Fox News reported yesterday that according to a new report issued by the Institute of Medicine, 'green' buildings may be hazardous to your health.
The article points out that when homeowners winterize their homes by plugging air leaks to the outside, they may unintentionally cause the air inside the house to become less healthy.
The article reports:
"By making buildings more airtight, building owners could increase "indoor-air contaminant concentrations and indoor-air humidity," the report said. By adding insulation, they could trigger moisture problems. By making improvements to older homes, crews could stir up hazardous material ranging from asbestos to harmful caulking -- though that problem is not unique to energy improvements."
This is not news to anyone who lives in a climate where heat is needed in the winter and air conditioning is needed in the summer. Nothing compares to the first warm day in the Spring when you can open up the windows and air the house out after a long winter.
The article at the Institute of Medicine urged organizations to be aware of the consequences of making buildings more energy efficient and take actions to minimize their impact on the public health. Obviously, balance is the key.
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