Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon Health Authority logo

Indoor Air Quality

The air inside your home, school, and workplace plays a critical role in your health. Poor indoor air quality can cause short-term issues like eye/nose irritation, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, along with serious long-term risks including respiratory conditions like asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In Oregon, regulation of indoor air pollutants varies by setting and situation. Most indoor air pollutants in the home are not regulated. Click below to learn more about each indoor air quality topic.

Air cleaners.svg​Air Cleaners and Air Filters​

Most of us spend approximately 90% of our time indoors and indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Poor indoor air quality caused by smoking, cooking, cleaning products, pet dander, and beauty products can cause or contribute to chronic lung diseases, headaches, fatigue, and eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Recommended Actions

  • Preventing or limiting sources of indoor air pollution promotes good indoor air quality. If this is not possible, air cleaners and air filters can improve indoor air quality by removing harmful particles from the air.
  • Inexpensive materials such as a box fan, duct tape, and a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 filter can be used to create your own DIY air filter.

Resources

Aasbestos 2.0.svgAsbestos​

Asbestos  is a naturally occurring mineral that was used extensively in many construction materials in the U.S. Residential buildings may contain asbestos in their walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, siding, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, insulation, pipes and more. When asbestos-containing material is disturbed, tiny hazardous fibers are released into the air that can cause lung cancer and other illnesses.

Recommended Actions

  • Materials containing asbestos that are undisturbed or not deteriorated in any way do not generally pose a health risk and should be left alone.

  • If you are concerned that you may be exposed to asbestos in your home, you can contact the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to find out more. 

Resources

  • DEQ regulates the handling, removal, and disposal of asbestos-containing material to protect public health and the environment. ​​​​​
  • Asbestos and Your Health - ​the Agency ​for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.​

carbon monoxide2.0.svg​​Carbon Monoxide​

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, toxic gas that is produced when any fuel, including gas, wood, oil, charcoal, or kerosene, is burned. Furnaces, stoves, water heaters, fireplaces, and generators are sources of carbon monoxide in the home. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are described as similar to symptoms of the flu, and include headaches, weakness, chest pain, confusion, upset stomach, and vomiting.

Recommended Actions

  • The only way to know you are being exposed to carbon monoxide is by using a carbon monoxide alarm. 
  • Change the batteries for your carbon monoxide alarm at least once a year or whenever they are chirping to signal a low battery. ​
  • Do not ignore if a carbon monoxide alarm is going off. Immediately move outside to fresh air; call 9-1-1, the gas company, or the fire department; make sure all residents in your home are accounted for; and do not reenter the premises until emergency responders have said it is okay to do so. ​

Resources

Fire.svg​Gas Stoves

Gas burning stoves release pollutants including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, methane, and particulate matter into the air. The risk to someone's health from gas stove use varies greatly but can depend on factors such as age, lifestyle, underlying conditions, the amount of air pollution, and the length of exposure.

​Recommended Actions

  • ​Use range hoods that vent outside to increase circulation in the home. 
  • If this is not an option, open windows and run fans when using a gas stove.

Resources

Lead.svg Lead​

Lead is a naturally o​ccurring element found in the Earth's crust that can cause negative health effects. Children and pregnant people are most at risk for lead poisoning, and symptoms include damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, seizures, headaches, and reproductive problems. The most common causes of lead poisoning are ingesting lead paint chips, inhaling lead dust, and/or drinking contaminated water.

Recommended Action

  • OHA recommends that all children should be assessed for risk of lead poisoning through administration of the Oregon Lead Risk Assessment Questionnaire.  
  • ​If your home was built before 1978, it may have been painted with lead-based paint. Get your home checked for lead hazards by hiring a professional ​to conduct an inspection. 

Resources

  • The Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at OHA provides resources on lead safe remodeling and repainting practices, enforces state regulations, oversees professional training and certification, provides resources on childhood lead poisoning, and responds to concerns about lead and its effect on public health. ​​

Mold.svg​Mold​​

Mold spores are a natural part of the environment and are common both indoors and outdoors. An overgrowth of mold indoors can cause allergic symptoms in sensitive individuals including children, older adults, and those with existing respiratory illnesses. Symptoms may include watery eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion, itching, headache, dizziness, and fatigue.

Recommended Actions

  • There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
  • Key steps to take to prevent mold include increasing ventilation in the home, fixing water leaks, cleaning up and completely drying out flooded areas, and keeping indoor humidity low.

