Immune and Environmental Health

What counts as an environmental exposure?

Anything in the air, water, food or buildings around you that can affect your health. People spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, so much of it happens at home and at work. Common examples:

• Mold and damp indoor spaces
• Lead, most often as dust from old paint, and sometimes from soil or old plumbing
• Mercury, mostly from food such as some fish
• Arsenic, most commonly from contaminated drinking water, such as some private wells
• Gases and particles indoors from fuel-burning appliances, tobacco smoke, radon and pesticides

How can mold affect health?

Damp, moldy spaces affect people differently, and some people not at all. The CDC lists a stuffy nose, a sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes and skin rash among the effects. People with asthma or a mold allergy can have severe reactions, and people with a weakened immune system or chronic lung disease can get lung infections from mold.

How can I reduce exposure at home?

• Keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent.
• Fix leaks as soon as possible, and dry anything water-damaged within 24 to 48 hours.
• Clean small areas of mold on hard surfaces with detergent and water, and don’t paint or caulk over mold.
• If your home was built before 1978, keep painted surfaces in good repair, and use a lead-safe certified contractor rather than removing old paint yourself.
• If you have a private well, test it every year through a certified laboratory, and ask your health department whether to test for arsenic too.
• Choose a variety of fish that are lower in mercury.

What about the air in the Phoenix area?

Two things are worth watching. Ground-level ozone rises in warm, sunny weather, especially in summer, and the Phoenix-Mesa area doesn’t meet the national ozone standard; ozone can irritate the airways. Monsoon dust storms carry fine particles that can aggravate asthma and bronchitis, and the Arizona Department of Health Services notes dust can reduce the body’s ability to fight infections. On high-pollution days, the daily air quality forecast helps you plan time outdoors.

How is exposure to metals tested?

Usually with a blood or urine test, and sometimes hair or nails. The best sample depends on the metal: lead is measured in the blood, and urine is the most reliable test for recent arsenic exposure. A high result may mean heavy metal poisoning, but not always, and because some metals leave the blood quickly and are stored in the body’s tissues, a normal result doesn’t always rule exposure out. You may be asked to avoid seafood for 48 hours before a test.

What supports a healthy immune system?

Everyday habits help your immune system work better: enough sleep (at least seven hours a night for most adults), eating well, regular activity (at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week), not smoking, and staying current on vaccines. People who are short on sleep can have more trouble fighting common infections, and drinking too much alcohol weakens the immune system.