When we think about air pollution, we picture smoggy city skylines or industrial smokestacks. But the air that matters most to our health isn't outside—it's the air we're breathing right now, indoors.
Americans spend approximately 90% of our time inside our homes, offices, schools and vehicles. That means the quality of indoor air has a profound impact on our wellness, yet it's something most of us never think about. Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and in some cases, up to 100 times worse!
Twenty-one years ago, Mothers and Others for Clean Air was founded by Laura Turner Seydel and Stephanie Blank because Atlanta’s air was incredibly polluted and our children were suffering from some of the highest asthma rates in the country. Laura and Stephanie were mothers who saw children struggling to breathe, and they knew they had to act. Since then, the organization has advocated for policies that mitigate air pollution and its harmful effect on children’s health.
Many factors affect the air we breathe indoors. Gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide—the same pollutant found in car exhaust—right into our kitchens. Nonstick pans can release chemicals that cause cancer in most animals. Candles and air fresheners also release harmful chemicals. Wood-burning fireplaces pump particulate matter into our living spaces. Even new furniture and carpets can off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for months.
The good news? We have more control over indoor air quality than we realize. Plants naturally purify air. HEPA air filters and purifiers remove harmful particles. Simple choices—like switching to clean beeswax or soy candles or improving ventilation—can make a meaningful difference in our families' health.
Unfortunately, the home isn’t the only place where children are exposed to shockingly poor air quality. There is also a real danger that children breathe toxic air almost daily, with no control over it on their school buses.
The air inside a diesel school bus is 10 to 15 times more polluted than the air children breathe outside. Diesel exhaust contains over 40 toxic air contaminants. These pollutants don't just trigger asthma attacks—they impair lung development, reduce cognitive ability and lower test scores. Children who ride diesel buses don't just feel worse; they literally learn less.
This is why much of our work has centered on cleaning up dirty diesel school buses; with Federal funding on hold, our focus is on getting air purifiers onto Georgia's 20,000 school buses. The best solution is electric buses—but until that happens, we can't let children breathe toxic air twice a day, five days a week.
This January, as you think about wellness resolutions, consider the air your family breathes. Open windows when the weather permits. Add plants to your home. Invest in air purifiers and change the HEPA filters in HVAC systems quarterly. And if your children ride a diesel school bus, advocate for cleaner air on their daily commute. Because we all share the air, and what you can't see matters most of all.
It’s all a matter of life and breath.
Tanya Coventry Strader is Executive Director of Mothers and Others for Clean Air, a Georgia nonprofit dedicated to protecting children's health by improving air quality. Learn more at MothersAndOthersForCleanAir.org