Keeping indoor air quality healthy requires knowledge about what products in your home might compromise indoor air quality – and there are many.

One of the most pervasive chemicals that pollutes indoor air is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde exposure can lead to asthma and cancer, as well as cause short-term symptoms like eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; and skin rash. The chemical is found in everything from your dry cleaned clothing to those new dining chairs you just brought home.

In Top 5 Surprising Sources of Formaldehyde in Your Home, DoYourPart.com lists the following as formaldehyde sources:

• Nail polish. See Toxic Indoor Air in Nail Salons for more on this.
• Hair products.
• Bedding, particularly "wrinkle-free" products. For alternatives, check out our organic bedding selection.
• Kids' hard plastic dishwear, particularly those made from melamine resin.
• Air fresheners.

Another formaldehyde source that's often difficult to control is pressed wood products used in the construction of the home itself, in other components of the home like cabinetry or flooring, and in furniture.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following for reducing formaldehyde levels in the home:

• Use "exterior-grade" pressed wood products (lower-emitting because they contain phenol resins, not urea resins).
• Use air conditioning and dehumidifiers to maintain moderate temperature and reduce humidity levels.
• Increase ventilation, particularly after bringing new sources of formaldehyde into the home.

For more on indoor air pollution, see:
12 Most Dangerous Household Chemicals