A 1987 epa study ranked indoor air pollution as the fourth highest cancer risk out of environmental problems 1. Indoor air pollution is caused by burning solid fuel sources such as firewood, crop waste, and dung for cooking and heating. Indoor air pollution is the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials. It can enter indoors through cracks and openings in floors and walls that are in contact with the ground. California indoor air cleaning devices, including both medical and nonmedical devices, used or intended for use in occupied spaces. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
The presence in to air indoors the physical, chemical and biological contaminants not normally present in outdoor air of high quality system the factors of pollution are confined space. High temperature and humidity levels increase concentrations of some pollutants. Taking an exposure history procedures and form for measuring toxicants in the home and environment. Hundreds of internal and external links to resources for the design, construction, and commissioning of. Household indoor air pollution new who indoor air quality guidelines. This paper provides the insight view about the affects of environment pollution in the perspective of air pollution, water and land soil waste pollution on human by diseases and problems, animals and trees plants.
The changes were positively associated with pm 10 and pm 2. Indoor air quality definitions can vary depending on perspectives of the human user, the indoor air of the space, and the sources contributing to the indoor air pollution. Indoor air quality iaq deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants. Pollutant major indoor sources potential health effects. All questionnaire responses were recorded electronically in a database according to a standardized code and file structure. In some cases, indoor air pollutants may even be 100 times higher than outdoors.
For example, children seem to be more sensitive to other peoples tobacco smoke, while women in general are more likely to get a dry throat and dry eyes. Living organisms can survive without water for some time but cannot survive without air because when we breathe then we intake oxygen from air and releases carbon dioxide, if this procedure does not take. Air plays a vital role not only in nature but also in the lives of human beings and all living organisms. Indoor radon exposure, which is the secondleading cause of lung cancer, was rated the numberone environmental health risk. Visible and invisible pollutants answer key, continued 11. Household fuel combustion set emissions thresholds, by which the cleanest cookstove and lighting technologies may be identified. These are the problems more likely to be encountered by the primary health care provider. Although official efforts to control air pollution have traditionally focused on outdoor air, it is now apparent that elevated contaminant concentrations are common inside some private and public buildings.
This definition implicitly acknowledges that some substances that are considered to be air pollutants are present naturally. Indoor air pollution may arise from the use of open fires, unsafe fuels or combustion of biomass fuels, coal and kerosene. Indoor air quality iaq refers to the air quality within and around buildings and. Causes of indoor air pollution inadequate ventilation increases indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. These toolkits can help you communicate with consumers about public health issues related to air pollution. The resulting indoor air pollution iap is a major threat to health, particularly for women and young children, who may spend many hours close to the fire. The burning of such fuels, particularly in poor households, results in air pollution that leads to respiratory diseases which can result in premature death. Furthermore, the reliance on solid fuels and inefficient stoves has other, farreaching consequences for. Indoor air pollution and the lungs european lung foundation.
The intention of the book is to bring together a collection of contributions from specialists in the specific disciplines of indoor air quality, covering all points of view from various angles, from building design and building sciences, to health effects and medical diagnosis, toxicology of indoor air pollutants, and air sampling and analysis. Pollutants are any harmful contaminants in the air. Indoor air pollution refers to chemical, biological and physical contamination of indoor air. Gas stoves or badly installed woodburning units with. The definition for what is indoor air pollution includes any toxic contaminants that are encountered within the spaces we dwell that are inside, such as our homes, schools, department stores, and workplaces. Iaq is known to affect the health, comfort and wellbeing of building occupants. Ten questions concerning green buildings and indoor air. Pdf causes, consequences and control of air pollution. The graph shows that europe had the highest level of so2 emissions in 1975. Best practices for design, construction and commissioning is designed for architects, design engineers, contractors, commissioning agents, and all other professionals concerned with indoor air quality summary part i and detailed part ii guidance provides. Pdf in the last few decades, indoor air quality iaq has received increasing. A tool kit pdf icon pdf 726 kb heart health and air pollution. Effects of outdoor and indoor air pollution on respiratory health of chinese children from 50 kindergartens.
