EPA is awarding 17 cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations and a university, totaling approximately $2.4 million to improve indoor air quality nationwide. Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors where levels of air pollution may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Indoor air pollutants, such as dust mites, can trigger asthma attacks and radon can cause lung cancer.

“EPA is proud to be working with our partners nationwide to improve the air we breathe at school, work and home,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “American communities face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. This effort gives us an opportunity to improve indoor air quality by increasing awareness of environmental health risks.”

The goal of these projects is to educate Americans on how to reduce the environmental health risks of indoor contaminants through demonstrations, education projects, trainings and outreach efforts. EPA is placing particular emphasis on reaching households with children, low-income families, and minorities because they are disproportionately impacted by poor indoor air quality.

The cooperative agreements will:

• Promote positive indoor air quality management practices in schools nationwide, including holistic approaches to environmental issues.
• Create awareness to reduce asthma triggers in the home and encourage the use of an asthma management plan.
• Increase the number of homes tested for radon and built with radon-resistant features, and increase mitigation of radon in existing homes.
• Increase effective indoor air quality practices in office buildings.
• Motivate Americans to improve their home’s indoor air quality.