Home Environmental Health Risks

Home environmental health risks and the pollution of indoor residential air are becoming increasingly recognized as sources of injury and exacerbation of illness, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, infants, children, the elderly, and those living with a chronic medical condition or disability. Nurses play a key role in prevention, education, and screening activities for patients. Core environmental health knowledge is essential for all nurses regardless of setting or population of practice. This article provides a review of the literature of five common home environmental health risks: lead, carbon monoxide, radon, pesticides, and the broad chemical category of volatile organic compounds. Particular emphasis is placed on the review of articles that address low-dose exposures, such as those most commonly found in the residential environment. Current standards of practice regarding risk minimizations are discussed, and nationally recognized preventative action steps and environmental health resources are presented.