Environmental protection agency, office of air and radiation. Effects of outdoor and indoor air pollution on respiratory. Indoor air pollution refers to toxic contaminants that we encounter in our daily lives in our homes, schools and workplaces. Definitions and classifications used in the study of air pollution are introduced. Indoor air pollution such as from dampness and mould, chemicals and other biological agents is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The dangers of air pollution children and air pollution air pollution from energy production, transport, industry, agriculture and households is the number one environmental threat to health in europe and globally1. For environmental health science students air pollution mengesha admassu, mamo wubeshet university of gondar in collaboration with the ethiopia public health training initiative, the carter center, the ethiopia ministry of health, and the ethiopia ministry of education august 2006. Sources and potential health effects of indoor air pollutants. Indoor air pollution and poor urban air quality are listed as two of the worlds worst toxic pollution problems in the 2008 blacksmith institute worlds worst polluted places report. What was the most likely cause of the poor air quality. Indoor air quality iaq is the air quality within and around buildings and structures. Indoor air pollution can pose a serious health threat. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to sick building syndrome, reduced productivity and impaired learning in schools. Who estimates that more than 6 million premature deaths were caused by air pollution exposure in 2012 who, 2014a.
United states environmental protection agency us epa. Effects of indoor air pollution on human health prepared by working group 4 birgitta berglund, department of psychology, university of stockholm, sweden. Air pollution and its effects on health case studies, india. This is because contained areas enable potential pollutants to build up more than open spaces. A definition provided by the us environmental protection agency is as follows. In biological monitoring, substances or their metabolites are measured in, for example, exhaled air, blood or urine. Air pollution from both outdoor and indoor sources represents the single largest environmental risk to health globally.
The world health organization who recognises air pollution as a leading risk factor for major chronic diseases in adults. The objectives of the indoor air pollution and health iapah research project were to quantify the levels of indoor air pollution iap in irish and scottish homes from indoor combustion sources, and to provide an estimate of the potential health burden, i. Environment pollution is a widereaching problem and it is likely to influence the health of human populations is great. The first step is called an iaq audit and often requires the services of both an hvac test and balance tab company and an industrial hygienist. Developing indoor air quality guidelines 2 setting indoor air quality guidelines 4 preparation of the guidelines 7 combined exposures 9 use of the indoor air quality guidelines in protecting public health 11 references 1. Air quality air quality resources for professionals cdc. This means that it likely had the worst air quality based on this limited information because so2 is a pollutant. Indoor air pollution definition oecd glossary of statistical terms. Benzene 15 general description 15 indoor sources 15 pathways of exposure 17 indoor concentrations 18 indoor outdoor. Environmental protection agency sets and enforces air quality standards only for ambient air.
Assessment and control of indoor air pollution, pp. High levels of indoor pollutants are of particular concern because people may spend as much as 90% of their time indoors american lung association 2010. A tool kit pdf icon pdf 3 mb you can also share this podcast with tips for avoiding the harmful health effects of poor air quality. Concerns about potential public health problems due to indoor air pollution are based on evidence that urban residents typically spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors. According to the california air resources board arb, part of the california environmental protection agency, many pollutants build up rapidly indoors. Pdf indoor air pollution is ubiquitous, and takes many forms, ranging. Radon is a radioactive gas that is formed in the soil. In developing countries, the main source of indoor air pollution is biomass smoke which contains suspended particulate matter 5pm, nitrogen dioxide no2, sulphur dioxide so2, carbon monoxide ca. Etiology can be difficult to establish because many signs and symptoms are nonspecific, making differential diagnosis a. Chronic exposure to urban air pollution affects lung function, increases the risk of cvd and lung cancer, alters immunity, induces dna and. Agency for toxic substances and disease registry atsdr general information on air pollution and human health discusses the types of air pollution, the air quality index, and the effects of pollution on humans.
Iaq ventilation basics indoor air pollution can be reduced and possibly eliminated by taking corrective action using a defined plan. Different toxicants in indoor air, according to sources, settings. Report to congress on indoor air quality, volume ii. Indoor air pollution may be more hazardous to your health than outdoor air pollution. Oecd glossary of statistical terms indoor air pollution. Epa studies indicate that the levels of many air pollutants may be two to five times higher in indoor air than outdoor air. Unit 1 provides basic information on the structure and composition of atmosphere, definition, scope of air pollution, sources and classification of air pollutants and their effect on human health. Teachers guide to indoor air quality indoor air quality true or false worksheet check true or false for each question 1. The iaq may be compromised by microbial contaminants mold, bacteria.
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