50 Things in Your House That Can Kill You

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Old Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

With fires injuring or killing more than 20,000 people each year, it’s important to test your smoke alarms to maintain proper safety. It’s also necessary to check your carbon monoxide alarms regularly, since carbon monoxide leads to 500 deaths annually.

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RadonALDECAstock/Shutterstock

Your Foundation

Radon is everywhere, even in the open sea. However, when it concentrates, radon becomes a problem. It most commonly accumulates in well-insulated office buildings and homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) found 40 case-control studies that have contributed to understanding the link between radon exposure indoors and lung cancer. “Since the pressure in the interior of your home is lower than that of the soil surrounding your home, radon is able to seep into your home through the foundation,” explains S.W.A.T Environmental. The foundation does not have to be cracked to allow radon to enter, although a crack in the basement wall or home foundation can certainly make the problem worse.”

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Plug-In Air Fresheners

Air fresheners may hide throughout your home keeping the house smelling nice, but many also contain aspartame, neotame and other dangerous chemicals. These can lead to various health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Photo: Courtesy of Glade

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