Environmental Health

Lesson 7: Environmental Health Issues Prevention Continued

Air Pollutants

Decrease use of aerosol sprays.
Decrease use of candles.
Ensure that you have proper ventilation in areas like kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms and garages.
Avoid mixing chemical when cleaning. They sometimes create poisonous gas. For example, mixing powder cleansers with liquid Clorox bleach or mixing Clorox bleach with ammonia creates poisonous gases that can burn your lungs or cause unconsciousness and/or death.
Ensure that you have proper ventilation and equipment when using pesticides.
Increase your knowledge of the topic by calling the City Poison Control Center at 212-340-4494 or the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network at 1-800-858-7378.

Infestations (Rodent & Insect)

Inspect your household on consistent basis.
Clean areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and living areas daily.
Wipe up all spills immediately, especially sweet or sticky substances.
Bag up and remove of all household garbage to designated collection areas on a daily basis.
Ensure all faucets or pipes in your household are not leaking.
Temporarily fill-in holes around pipes or behind moldings or cabinets with caulking to prevent roach infestation, then notify your landlord or his/her representative immediately.
Temporally fill-in larger holes in the floor and walls with a mixture of steel wool and ground glass to prevent rodent infestation, then notify your landlord or his/her representative immediately.
Report all leaks or holes to the landlord or his/her representative immediately.
Perform safely the extermination safely and properly if problem exist and periodically thereafter.