Hazards at Home

By Reed Karaim

Is the environment—your home environment—hazardous to your health? With new research continuing to show that unhealthy substances found in everyday products often pose higher risks for certain segments of the population, it’s a question becoming more important for older Americans.

3 Ways to Build Green Protecting yourself from environmental hazards can start with the home itself. The “building green” movement, best known for embracing sustainable materials and designs promoting high energy efficiency, also focuses on creating healthy dwellings, a concept used increasingly in the construction of senior housing. “Providers are finding that young seniors are increasingly asking them how ‘green’ their projects are,” says Mark Hanson, director of sustainable services for Hoffman LLC, a planning, design and construction firm in Appleton, Wis. Principles behind green construction include: Materials: A variety of materials that avoid potentially hazardous chemicals are now available. Experienced green builders can help you choose what makes sense for your construction or remodeling project. Better air circulation:  Proper venting, filtering and air circulation prevent stale air from building up in a home. In remodeling, says Hanson, fans that move air completely out of kitchens and bathrooms are important. Maximizing natural light:  This is a plus both for energy efficiency—well-placed, properly insulated windows provide passive solar heating—and for health reasons. Getting enough natural light can help your body set its circadian rhythms.  —RK 4 Air Fresheners Indoor plants: Place at least two tropical houseplants per 12-by-12-foot area to absorb airborne toxicants, including formaldehyde. Air-purifying plants such as areca and lady palms, bamboo, ferns and spider plants ideally should be placed close to your bed, favorite chair or other “breathing zone.” Air purifiers: Whole-house air-cleaning systems with good filtration do a better job than stand-alone, portable room purifiers, says John Spengler, an environmental health researcher at Harvard. For even cleaner air, he recommends locating the newer air-to-air heat exchangers—either built in or as window units—in the bedroom, living room or wherever people spend most of their time. Open windows: Opening windows and doors for about 10 minutes each day—with the heat or air conditioning turned off—will help circulate away indoor pollutants, says Catherine Zandonella, who writes about environmental health for the Green Guide. It’s best to open all doors and windows at once for maximum cross-ventilation. Air out new purchases: “Televisions, computers and laminate or particleboard furniture give off hundreds of chemicals, and the newer they are, the more out-gassing you get,” says Bill Wolverton, president of Wolverton Environmental Services in Picayune, Miss. “Before you bring these items inside your house, remove all wrappings and let them sit outdoors or in your garage for a few days to reduce your exposure to these vapors.” —Sid Kirchheimer 5 Natural Pest Repellents Here are safer alternatives to commercial pesticides: Ants: Sprinkle cinnamon, bay leaves, cayenne pepper or baby powder in problem areas and along baseboards and windowsills. Cockroaches: Sprinkle equal parts of baking soda and confectioners’ sugar in problem areas. Mice: Place cotton dipped in peppermint oil near problem areas. Used kitty litter is another repellent. Mosquitoes: Mix 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water placed on your deck or balcony or dab lavender oil on your wrists and elbows. Flies: Small sachets of crushed mint placed around the home will discourage flies. So will a potted sweet basil plant. —Sid Kirchheimer

With good reason. Longer life spans may increase the chances that cumulative exposure will cause illnesses with long latency periods, such as cancer or Parkinson’s disease, to develop. And older people are more likely to have conditions—such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes—that can dramatically reduce their ability to withstand exposure to environmental hazards.

But a recent study suggests that one characteristic of older Americans—a high degree of environmental awareness—may help reduce their exposure to toxic hazards and therefore decrease the risks they face. According to an AARP Services survey released in December, almost 70 percent of Americans who are boomers or older say they feel a sense of responsibility to make the world a better place. And respondents who said they were likely to buy brands that are environmentally safe rose from 50 percent of the youngest boomers to 65 percent of those age 72-plus.

The stakes are high. Older people tend to process and eliminate toxicants from their bodies more slowly than younger people. And “as we age, we become less efficient at detoxification—the slowing down of kidney, liver and immune system functioning all play a role. In this, older people are more like infants and children in their ability to fend off toxic assaults,” says Sandra Steingraber, the author of Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment.

Still, ferreting out potentially hazardous substances can be a challenge. “We’re not suggesting that you do away with all these things immediately,” says Paul McRandle, deputy editor at the National Geographic Green Guide. Here are products to watch out for and ways you can reduce risk.

Paint and solvents: If paint and paint solvents, such as mineral spirits, turpentine, methanol or xylene, are used improperly, their fumes can stress your lungs and heart, contributing to irregular heartbeat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Aging Initiative. That’s because many of these products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Check the label: Alkyd- and oil-based paints generally have higher levels than latex and water-based paints; many stores now carry VOC-free paints. Old containers of hazardous products can leak chemicals into the air over time, which can build up in enclosed areas. Use and store products in well-ventilated areas.

Cleaners: Chemicals to avoid in cleaners, says McRandle, “run from ammonia, which is known to trigger asthma, elements in chlorine bleach, which is a lung irritant and will kill you if you swallow it, to things like glycol ethers, which are used to dissolve grime and dirt, and are easily absorbed by the skin and can cause nerve damage.” Protect your skin by wearing rubber gloves and your lungs by ventilating your work area or wearing a mask. For a less toxic cleaner, try hydrogen peroxide, baking soda or white vinegar.

Pesticides: Studies have suggested there may be a connection between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease. Some people may have a genetic susceptibility to the substance that later triggers the disease. In addition, pesticides can be dangerous for those with weakened hearts or lungs, the EPA warns, leading to arrhythmia or even heart attack.

Clothing: Although clothing labels aren’t required to list chemicals used in finishes, many permanent press fabrics and some older water-repellent and flame-retardant fabrics contain formaldehyde, an upper-respiratory irritant. “In general you are better off looking for untreated clothing made of more natural fibers like cotton,” McRandle says.

