Healthy Homes News

Recent Announcements

  • Iowans at “high risk” for radon in homes Iowa is believed to have the largest percentage of homes in the U.S. with radon levels above what the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) calls “acceptable.” Mindy Uhle, with the ...
    Posted Jan 14, 2015, 9:08 AM by Healthy Homes
  • January is Radon Action Month In Iowa all 99 counties are in Zone 1 for radon. This means our average indoor radon is more likely to be above the EPA acceptable level of 4.0 ...
    Posted Jan 14, 2015, 8:37 AM by Healthy Homes
  • Few Iowa schools testing for, addressing high radon levels Fewer than 1 in 5 Iowa school buildings have been tested for potentially harmful radon gas -- and an even smaller percentage of those that tested for high radon levels have ...
    Posted Jan 14, 2015, 7:36 AM by Healthy Homes
  • Has your child’s school been tested for radon? Radon Initiative Partnership in Local Schools (RIPLS)        Linn County Public Health performs FREE radon testing for schools that request it. A nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimates that ...
    Posted Nov 14, 2014, 6:21 AM by Healthy Homes
  • Lung Cancer Awareness Month November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. This is an important month everywhere, but especially for Iowans due to the high concentration of radon throughout the state. Radon is the leading ...
    Posted Nov 6, 2014, 8:01 AM by Healthy Homes
Showing posts 1 - 5 of 9. View more »

What is a healthy home?


The healthy house picture shows the seven principles of a healthy home, keep it maintained, pest free, clean, dry, safe, well-ventilated, and contaminant free.  If these principles are applied, you can have a healthy home whether you live in a newly constructed home or one built over 100 years ago.


EPA offers a virtual tour of indoor air quality issues found in your home  Click here to take the tour.


Mission Statement:

Linn County Healthy Homes supports families in their desire to have a healthy and safe living environment through promotion of healthy homes concepts in the community by means of education, assessment, and collaboration. 

                  
Order radon test kits - Homeowners
 


Seven Principles of a Healthy Homes

  • Keep me Maintained:  Poorly maintained homes are at risk for fall and trip injuries, moisture intrusion, and pest problems.  Deteriorated paint in older housing (pre-1978) can present a lead-based paint hazard.  Each year, 1,100 to 1,500 children are newly diagnosed as lead poisoned.  
  • Keep me Pest Free:  Cockroaches and mice are asthma triggers.  Pests can contaminate food and destroy property.  Pesticides used to treat cockroaches, mice, and bedbugs can exacerbate health problems.  Americans use more than a billion pounds of pesticides each year.  Every 13 seconds in the U.S., a poison control center answers a call about a possible poisoning.  More than 90% of these exposures occur in the home.
  • Keep me Clean:  Dust mites are an asthma trigger.  Clutter provides food and harborage for some pests and can present a trip hazard. 
  • Keep me Dry:  Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents, and mold, all of which can be asthma triggers.  
  • Keep me Safe:  Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all children ages 0 to 19.  Every day, approximately 8,000 children in the U.S. are treated in emergency departments for fall related injuries.  This adds up to approximately 2.8 million children each year.   
  • Keep me Ventilated:  Increasing the fresh air supply in a home helps improve respiratory health.
  • Keep me Contaminant Free:  Chemical exposures include radon, carbon monoxide, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke.  


 






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