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health

House Dust Mites (HDM) are Everywhere!

House dust mites are tiny, opaque, feast on skin cells and love to live in mattresses, with their population being three times higher in a mattress as compared to a carpet. They are so small that around 50 HDM can fit onto the head of a pin.

HDM can trigger symptoms for people – interestingly, it is actually the protein in their faeces, not the mite themselves that cause problems.

According to Better Health Channel, HDM can trigger wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, a tight feeling in the chest, runny nose, itchy nose, itchy eyes, itchy skin, skin rashes.

Health

Even in people who aren’t allergic to HDM faeces, their existing asthma may be exacerbated and they can experience chronic bronchial hyper-reactivity.

For those affected, this can be a year-long problem (that is, it isn’t seasonal), symptoms are worse at night or upon waking, symptoms may be relieved when humidity is lower.

What They Need to Thrive

HDM are unable to drink – so they rely on a humid or moist environment to keep them hydrated. They need the relative humidity to be over 40%.

They need a warm environment and thrive when temperatures remain at or above 24^oC.

Food in the form of animal and human skin cells, pollens, microbes.

They love mattresses for all of these reasons, they are warm, moist and full of skin cells (food).

10 tips for managing house dust mites (HDM):

Keep your home clean – use damp microfibre cloths and water to collect dust, not just move it from surface to surface
Pull back the covers on your bed each day and allow it to air and dry out
Vacuum your mattress regularly to reduce the HDM population
Mop your home using a microfibre mop to collect dust
Consider silk bedding – HDM don’t like anything excreted by other insects
Consider HDM-resistant bedding – fabric that is tightly woven, and thus the HDM can’t fit through them
Wash bedding (sheets and pillow cases) as well as night clothes weekly
Replace mattresses every 10 years
Maintain relative humidity to between 40-60% – and a dehumidifier can be key in this process
Use vacuum-storage bags to store clothes (ones that are vacuumed to keep compress them

If you want to learn more about creating a healthier home,
then join us in Detox Your Environment Inner Circle. >>

Home is the Most Important Place

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, babies, building biology, buildings and health, chemicals, cleaning products, diet and lifestyle, drinking water, dust mites, electromagnetic radiation, EMF, family, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, lead, mold, mould, perfumes, personal care products, radiofrequencies, smart meters, VOCs, water

Home is the most important place. It is our castle.

Home is our safety haven, our sacred space, our island in the midst of the world.

For many of us, the world can be a bit full-on. The onslaught of fragrances, noise, wi-fi, people, lights… it can be overwhelming at times.

Also, most of these things are out of our control.

The best thing to do is to have a healing, safe, and nourishing home to come back to.

A virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessment Can Short-Cut Your Route to a Healthy Nurturing Space

By assessing your home with great care, and attention to detail, we can shortcut the agonising searching for information and hazards.

Whether it be:

electromagnetic fields
phone towers
neighbours wi-fi
the smart meter
air pollutants
indoor air quality
volatile organic compounds
lead and other heavy metals
drinking water contaminants
mould and water damage
personal care and cleaning products
and more!

By assessing your home, I can determine the hazards, the potential problems AND provide you with solutions.

Many of my clients experience not only peace of mind, but improved health after implementing the recommendations.

They know that they have made their home safe for their families.

Get in touch so we can arrange your assessment.

Indoor Air Contaminants – The 3 Most Commonly Overlooked

by Lucinda Curran | air fresheners, air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, environmental sensitivities, health, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, perfumes, personal care products, VOCs

Indoor Air Contaminants – Discover Which 3 Are Most Commonly Overlooked

Indoor air contaminants are largely ignored – even though the indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than the outdoor air.

DID YOU KNOW..?

Air is one of our most basic needs, yet it is often not as clean as it should be.

When people think about air pollution, they usually think about traffic-related air pollution. “Smog.”

In early 2020, many Australians also considered smoke due to the horrendous fires that we started the year with.

This is all pretty much about outdoor air (ambient air).

However, very few people consider indoor air – contaminants, quality and so on.

When you consider your indoor air, what springs to your mind first?

Is it the bathroom, when someone has used the toilet?
Is it the rubbish bin?
Or maybe it is the gym bag full of sweat-laden clothes and shoes.

There are more indoor air contaminants that what readily spring to mind.

I made this short video to help you understand more about this topic, and also to shine a light on the three most overlooked ones.

I encourage you to read more about our indoor air. Here are some posts that may pique your interest:

If you'd like my advice, then book a call with me.

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