Another Reason To Go Outside And Get Some Fresh Air

By David Biello
(Click here for the original article and podcast)

You need to get out more. Whether it'ssmogortiny particles of pollution, Americans face the bulk of their health risks from bad air inside. Why? We spend most of our time indoors.

Now researchers have foundchemicals from indoor airsomeplace we might not want it: our blood. The research is in the journalEnvironmental Science and Technology.

A variety of the chemicals used to make everything from carpets to couches resist stains showed up in the serum of 31 Boston office workers. The researchers found thehighest levels of these chemicals in the air inside new buildingsand, subsequently, in the blood of those who worked there. The office workers even had traces in their blood of one of these compounds withdrawn from use roughly a decade ago.

It could be worse. Hundreds of thousands of peopledie each year from sootfrom the indoor fires they use to cook or heat their homes. And the health impacts of these chemicals in humans remain unclear—though in animals they affect the liver, the immune system and reproduction.

Socrack the window from time to time. Open the door. Get some fresh air.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.