Skip to main content
Environmental Health at Home

Environmental Health at Home

Environmental Health at Home

Our homes protect us in many ways, but sometimes health hazards are hidden. The resources below can help you understand both common and uncommon home health hazards and show you simple actions to reduce risk.

The resources on this page are organized by:

  • Potential source of home health hazards (water, air, soil and food).
  • Specific chemical hazard of concern.

Sometimes, health hazards enter our home without us knowing (e.g., radon seeping through the cracks in a home’s foundation or carbon monoxide escaping from a faulty furnace). Other times, we may bring hazardous chemicals into our home on purpose (e.g., pesticides or cleaning products).

No matter how chemicals or contaminants enter the home, people must come into contact with them before they can become a potential health concern. Factors such as how much of a contaminant a person contacts (the dose), how long they are in contact with it (the duration) and a person’s sensitivity (e.g. overall health, genetics, age) help determine whether that contact could affect health.

  • The resources on these pages will not tell you whether any specific health problem is related to chemicals or other hazards in your home.
  • The resources on these pages will help you understand possible home health hazards and the main ways they may enter your home. They will also help you learn what steps you can take to reduce your risk from these hazards.
Woman reading to two children in a cozy bedroom

Learn about potential sources of health hazards in or near your home

Below you can find more information about each of the four main sources that could bring someone into contact with a home health hazard:

Learn about specific chemical hazards

Understanding health risk from specific chemical hazards can be complex. The information here is just an overview of key points, which are linked to actions you can take if you are concerned about hazards in your home.

Below you will find more information about many different chemicals and contaminants. This information is meant to help you learn more.  Most of these contaminants are not usually found in or near homes but they are included because they may exist in the environment and could enter a home in certain situations.

Not all chemicals that may be found in a home are listed here. If you are interested in understanding health effects associated with a chemical that is not listed here, call your healthcare provider or our Environmental Health Hotline at 800-648-6942, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you believe you are in immediate danger, call 911 or contact Poison Control at 800-222-1222.

Technical note: Some chemical hazards may be found in more than one part of your home. For example, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may enter your home in drinking water but also enter your home air. If this happens, VOCs may be an indoor air and home drinking water hazard.

Common acronyms on these pages include:

  • ATSDR – Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
  • CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • EGLE – Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
  • EPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  • FDA – Food and Drug Administration.
  • LEO – Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
  • MDHHS – Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Explore by Hazard

*In small quantities, this metal is essential to human health.