Indoor Air Quality & Safety

Asbestos

Many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes before 1970 contained asbestos. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue. If you are demolishing or remolding a building built before 1970, you should find out whether asbestos materials are present.

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality refers to the quality of air in non-industrial environments such as homes and offices. Since the energy crisis of the mid 1970s, indoor air quality has become an increasingly important issue for building owners, managers, and occupants.

Lead-Based Paint

Elevated blood lead levels affect an estimated 25,000 children 6 years old and younger in Virginia. Lead interferes with normal brain development and is associated with permanently reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral disorders. The primary source is dust from lead-based paint in many of Virginia's 1.8 million homes built before 1978.

The Loudoun County Health Department is a partner with the Lead-Safe Virginia Program.

Radon

Radon is colorless and odorless and it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the surgeon general has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.

To learn more about radon, contact the Loudoun County Health Department by calling 703-777-0234. The department encourages county residents to take action to protect themselves from radon health effects. Radon test kits can be purchased at local hardware stores.