Von Löwen Designs

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified indoor air quality as one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health. Yet a survey commissioned on behalf of the American Lung Association Health House program recently found that many of those questioned are not aware the potential dangers associated with poor indoor air or any steps or measures they can take to improve the air quality in their home.

· More than 50 percent of Americans are not aware that poor indoor air quality is one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health. And nearly 25 percent of Americans are not concerned about the air quality in their homes and the impact it can have on their family’s health.

· Less than 20 percent of Americans believe that the air inside their homes is more polluted than the air outdoors. However, the Environmental Protection Agency states that levels of air pollution inside the home can be two to five times higher – and occasionally up to 100 times higher – than outdoor levels.

· More than 70 percent of Americans have forced air heating and/or central air in their homes. Yet nearly 50 percent do not change the filter in their heating/air conditioning unit every 2 to 3 months as recommended. And 10 percent have never replaced the filter in their heating/air conditioning unit.

· Only about 11 percent of Americans purchase high efficiency furnace filters, despite the fact that high efficiency filters can be more effective than standard fiberglass filters in capturing pollen, pet dander, smoke and other potentially harmful microparticles.

· More than 50 percent of Americans are not aware that forced air heating and air conditioning units should be inspected annually by a professional. And more than 30 percent of Americans have never had their forced air heating or air conditioning units inspected.

· Nearly 75 percent of Americans live with someone who has allergies, asthma, emphysema or another respiratory illness.

· Only 27 percent of Americans have carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.

· Over half of the United States population lives in areas which have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.

· It’s estimated that 81 million Americans live in areas with unhealthful short-term levels of particle pollution and 66 million live in areas with chronically unhealthful levels of particle pollution.

· Air pollution found in large and mid-size U.S. cities increases the risk of premature death from lung cancer and heart disease.

· Air pollution contributes to lung disease, which claims close to 341,500 lives in America every year and is the third-leading cause of death in the United States.

· It is estimated that 10.5 million Americans had an asthma attack in 1999. More than a third of them (at least 3.5 million) were children under the age of 18.

· Asthma, which can be triggered by either indoor or outdoor air pollution, annually accounts for an estimated three million lost workdays for adults and 10.1 million lost school days in children. Asthma costs our nation $12.7 billion in health care costs annually.

· Approximately 160 million Americans are breathing unhealthy air – children and seniors are the age groups most at risk:

o 29 million of these Americans are under the age of 14.
o 15 million are over the age of 65.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.