|Young children can be affected by toxic house dust.| Dust, a
common occurrence in indoor environments, can also carry
exposure risks. That’s because a lot of pollutants can attach
themselves to tiny dust particles, and when the dust is
disturbed and becomes airborne, it too becomes a respiratory
hazard. Studies show that house dust can contain chemical
pollutants such as flame retardants, metals like lead, mercury
and poisons like pesticides. Even bacteria and viruses can
attach themselves to dust particles and pose exposure risks.
People can track chemicals and dust in from the outside, but
they can also be generated by activities that are going on
inside, or from the wear-and-tear of common household products.
Children are most at risk because their bodies are still
developing and they eat more, drink more and breathe more in
proportion to their body size. Young children are also closer to
the floor and tend to crawl, touch, chew and explore things by
putting them into their mouths. For these reasons, hous