Indoor air is a dominant exposure for humans. More than half of the body's intake during a lifetime is air inhaled indoor. Thus, most illnesses related to environmental exposures stem from indoor air exposure. During the last two decades there has been increasing concern over the effects of indoor air quality on health. Indoor pollutants can emanate from a range of sources.
Home : - The health impacts from indoor exposure to combustion products from heating, cooking, and the smoking of tobacco are critical. The symptoms associated with pollutants emitted from building materials known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which arise from sources including paints, varnishes, solvents, and preservatives. the phenomenon that has become known as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), where the occupants of certain affected buildings repeatedly describe a complex range of vague and often subjective health complaints.
Industry : - Exposure to asbestos may be an important risk factor for the chronic respiratory disease mesothelioma.
Pharma and Medical : - The health effects of inhaled biological particles can be significant, as a large variety of biological materials are present in indoor environments. Their role in inducing illness through immune mechanisms, infectious processes, and direct toxicity is considered.
Outdoor sources can be the main contributors to indoor concentrations of some contaminants. Of particular significance is Radon, the radioactive gas that arises from outside, yet only presents a serious health risk when found inside buildings. Radon and its decay products are now recognized as important indoor pollutants, and their effects are explored. Hence, air should be continuously sampled, monitored, and modeled.
Air pollution in five main contexts :
- Monitoring
- Modeling
- Risk Assessment
- Health, and
- Indoor Air Pollution