Date Published: 01/07/2007 [Source]
W hen the weather outside is frightful, the conditions inside can be pretty scary, too. The health risks of polluted air inside our houses — a year-round concern — can be greater in the winter, health and environmental officials say. Pollutants build up as adults and children spend more time inside with the doors and windows closed.
The accumulation of dust, mold spores, volatile organic compounds, tobacco smoke, radon and carbon monoxide can make the air quality inside a house five to 100 times worse than the air outdoors, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.