A Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Child
This is a partial list of steps to take to protect your child's health.

Outdoor Air
Contact Aaron Firestone, (215) 567-4004 ext. 123

• Pay attention to daily air quality reports.
  
  
• Avoid intensive exercise outdoors during periods of high air pollution. Ozone levels usually peak between midday and evening. Also avoid intensive exercise next to heavily traveled highways.
  
  
• If you live adjacent to farmland, golf courses, recreational areas, or have neighbors who routinely apply pesticides, learn about the timing of application. Be certain to keep children and pets inside, and close your windows and doors.
  
  
• Learn about what chemicals you are exposed to at your jobsite and work to reduce exposure. Make sure to change clothes before coming home if you are exposed to hazardous dust such as that from lead paint.
  
  
• Talk with your doctor about your child's health and how the environment affects it. Make sure to include information about your workplace exposures in these discussions.
  

Indoor Air Quality
Contact Norm Feldman, Indoor Air Specialist, Wednesdays only (215) 567-4004 ext. 101.

• Do not permit smoking in your house or car.
  
  
• Do not use pesticides in your home. If you have a severe pest problem, consult with experts about alternative means of control.
  
  
• Avoid dry-cleaning. It normally leaves solvent residues on material, and these may be inhaled. Air dry-cleaned items in your garage or outside before wearing.
  
  
• Ventilate while cooking. If you have a gas stove, use an overhead range hood that vents outdoors when you cook.
  
  
• Cook meats, poultry, and fish well, but slowly. Burning these foods releases carcinogenic chemicals to indoor air.
  
  
• Inspect furnaces, gas water heaters and clothes dryers regularly to ensure proper ventilation. Never use a kerosene heater without proper ventilation.
  
  
• Woodstoves and fireplaces can be important sources of indoor air pollution if not well ventilated. If you smell smoke, you have a problem.
  
  
• Clean air conditioners, humidifiers, and heat exchangers regularly to avoid a buildup of mold and bacteria.
  
  
• Test your home to determine if radon is a problem.
  
  Be certain to have working fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Test these regularly.
  
  
• If exposed to hazardous chemicals in occupational settings, remove contaminated clothing before returning home.
  
  
• Do not idle your car in the garage.
  
  
• Limit the amount of carpeting in your home. When possible, use wool or cotton rugs, and clean well. Carpets are reservoirs for chemicals, molds, and animal dander.
  
  
• When purchasing new carpeting, if possible, find a place to unroll and air it out for at least several days before installing it.
  
  
• Use water-based (low or zero VOC) paints, wood finishes, and sealants.
  
  
• Minimize use of air fresheners, fragrances, deodorizers, and harsh cleansers. Ventilate when using these types of consumer products.
  
  
• Always ventilate when using paints, solvents, or strong cleaning solutions, and do not use these products around children.
  
  
• Pregnant women and young children should avoid exposure to home renovations and construction areas.
  
  
• Be certain to store fuels, automotive supplies and solvents in air-tight and childproof containers.
  
  
• Have your cars or trucks inspected regularly for exhaust leaks.