Western Washington’s damp climate and the state’s industrial history shape indoor health. Here are the Washington-specific exposures worth knowing about, and simple steps to check your home.
Mold in water-damaged buildings and a damp climate
Mold grows wherever water damage lingers. Long, wet seasons, roof and plumbing leaks, older homes, basements and crawl spaces make water-damaged buildings and hidden mold a frequent and easily overlooked exposure in western Washington.
What you can do
Keep indoor humidity under 50% with bathroom and kitchen fans and, if needed, a dehumidifier. An inexpensive humidity meter from a hardware store makes it easy to check.
Check ceilings, crawl spaces, basements and under sinks for moisture, water stains or musty smells.
Fix leaks and dry wet materials within 12 hours or less. For a fresh leak or flooding, contact a local water-damage restoration company right away.
For almost 100 years, a copper smelter in Tacoma released emissions that settled on soil across more than 1,000 square miles of the Puget Sound basin, from north Seattle to East Olympia. Arsenic, lead and other heavy metals remain in some of that soil, which matters for gardening, yard work and children’s play areas.
What you can do
Check whether your address is in the plume area and consider soil testing.
Wash hands after yard work, use raised beds with clean soil for vegetables, and leave shoes at the door.
The Hanford Site in southeastern Washington covers about 580 square miles along the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities. Nuclear weapons production there from the 1940s left radioactive and chemical waste and contaminated groundwater; about 60 square miles of groundwater remain above federal standards today. The U.S. Department of Energy leads the cleanup, overseen by the Washington Department of Ecology and the EPA. State and federal agencies monitor the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, which currently meets surface water quality standards.
What you can do
Follow public monitoring results and cleanup updates if you live in the Tri-Cities area or downstream.
If you use a private well near the site, test it regularly with a certified lab.
Share your full residential and work history, including time near Hanford, with your doctor.
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that tends to collect in basements and other below-ground spaces. Long-term exposure raises the risk of lung cancer, and it’s the leading cause of lung cancer in people who don’t smoke. The Washington Department of Health offers a limited number of free test kits to residents.
What you can do
Test the lowest lived-in level of your home.
If results are high, retest and talk with a qualified radon mitigation professional.
Smoke season brings poor air to eastern Washington especially, and sometimes to the whole state. Fine smoke particles get indoors, so a cleaner-air room at home helps during smoky periods.
What you can do
Set up a clean room with a portable HEPA air cleaner that doesn’t produce ozone.
Set your HVAC to recirculate and use a MERV 13 or higher filter if your system allows.
Cleaner living resourcesDr. Madeira’s list of water filters, air purifiers and tools for choosing safer everyday products.
When to talk with a doctor
If you have ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, headaches or breathing problems, and they seem worse at home or started after a move, leak or renovation, it’s worth discussing your environment with a clinician experienced in environmental medicine. Many symptoms have other causes too, so an individual assessment matters.
Signs of lead exposure
Lead in Puget Sound soils and older homes can build up slowly and may cause no obvious symptoms, so testing matters if you have a known exposure. When symptoms do appear, they can include:
Neurological symptoms: headaches, trouble sleeping, irritability or mood changes, and reduced sensation
Digestive symptoms: abdominal pain or cramping, and constipation
Low energy and low appetite
Anemia (low red blood cell count) and hearing loss
In children: loss of developmental skills, and attention or behavior problems
Vomiting, seizures or a staggering walk can signal very high lead levels: call 911. For other questions, Poison Help is available at 1-800-222-1222.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. Madeira. We’ll start with your why: what you want your health and life to look like, what’s been getting in the way, and whether working together feels right for you.
Dr. Sam Madeira, NMD