I would like to know the affects, if any, for someone with COPD living in a moblile home?

Question

Are there things used in the construction of mobile homes that would not be safe for COPD patients to be in. Would it cause more problems with their symptoms. Are would it be better to live in a house.

Answer 1

It is probably not a god idea. Many if not most mobile (and other ) homes have fixtures or furniture that is made form particle board. Particle board is wood particle or strand that is bound together, and in a matrix of urea-formaldehyde binder. That glue gives off formaldehyde fumes into the air which will irritate anyone's lungs. And is especially harmful for an individual sricken with c.o.p.d. (i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Much of the major damage in that condition is caused by over-active immune white blood cells gathering around foreign pariticles lodged deeply in the lungs and then producing destructive inflammatory chemicles to "defeat" the perceived infectious "infectious" particles. (They destroy lung tissue instead.) The condition is progressive and should be slowed as much as possible. Any chemical that increases inflammation, because of chronic irritation, (like formaldehyde), makes c.o.p.d. worse. It is not too likely that the mobile home has the more advanced lignin derived composite particle board binders. If that is the case, there would no formaldehyde problem.
A hepa filter removes very small particles floating in the air, it does not removes gases in the air.. An activated charcoal filter will absorb the gas. But they are expensive and the cartridges MUST be changed regularly or they stop working. Also spider plants actually absorb, use, and thus detoxify formaldehyde. But a mobile home would need about 30 plus plants. (and they may have fungi in the soi,l that would issue lung irritating spores.) Contact O.S.H.A. for information of this subject. Also consumer reports archive for more information.
Good luck,
Doc. Dan.

Answer 2

The thing you should worry about in mobile home living is that they tend to sweat in the winter. Be careful especially if you live in wet humid climate that you are not nurturing mold spores. A good hepa filter system would be most helpful in trailer or house. Good luck.

Answer 3

if you use good HEPA air filtration you should be fine.