Resources

  • While OHA does not regulate mold concerns, OHA has a library of resources that include but are not limited to mold clean up and tenant rights. ​

Outdoor.svg​Outdoor Air Pollution​

Air pollution is a mix of hazardous substances from natural and human-made sources. Air pollution can pose a risk for everyone, but especially for children, pregnant people, older adults, those who live or work outdoors, and those with existing lung or heart conditions. Breast cancer, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and premature death are just some of the health effects that have been shown to result from exposure to air pollution.   

Recommended Actions

  • ​Click here to get Air Quality Index (AQI) updates and learn more about today's outdoor air quality.

Resources

Pesticide.svg​Pesticide Exposure​​​

A pesticide is any substance used to destroy, prevent, repel, or mitigate pests. They are available in various formulations — including aerosol foggers, granules, gels, and sprays — and are commonly used to control bed bugs, fleas, roaches, spiders, and other pests in residential, commercial, and similar settings. Short team health concerns connected to pesticide use can include nausea, rashes, and eye, throat, and nose irritation, while long term health effects include various cancers and damage to the lungs.

Recommended Actions

  • If you have immediate concerns about potential pesticide poisoning, call the Oregon Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Resources

  • ​The Pesticide Exposure, Safety and Tracking (PEST) Program at OHA tracks and investigates acute health effects reported by people exposed to pesticides.  ​​​​
  • The Oregon Department of Agriculture's Pesticides and Fertilizer programs are charged with enforcing State and Federal regulations regarding the licensing, distribution, and use of pesticide and fertilizer products.  
  • IPM Tools to Manage Pests at Home - the Oregon Integrative Pest Management Center.​

​Carbon monoxide.svgRadon​

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that you can't see, smell, or taste. The natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water produces radon. Radon can build up to dangerous levels inside homes. Exposure to high radon levels over a long period of time can increase your risk of lung cancer.

Recommended Actions

  • Testing your home for radon is easy and the first step to reducing high radon exposure.
  • You can get short-term tests or long-term tests at your local hardware store or ordered online through organizations like the American Lung Association of Oregon.

Resources

  • The Oregon Radon Awareness Program educates the public on health hazards of radon gas, promotes radon testing and mitigation, and encourages radon-resistant new construction throughout the state. ​

School.svg​School Indoor Air Quality​

Good air quality in schools is crucial because it directly boosts student health, concentration, and academic performance while reducing absenteeism for both students and staff, preventing respiratory issues like asthma, and improving overall learning environments by lowering pollutants like carbon dioxide and allergens. Poor air quality can lead to headaches, fatigue, more sick days, lower test scores, and increased teacher turnover, making healthy indoor air vital for achieving educational goals. 

Recommended Actions

  • Each school district, charter school, and Education Service District in Oregon is required to have a Healthy and Safe Schools Plan (HASS) that gives an overview of how they are addressing environmental hazards and plans to test for lead in water, manage lead in paint, manage asbestos, test for radon, comply with state requirements for carbon monoxide detection, and comply with state integrated pest management practices.
  • ​Check your student's HASS plan posted on their school or school district's website.

Resources​

Radon.svg​​Secondhand Tobacco Smoke​

Indoor air pollution from tobacco smoke poses a significant burden to smokers and nonsmokers alike. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke so even brief exposure can be harmful. Secondhand smoke exposure can result in stroke, lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and adverse reproductive health effects. 

Recommended Actions

  • ​If you are interested in quitting smoking, you can contact the Quit Line at: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).​​
  • Avoid smoking cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes (vapes) indoors to avoid exposing anyone else in the home to secondhand smoke.

Resources

  • Oregon's Indoor Clean Air Act (ICAA) protects nearly every Oregonian from the health risks of secondhand smoke. To report a violation of the ICAA, click here.

Wildfire.svg​Wildfire and Urban Wildfire Smoke​

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of hazardous materials including nitrogen dioxide, lead, ozone, and/or particulate matter. Children, pregnant people, older adults, those who live or work outdoors, people from low-income backgrounds, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions are at an increased risk of smoke impact. Health effects of wildfire smoke include irritated eyes, asthma attacks, wheezing, chest pain, trouble breathing, coughing, headaches, tiredness, and worsening symptoms for those with chronic heart and/or lung conditions. 

Recommended Actions

  • Preparing for a wildfire smoke event before one occurs is key.
  • Purchasing an air filter or making a DIY air filter, having N95 masks on hand, and weatherizing your home are all ways you can help prepare for future wildfire smoke events.
  • Check AQI (see Outdoor Air Pollution above).

Resources

  • OHA has an extensive library of information and resources on reducing health effects during a wildfire smoke event for all different types of populations.