Why I Monitor Indoor Air Quality (Even Radon) Everywhere I Nest
I’m officially monitoring my indoor air quality, even radon wherever I happen to travel and live. This is because my minimalist lifestyle has not been enough to ensure clean indoor air.
I own few things. I travel and move around. I use natural, non-toxic products wherever I go. I assumed these choices eliminated most of the indoor air quality issues we hear about.
If personal items and spaces did not smell of chemicals (or my known allergens), I just assumed the indoor air quality was fine. No need to worry about anything else.
However, I travel slowly. I lodge long-term. I live wherever I happen to venture. And every country, region, and structure is naturally unique.
For instance, I spent three months in a stone house in a foreign country—where the beautiful interior stone walls grew long fuzzy mold before my eyes.
I cleaned off that long fuzzy mold from those interior stone walls. But I later realized the other textures and colors on those stone walls were more mold.
It now makes sense why every neighbor there kept a window open during winter. I didn’t grasp it at the time, and I still feel guilty for not realizing the entire reality until after the fact.
That experience made me think. What do I breathe in? Is it healthy for me? What might I discover if I monitor…?
radon
PM 2.5
CO2
VOC
humidity
temperature
pressure
A Lifetime of Exposure
I also thought back to earlier experiences of travel and living, to scenarios that might have impacted indoor air quality—and long-term health.
Like the stories of when I was growing inside someone’s womb, and that someone remained inside small spaces while oil-staining for weeks. Against doctor’s orders.
There were large piles of asbestos-containing vermiculite that I moved repeatedly (as instructed) as a child, used indoors, and played in throughout my childhood.
I lived under asbestos popcorn ceilings, which I scraped off (as instructed) as a child, without protective asbestos measures during an eight-year home remodel.
Plus eight years of exposed insulation, dust, and all the other construction materials (and fumes) that DIY remodelers (and their children) generate in their full-time living space.
My first job had me shrink-wrapping (heating and melting plastic film onto) boxes of chocolate whenever needed.
Someone also burned rubber and plastic regularly near my bedroom, for more than eighteen years, despite my attempts to prevent it.
When I moved into my own home, near a creek, it was not in a flood zone. Yet, it turned out, moisture still lived freely under the crawlspace, creating soft, moist (moldy) basement walls.
Next, I lived in a state with high radon levels. I was told the new basement foundation would keep any radon out. We now know radon enters through multiple sources.
That same new home had an indoor gas leak for years before I discovered it.
I also purchased a new mattress for that home. It arrived with a strong chemical smell. I didn’t yet know that one could buy a natural, non-toxic mattress.
I became very ill in that home for a few years, mysterious symptoms impacting my liver. I do wonder if it was from the radon, gas leak, mattress chemicals, or a combination of factors.
Later, I ventured to a new townhome (with a new, organic, natural latex mattress). A strong odor began emitting into the home. It became so horrid it smelled like it could kill a human.
A vent screen wasn't attached to my neighboring townhome (we shared a foundation), which allowed rodents in the crawl space, where they scrambled up the shared interior wall and died.
While adventuring on an island for a few years, I began noticing a fishy odor. Indoors, that odor became overpowering.
A river otter had nested in my foundation crawl space, feeding its babies fresh seafood. River otters were rarely seen in that area.
This sweet but smelly otter family, plus all of their fishy food remains, had to stay in place until the rearing season was over. Only then could the crawl space be cleaned and enclosed.
After trekking to another island, where I built an eco cabin, a village eatery installed an unregulated meat smoker. It emitted 24 hours of smoke, which penetrated my eco cabin.
The community voiced upset, but island counties don't always enforce laws. Back then, I didn’t know one could buy an indoor air quality monitor to prove (lethal) levels of indoor smoke.
While on a boat for a few years, I learned its older batteries released toxic fumes when plugged into shore power while charging. The batteries were housed in the main cabin.
As boats do, it also manufactured a steady supply of condensation, thus mold. Wildfire smoke, marina gas fumes, marina pump-out smells, and pier oil odors regularly entered its interior, too.
In Sweden, the apartment directly across the hallway burned down, taking the life of our neighbor. It was unspeakable and devastating. The smells and tastes saturated us.
A three-month stay at a newer apartment came with large exterior natural gas pipes. A gas leak was discovered directly below the kitchen window (a window that could not fully seal shut).
During a six-month stay at another nice apartment, surrounding buildings were set on fire. Three times. And there was a month of wildfire smoke seeping through our air vents.
A six-month stay at another nearly new apartment (located on an incline) had an amazing indoor air filtering system. But it couldn’t quite keep out all the high-traffic exhaust fumes.
And there was my new bike—with new rubber tires—that had to be kept inside that very tiny apartment. Next to my bed.
These examples are just a few off the top of my head. I’m sure this list could continue for many.
Current Indoor Air Quality
I’m now back in a high radon region, which made me finally start monitoring my indoor air quality—to help determine if I should extend my stay here or adventure elsewhere.
I was told by a local inspector that this nearly new apartment should have radon mitigation, so I was pretty sure I would see safe indoor air quality results when it came to radon testing.
After a lot of research, I purchased the indoor air quality monitor above (the View Plus), the only monitor that seemed worth the investment to me, especially for tracking air quality long-term.
It can warn me about dangerous indoor air quality readings—with daily, 48-hour, weekly, monthly, and annual tracking on its app. In real-time and average readings.
This monitor also has the most visually appealing design for me. It can slip into my luggage, sit upright anywhere I might travel or live, and I can charge it via USB (plus it has batteries).
This monitor has already shown me that if I want healthier indoor air in my current apartment, I must keep a window cracked, just a tad (about an eighth of an inch), 24/7.
To demonstrate, yesterday I shut my window and the levels of CO2, VOCs, etc. increased. In fact, CO2 levels increased to nearly 3000 (the photo above shows it coming down).
However, when it comes to radon, multiple factors determine indoor accumulation.
Right now, my radon levels are unusually low for my apartment. I’m enjoying these low levels, but it’s definitely not my norm.
My radon levels are normally quite concerning to me. Yet I remind myself that it’s the overall average that matters.
But it takes much longer for my radon levels to come down to a healthier level once I do crack my window. I’m guessing this is because radon should be professionally vented?
This makes me think there is no radon mitigation system in my apartment (I see nothing in my apartment that vents anything out of the roof).
So I must keep a window cracked, 24/7, even when it’s near 0 degrees F. It’s my only option at this moment to improve my indoor air quality.
Did I mention this is a nearly new, slab-on-grade, ground-floor, basement-style apartment, bordering a cement wall, with just one window that opens?
I can’t think of a more classic scenario for natural radon exposure. So I don't think it’s wise for me to remain here longer-term. And that’s okay.
Knowing my indoor air quality readings—so I can make wiser choices for my long-term health—is what I’m grateful for.