The Importance of Being Outside
- VHT
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Being cooped up
The Natural Earth
Let us start with the natural earth, the land in which our enclosed shelters are built on.
Every building contains radon gas.
Radon is a radioactive, colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that occurs naturally from the decay of uranium in rocks and soil. It is present everywhere in the environment but can accumulate to higher, potentially harmful levels indoors - particularly within enclosed spaces, such as homes and workplaces.
Radon exposure is a significant risk factor of lung cancer.
For further information, go to:
www.UKRadon.org
Potential Chemicals found in Building Materials and furnishings
Next, we come to the potentially harmful chemicals within the build of our enclosed shelters.
Asbestos - floor and ceiling tiles; plasters; insulations; adhesives; wallboard; roofing materials; fireproofing materials; cement products. Inhalation of asbestos is known to cause lung disease and lung cancer.
Chromated Copper Arsenic (CCA) in pressure-treated wood - it is a pesticide/preservative used to prevent rotting in timber designed for outdoor use. Exposure to arsenic can cause cancer of the lung, bladder, skin, kidney, prostate and nasal passage.
Formaldehyde - pressed woods for indoor use: particleboard; hardwood plywood panellng; medium-density fibreboard. It is also used in clothing and draperies; paints; glues and adhesives. It is a known respiratory irritant and carcinogen.
Perfluorinated Compounds (Including PFOA) - food packaging; cleaning products; personal-care products; Gor-Tex clothing. Causes liver, pancreatic, testicular and mammory gland tumours in lab animals. Liver and thyroid cancer in rats.
Phthalates - PVC: carpet backing, resilient flooring, wall coverings, acoustical ceiling surfaces, upholstery textiles, roof membranes, waterproofing membranes, electrical cord insulation. Toys; food packaging; hoses; raincoats; shower curtains; vinyl flooring; adhesives; detergents; hair spray; shampoo. Known or suspected to alter the human hormone system. Also suspected to be potent reproductive toxins, especially in boys.
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) - insulation; cushions. Associated with liver, thyroid and developmental & reproductive toxicity and developmental neurotoxicity in animal studies.
Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) - metal; PVC; plastics. Toxic to aquatic organisms and carcinogenic to rats and mice. Currently no studies on humans.
For more information, go to the National Centre for Healthy Housings website, at: https://nchh.org/information-and-evidence/learn-about-healthy-housing/building-products-materials-and-standards/chemicals/
Cleaning chemicals
Next, we also have the potentially harmful chemicals that we clean our homes with - which we inhale and have touching our skin.
The longer we are enclosed with and exposed to all these things, the more hazard there is to our health.
This is why it is so important to be outside, in open spaces, as often as possible... and only enclose ourselves in a shelter, when absolutely needed.
Read this BBC article about Nordic parents who put their children outside to nap:
