Sonoma County Asthma Coalition

Indoor Air Quality Asthma Triggers

Asthma attacks can be caused by a variety of indoor and outdoor air quality factors that affect the lungs. These are called environmental triggers that occur in a variety of forms both indoors and outdoors.

Some indoor air quality asthma triggers that occur inside homes include:

Mold & Mildew (tiny spores that float throught the air and reproduce on moist surfaces)

Dust mites and animal dander (dust mites, cockroaches, and skin cells, scales, waste, and saliva from pets)

Second-hand Smoke (from cigarettes and tobacco)

Household chemicals (sprays, pesticides, cleaners, or detergents generating harsh fumes)

Remodeling by-products (dust, formaldehyde, paint and paint strippers, etc.)

Combustion pollutants (smoke from fireplaces, carbon monoxide fom heaters, truck and auto exhaust)

For more information on indoor air quality see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Indoor Air Quality.

Indoor Air Quality-Housing Committee

The Sonoma County Asthma Coalition’s Indoor Air Quality-Housing Commitee meets monthly to address local issues related to improving indoor air quality in housing. Our goal is to help prevent asthma and improve the quality of life for people with asthma by reducing triggers for asthma in homes. Activities include education and training on reducing asthma triggers in homes and advocating for asthma friendly housing policies.

The IAQ/Housing Committee is currently working on advocating with local cities and the county to adopt smoking ordinances which include smoking prohibitions in housing. The city of Rohnert Park has adopted such a policy, and the city of Sebastopol is close to doing so.

What is a Healthy Home?

The “Healthy Homes” model promoted by the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is a concept that promotes safe, decent, and sanitary housing as a means for preventing disease and injury.

According to the NCHH, “a healthy home is designed, constructed, maintained, or rehabilitated in a manner that supports the health of residents. A growing body of evidence links housing conditions to health outcomes such as asthma, lead poisoning, lung cancer, and unintentional injuries.”

The Seven Principles of Healthy Housing – Keep a home:

• Dry
• Clean
• Pest-Free
• Ventilated
• Safe
• Contaminant-Free

• Maintained

  For more information contact the National Center for Healthy Homes Training Center.
  and The Alliance for Healthy Homes: http://www.afhh.org/ahh/ahh_main.htm

  Coalition for A Tobacco-Free Sonoma County

  The Sonoma County Asthma Coalition is a member of the Coalition for A Tobacco-Free Sonoma County. The mission of the Coalition for a Tobacco-free Sonoma County is to promote a tobacco-free Sonoma County in a culturally appropriate manner.

  CAFA Housing Committee

  The Sonoma County Asthma Coalition is an member of the CAFA Housing Committee. This committee supports the following two policy areas:

• Affordability and Access to Housing

• Habitability and Healthy Housing

  RAMP is a clearinghouse for asthma information, that provides technical assistance to asthma coalitions, and serves as a regional convener in the Bay Area. For more information go to RAMP website.

  California Healthy Housing Coalition
  The CA Healthy Housing Coalition’s mission is to provide leadership to promote safe and healthy housing for all. It brings together leaders in healthy housing from all over the state to identify and advocate for statewide and local policies that will improve health in housing.

  Tenant – Landlord Legal Rights and Responsibilities

  It is the responsibility of all parties involved with a rental property to take the steps to remove any problems that may contribute to unhealthy living conditions in residential housing.

  Environmental triggers such as mold or pests may trigger asthma or other negative health impacts for tenants in residential housing. Prevention of indoor environmental triggers is the best health measure anyone can take.

  For more information on Tenant-Landlord Rights and Responsibilities contact Fair Housing of Sonoma County.

  Northern California Center for Well Being
  The Center for Well Being, a member of the Sonoma County Asthma Coalition, thanks to funding from RAMP’s Legacy grants, has developed a Healthy Homes Toolkit (see link under “resources”) for landlords on how to reduce asthma triggers and improve indoor air quality in multi unit housing.