Dust Dangers: What Exactly is Dust and Why Can it be so Dangerous?

Most people don't think about it when they don't see it. It's only when it starts to coat every countertop, every crevice, every surface in your home -- even though you just got rid of it a couple of days earlier -- that it really gets to you.

It's dust. Yes, it's inconvenient. It may make you sneeze, and most of us are familiar with the common allergen, dust mites. But did you know that the dust in your home could actually contain toxic compounds? Things like flame retardants and toxins from cigarette smoke are just a few examples of the chemicals that could be in your household dust.

What is Dust, Anyway?
Dust is the collective term used to describe the wide variety of organic and inorganic particles that collect in our homes. Here's an unpleasant thought: Most dust is made up of dead skin cells. That's why the areas of your home that are used most often also tend to have the most dust. (Dust mites like to eat these skin cells.) Dust on mattresses, bedding and sofas will contain a particularly large amount of skin cells.

How is Dust Dangerous?
When you walk around or vacuum, dust particles are stirred up into the air. Along with them come a slew of potentially toxic chemicals and other unsavory items like rodent waste and insect parts. You may then breathe in these particles or absorb them through your skin once they settle back down onto a surface you touch.

This is especially concerning if you have small children or infants. Children who crawl and put their fingers in their mouth can ingest 10 grams of dust per day. And, since they're smaller than adults and their systems are still developing, they are at a higher risk from these contaminants.

Allergies, asthma, itchy eyes, coughing and runny noses aside, the specific health effects of house dust depend on which contaminants are in the dust, as well as the levels and how long you have been exposed. In the case of flame retardants (PBDEs), for example, which one U.S. study found were present in every home they tested, they could affect brain development and reproductive hormones. And if you think simply inhaling dust isn't enough of an exposure, the researchers found that two-thirds of the PBDEs present in adults' bodies seem to be coming from household dust. In the case of infants, some 90 percent of their PBDE body level came from house dust.

Solutions For Mold Cleaning and Prevention start in the basement.

Over 60 percent of homes have a damp basement. High humidity causes molds and mildew, damages furnishings, may damage the structure itself, and is hazardous to people’s health. A damp basement may buckle wood flooring on the first floor. Moist insulation does not work well and moist air is more costly to heat or air condition. A damp basement will also increase your heating and air-conditioning bills.

What is that damp basement feeling?

• Your basement just feels damp,
• Cardboard boxes placed on the floor get moist and moldy,
• The concrete is all wet when you lift a rubber-backed carpet,
• You smell musty odors, the telltale sign of molds,
• You see efflorescence (“white powder”), the telltale sign of water seepage 

Then, you have a damp basement! And you better fix it before it causes serious damage.
The source of your problem could be a water leak or high humidity. Both can lead to mold, mildew, or other biological growth. Depending on the severity, conditions can lead to rot, structural damage, premature paint failure, and a variety of health problems. Water can seep into your house from the outside through a leak in the foundation or through small gaps around windows or doors. A damp basement is commonly caused by moisture migrating through a concrete foundation.

There may not be a sign of any leak or standing water, but the moisture evaporates, increasing indoor humidity. Another common cause is condensation on the cold concrete walls and floors during humid months.

Do you have a crawlspace under your house? A dirt floor in a crawlspace should be covered with plastic (vapor barrier) to prevent moisture from the soil increasing humidity levels in your home. If there is standing water or the soil is wet, dry it out with fans before covering the floor.

If you plan to remodel your basement, it is important to control moisture problems before doing anything else. Corrective actions can be relatively simple but sometimes, depending on the severity of the problem, can be difficult and expensive.