Battling indoor pollution

If you think the solution is staying at home, think again. Numerous studies show that indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air, even in industrial heartlands like New Jersey, largely due to the chemicals in building materials, home furnishings, cleaning products, toiletries and other household items, not to mention the pollutants in food and drink. Here are a few of the main problems and ways to minimize the risk.

Problem: Pesticides in food

Although our food is now overwhelmed with pesticides, hormones and other chemicals, there is a simple solution. In 2006, investigators from Emory University in Georgia, tested morning and evening urine samples from children between the ages of 3 and 11 whose homes had previously been checked to ensure they were pesticide-free. This was a longitudinal study—a research