Furniture/draperies/carpet pads/stuffing: Before 2000 the Scotchgard anti-stain treatments on some furniture and draperies used to include  chemical compounds that were potential carcinogens. In 2000, Scotchgard revised its formula to use compounds considered safer.

Another potentially hazardous treatment can be found in some carpet pads and older stuffing in furniture and mattresses. There is evidence suggesting polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used as flame retardants in these products, can affect the thyroid gland and the nervous and reproductive systems. “We don’t advise that people throw out all their old furniture,” McRandle says. “But we do recommend that you seal up that rip in an old couch.”

Nonstick cooking pans: Nonstick surfaces aren’t generally considered a risk at normal cooking temperatures, but some can release 15 different toxic chemicals, including two carcinogens, if left unattended on a burner, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research group in Washington.

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Resources
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Aging Initiative (www.epa.gov/aging/) offers information on a variety of household and environmental hazards for older Americans.

The Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com) includes articles reviewing potentially dangerous chemicals found in household items and the steps consumers can take to deal with them.

The Green Seal program (www.greenseal.org/) provides certification standards for environmentally safe products.

To find a collection site for disposing of hazardous household products, visit earth911.org.

Russert's death gives some fellow boomers a scare

NEW YORK (AP) — Like many men his age, Gregory Ameo, 53, struggles with high blood pressure and cholesterol. He hates pills, but accepts them grudgingly. He eats better than he used to and takes walks for exercise. He takes fish oil and garlic, in case they might help with the cholesterol.

But when Ameo heard of Tim Russert's death last week from a sudden heart attack at 58, it sent a shudder down his spine, and not just because he's a longtime viewer of "Meet the Press." If it could happen to the youthful-looking Russert, he figured, it could happen to anyone — and of course to him.

News of any death often forces at least a glimmer of one's own mortality. But for baby boomers like Ameo, this death has been particularly alarming. Many have called their physicians with concerns, or brought it up with their therapists.

It's not just that it seemed so sudden, even though it quickly emerged that Russert was being treated for coronary artery disease. It's that in an age where 60 is the new 50 and 50 is the new 40, this death reminded many that when it comes to your health, 58 is, well, 58.

"Boy, look at this," Ameo, a retired transit worker, remembers thinking when he heard the news. "Suddenly he's gone, and I'm basically the same age. With my cholesterol, I sometimes thought, eh, I'll get it down. And you put it off. Something like this brings it to the front burner."

His doctor has been hearing the same from a number of patients. "We all have this feeling of immortality in our 20s to our 40s, even our 50s," says Dr. Gary Rogg, an internist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "You look in the mirror and you think, I feel good, I feel fine. I'm not the one who's going to get the heart attack."

"And then," he says, "people look at Mr. Russert, who had access to anything and anyone, and also was being treated for his coronary artery disease. And he dies. The fear factor comes into play. Can it happen to me? Will it?"

Inquiries have been coming in from regular patients and new ones, too, says Dr. Rogg, with questions about cholesterol, blood pressure and the like. Most have been from men; Women tend to call about their spouses.

But women should be concerned about themselves, too — heart disease is the number one killer of women in this country. Raising awareness of that, and of the risks to both men and women, is a constant struggle, doctors say. So Russert's death, tragic as it was, may serve to educate.

"When this happens to someone at the peak of popularity in their professional life, it really gets people's attention," says Dr. Sidney Smith, a cardiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "If anything good can come out of this, it's that people will be more aware and take steps to decrease their risk."

Like Dr. Rogg, the New York internist, Dr. Smith's practice has sensed the anxiety surrounding Russert's death. "We're seeing a lot of inquiries," he says. "People are saying, 'How do I know this won't be me?'"

Such concerns have come up in psychotherapy, too. "I think anyone — including psychiatrists — who's the same age or within a stone's throw can identify with this situation," says Dr. Bruce Levin, a psychiatrist in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. "Certainly it's a kind of wakeup call to our mortality."

Some patients, says Dr. Levin, are also thinking about how they might be working too hard, at the expense of their health. They may fear they'll be punished for that. "It stirs up and stimulates their own conflicts," he says.

Particularly jarring to many people is that Russert looked so vigorous. "Tim has spurred a great deal of interest because he looked young, vibrant and healthy," says Dr. Douglas Zipes, professor at Indiana University and a former president of the American College of Cardiology. "The age of 58 is young today, but it's not young for this kind of event. Sad as it is, it's not that uncommon."

That's certainly caught the attention of Doyle Murphy, who happens to be 58 himself, and has cholesterol problems. The high school athletic director from Henderson, Tenn., does a lot of walking during the day, but not enough serious exercise. That came back to haunt him when he heard about Russert.

"I thought, this guy, with all the medical care he has access to — it really concerned me," says Murphy. A day or two after the news, he thought he was having his own heart attack while working on his boat. Turned out he wasn't, but he went to his doctor and peppered him with questions.

He got the answers he expected. "He said I"ll have to watch what I eat and exercise some," says Murphy. "I'm thinking about doing that."

Some people are seeing Russert's death as a reminder not just to take better care of their health, but to approach life a little more serenely. Richard Budden, the 61-year-old manager of a real estate office in Chestertown, Md., identifies with the broadcaster's breakneck work pace at NBC. "He worked really hard, and I do, too," says Budden. "Maybe I should take a deep breath. Maybe that third cup of coffee isn't such a great idea."

For Budden, who has a family history of heart disease and has high blood pressure and cholesterol, the health wakeup call already came years ago. He sees Russert's death as a somewhat different type of alarm.

"Wow, this isn't practice right now," he says he thought to himself recently. "This is real life. Better live it."