HOUSEHOLD DUST
Over the past few years more doctors and scientists around the world are speaking about health problems associated with housedust.
Housedust is a catchall term. It may include such things as pet hair, mold spores and pollen, parts of small insects, bacteria and much more. Everybody's housedust is different and the way people react to housedust may vary. Many people who are allergic to one or more of the ingredients of housedust may have any of the following symptoms: Runny nose, sneezing, coughs, headache itchy eyes or hives to just name a few. Biologically, nature has provided humans with built-in filter system (hairs in nostrils) which will stop some dust particles: however unless you live in a vacuum jar you could expect to be breathing dust continually. How you try to eliminate this dust may make a great difference in your health. Problems may arise from trying to remove dust with a portable vacuum cleaner.
An excerpt from a German student's doctoral thesis was published in Frankfurter Rundschau on March 12, 1979. The title above the excerpt read "many vacuums cleaners (portable) are bacteria slingshots" She states "Bacteria flies through the pores of a vacuum cleaners paper bag like houseflies through a fence." This bacteria stays suspended in the air for hours where it is easily inhaled by the occupants of the house. Her advice is to use the portable vacuum cleaner as little as possible and when you do to open the windows wide.
The Franklin Journal picked up on this study and released a similar article shortly thereafter. In December 1979, Consumer's Union also made mention of this study.
In October of 1980, a program ran on channel 13 in Clearwater, Florida about scientist who had been ignored by the federal government for years; but , was the beginning to get people to listen. He claims there are more danger from cancer in the home from portable vacuums cleaners than there is in any manufacturing plant. He claims the only way to clean is with a CENTRAL VACUUM CLEANER.
Probably the best known report on this subject is a book entitled, "Why Your House May Endanger Your Health", (Simon and Schuster) written by Dr. Alfred V. Zamm and Robert Gannon has been on TV (Donahue and PM Magazine) promoting his book. Local news shows and newspaper articles like the one appeared in January 25,1981 Milwaukee Journal, have made mention of his findings.
He devotes one hole chapter (15 pages) to housedust and its effects. According to one study the average six-room home in the city or suburb accumulates around 40 lbs of dust a year. Dr. Zamm and other physicians view housedust as an "occupational hazard" for the house wife because she breathes the dust, stirred up by cleaning most of the day. Plain dirt tracked in from the outside is not that unhealthy: however pet dander, mold spores, and house dust mites are. Housedust mites are small insects found in 2/3 of the households.
Dr. Zamm devotes another chapter to maintaining a healthy house. In this chapter he discusses vacuuming with portables vacuums. He suggest to open a window when cleaning especially when using a portable vacuum. Here is what Dr.Zamm says about vacuum cleaners "Vacuum cleaners present a peculiar problem". They are by far the most effective devise to remove dust, but yet most of them pollute more then they clean, they suck in dust from surfaces, then blow smaller particles through the filter or bag into the air. Because of the small sized particles, they slide through the bodies filtering mechanisms to lodge deep in the lungs. The best vacuum system is the built-in central vacuum system, this is built into your house, a system that pulls dust outside your home and leaves your home dust free. THIS IS A HEALTHY WAY OF LIFE!
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