Why Your Home Air Could Be More Polluted Than aCity Street

It may sound unbelievable, but sealed modern homes can trap more pollution than a highway. According to the EPA, indoor levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – chemicals released by everyday products – are consistently higher indoors (sometimes 2–10×) than outdoors. Why?

For one, building materials and furnishings “off-gas”: pressed wood, new carpeting, paint and furniture all emit formaldehyde andother VOCs. Cleaning agents, pesticides and personal care products add additional fumes.

Meanwhile, tight insulation (for energy savings) means less ventilation, so these toxins accumulate.

Compounding the problem is human behavior: studies estimate Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors.

In one sense our homes become personal factories of pollutants. Examples of common indoor pollutants include:

● Cleaning products and paints – release benzene, toluene and formaldehyde .

● Air fresheners and scented candles – pump out dozens of VOCs (fragrance chemicals, terpenes) each time you spray or burn them .

● New furniture, carpets and fabrics – off-gas formaldehyde and flame retardants for months or years.

● Combustion sources – cooking (gas stoves), tobacco smoke, even burning candles add CO, soot and aldehydes.

● Hidden sources – building insulation or soil radon can seep up into living spaces.

The result? The EPA warns that “concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors”. And for families, that means constant exposure.

Even without fragrances, indoor air can irritate eyes, trigger headaches or asthma - before we ever account for the artificial scents we introduce.

It’s a deadly irony: seeking comfort at home may be slowly poisoning us with the very products we trust.