Your Air is Killing You: 3 Steps for Reducing Your Daily Toxic Exposure

What is the fastest way to be exposed to chemicals? Breathing. Each time we inhale, we introduce a variety of potentially harmful chemicals (gases, vapors) and particles (solids) into our upper and lower airways, which can lead to a number of short- and long-term health issues. For this reason, whenever I advise people on how to limit their exposure to toxins, I lead with air quality. Particularly, indoor air quality -- not just because this is where we spend the vast majority of our time, but because it's also an environment over which we actually have some control. We spend approximately 80 percent of our time indoors on average, yet we often fail to properly maintain the air in those spaces -- and to make matters worse, many of the products we use each day contaminate our breathable air even more.

Let's stop using our respiratory systems as chemical scrubbers and start taking the right steps towards protecting our health by improving our air. Here's how:

Elimination. Reducing your daily chemical intake begins by knowing the main sources for exposure, and eliminating (or at the very least, limiting) your interaction with potentially harmful products and materials. Toxic chemicals evaporate, or "off-gas," at a constant rate from sealants, adhesives, pressed wood flooring, paint, fabrics and other materials we use to construct and furnish our homes and offices. The worst of these airborne chemicals is formaldehyde, which is classified by the World Health Organization as a human carcinogen and is present in virtually every indoor space. Exposure to formaldehyde is unsafe at any level, and in addition to cancer, can lead to respiratory problems and many other chronic illnesses.

Beyond building materials, formaldehyde also off-gasses from many treated fabrics -- especially flame retardant clothing and bedding -- scented candles, cosmetics, air fresheners and chemical cleaning products. Many of these common household products also contain a variety of hazardous solvents known as volatile organic chemicals, or VOCs, which can affect the liver, kidneys and central nervous system when inhaled. So, first and foremost, I recommend replacing as many chemical-containing products and materials as possible with natural ones, and isolating any remaining chemical-containing products in a tightly sealed bin to prevent their fumes from slowly leeching into your air.

[See: 8 Surprising Facts About Asthma and Seasonal Allergies.]

Maintenance. Maintaining your HVAC system is critical to good indoor air quality. An unbalanced HVAC system can cause your house to "sweat" and produce an excess of condensation that collects in and around your air registers. Condensation leads to mold, and elevated mold concentrations can lead to allergy-like symptoms, or even worse, neurological and respiratory illness.

For this reason, it's critical to not only change your air HVAC filters on time, but to have your HVAC system and air ducts professionally inspected once a year for fungal contamination. If they are infected, they must be replaced, as no amount of cleaning will fix mold-contaminated duct-work. Neglect is a leading cause of poor air quality, so the bottom line is that you must maintain your HVAC system or window units if you have them.

[See: 7 Lifestyle Tips to Manage Your Asthma.]

Technology. Using (and maintaining) a high-quality air purification system at home and at work is one of the most effective steps you can take to improve your air quality. Today's plug-and-go air purifying units are technological marvels that can detect, trap and remove harmful chemicals and particulates like dust, pollen, dander, mold, and viruses from your breathable air.

The fact is, we're bombarded with an array of harmful airborne contaminants each day. And while we cannot control the air quality everywhere, we can significantly reduce our daily dosage at home and at work -- where we spend the majority of our time -- by learning to identify and limit our contact with potential sources for exposure, and by properly utilizing technology to eliminate the rest.

[See: How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season.]

Dr. Noreen Khan-Mayberry, otherwise known as "The Tox Doc," is a leading environmental toxicologist, No. 1 best-selling author of "Talking Toxicology," and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Clinical Toxicology. With more than 20 years of specialized experience in petrochemistry, microbiology, chemistry and toxicology, Dr. Noreen, also the Chief Toxicologist for NKM Environmental Health Sciences, made history as the world's first female NASA* space toxicologist, where she works to prevent chemical contaminants from affecting the health of astronauts during spaceflight operations. Here on earth, Dr. Noreen has dedicated her life to translating the language of science to generate public awareness about critical environmental issues that impact human health. Connect with her on Twitter at @DrNoreen.