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by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Household products—like cleaners, paints, and fragrances—contribute to half of our urban air pollution, according to a study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (1)  

What makes up the other 50%? Vehicle-related emissions.

With such significant amounts of air pollution coming from popular products, your home probably contains some too. 

Below...

Yesterday, I spent the day at Brown University to participate in its program for National Public Health Week. Every time I go back to campus (+3 hours each train ride), I feel like I got so much more than I gave.

Spending time with the new dean of Brown's School of Public Health, Bess Marcus, is always a fascinating pleasure. I can't get enough of her insights and perspectives.

Spending time with Karl Kelsey and Joe Braun--professors, researchers, and epidemiologists who also...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Allergies affect more than 50 million Americans, and are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the US, according to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America. (1)

Exactly what happens when your body has an allergic reaction?

When your body reacts to an allergen, your immune system views the allergen as harmful and overreacts to it. The video below explains further. 

One important way to alleviate allergies...

by editorial team

Everything that a child or teen posts online leaves a trail. This digital footprint can impact their reputation—and personal and professional status—now as well as in the future.

The internet is an extensive database of information on anyone who has ever posted anything, or had someone else mention or reference them online. There are positive and negative digital footprints. Both can influence a person's—including a...

by editorial team

Once upon a time, pornography used to live in a dark corner of a video store, hidden behind a curtain and inaccessible to children.

However, because of modern technology, pornography can sneak up on children practically anywhere. According to research by Covenant Eyes, 90% of boys and 62% of girls were exposed to pornography before they turned 18.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your children from encountering sexually explicit content online.

In...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

All parents have used digital screens as babysitters. 

We give our children cell phones to play games, learn, and allow them to watch shows or movies on our laptops or tablets. We also try to protect them from the programs and content our children are exposed to. Few of us think about the radiation exposures from digital screens, but many are concerned about how time in front of digital screens may...

by Angela Cummings, reviewed by Sophia Ruan Gushée

Back in the early 2000’s, the criteria I used when shopping for a home was this: it had to be cute, in a good neighborhood, and in a manageable price range. All the important criteria widely used in a home search!

I had not considered the materials used or toxic building materials that might have been installed.

Unfortunately, that oversight was significant.

After moving into our new home, I developed a medical...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Surprisingly, lead is still found in many consumer products today.

While lead was banned from house paint in the U.S. in 1978, it is still found in the paint of older homes, hand-me-down products, and products made in foreign countries. (1)(2)

In addition, lead may be found in products that fall into an exempt or exclusion category set forth by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. For example, some electronic components have...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Home remodeling can be trickier than building a new home, in the sense that you, the homeowner, are likely still living in the home while it’s being remodeled.

This gives added importance to choosing materials with fewer chemicals that are off-gassing and reducing indoor air quality.

Each stage of the construction process involves choosing materials that can off-gas into the indoor air environment. However, for the...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Let's consider the dyes used in textiles, which are part of our furniture, drapes, carpets, area rugs, bedding, towels, clothes, bags, backpacks, toys, and more.

These dyes can be made of natural and/or synthetic ingredients, but be aware that they can influence indoor air quality and our health.

In this article, we'll explore the advantages and disadvantages of natural and synthetic dyes.

Natural Dyes

Natural dyes...