Indoor Air

Pollution
 Indoor air pollution
• Indoor air contains higher concentrations of pollutants
than outdoor air (up to 70x)
– Synthetic materials not comprehensively tested
– To reduce heat loss & improve energy efficiency:
• ventilation systems are sealed off & recirculate air
• windows do not open
• This traps pollutants inside.

• Indoor air pollution usually is a greater threat to human

health than outdoor air pollution.
– Avg. U.S. citizen spends 90% of time indoors
– 6,000 people die per day from indoor air pollution

• Pollution levels inside cars in traffic clogged urban

areas can be up to 18 times higher.
 Indoor Air Pollution--Developing World
• From burning wood, charcoal, dung, crop waste
– With little to no ventilation
– Soot and carbon monoxide
– Causes pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies, cataracts,
asthma, heart disease, cancer & death
• ~1.6 million deaths/year
 Indoor Air Pollution--Developed World

• According to the EPA, the 4 most dangerous

indoor air pollutants in developed countries are:
– Tobacco smoke
– Formaldehyde
– Radioactive radon-222 gas
– Very small fine & ultrafine particles
• Other Important • Sources
Indoor Air pollutants – Building materials
– Nitrogen dioxide – Furnishings & fabrics
– Carbon monoxide – Glues
– Cleaning products
– Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs) – Combustion
appliances (cooking &
– House dust mites (& heating)
other allergens… from – Open fires
pets)
– Smoking
– Chlorinated organic – Living organisms
compounds (ex.
– Outdoor air
pesticides)
– Asbestos & man-
made mineral fibers
 Tobacco Smoke
• The most dangerous indoor pollutants in
the developed world
– Secondhand smoke from cigarettes is
especially dangerous
• Containing over 4000 dangerous chemicals
• Causes eye, nose, and throat irritation
• Smoking has declined in developed nations
 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• The most diverse group of indoor air pollutants
– Released by everything from plastics and oils to
perfumes and paints
• Ex. formaldehyde, which leaks from pressed wood and
insulation, irritates mucous membranes and induces skin
allergies
• Ex. pesticides, which are found indoors more often than
outdoors due to seepage

• Most VOCs are released in very small amounts

– Unclear health effects due to low concentrations
 Radon-222
• colorless, tasteless, odorless, radioactive gas from
decay of U-238 found in some soils & rocks
• can seep into some houses
– Most homes are now radon resistant

• 55% of our exposure to radiation comes from radon

– May harm lungs from long term exposure.
• increases the risk of lung cancer
– Chance increase more if a smoker (synergistic effect)
– causes 20,000 deaths a year in the U.S.
• Reducing the risk
– Sealing cracks in floors and walls
– Simple systems using pipes and fans
Sources & paths of entry for indoor radon-222 gas
 Living organisms can pollute indoors
• Dust mites
– feed on human skin & dust
• live in materials such as bedding & furniture fabrics
– can cause asthma attacks & allergic reactions

• Fungi, mold, mildew, airborne bacteria

– cause severe allergies, asthma,
& other respiratory ailments

• Animal dander
– worsen asthma
 Major Indoor Pollutants
Pollutant Source Health Effects
1, 1, 1- Aerosol sprays Dizziness, breathing
Trichloroethane irregularities
Asbestos Pipe insulation, Lung Cancer and
ceilings, floor asbestosis
tiles, oven mitts
Benzo-a-pyrene Tobacco smoke, Lung Cancer
woodstoves
Carbon Faulty furnaces, Headache, heartbeat
Monoxide cigarette smoke irregularities, death,
CO has 250x affinity
for hemoglobin than O2

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Chloroform Pulp and paper mills, Cancer
water and
wastewater plants
Formaldehyde Paneling, particle Nausea, dizziness,
board, furniture, irritation of throat,
carpeting, adhesives eyes, and lungs
Methylene Paint strippers and Nerve disorders,
chloride thinner – persistent diabetes
Nitrogen oxides Furnaces, stoves, Headaches, irritated
fireplaces and vents lungs
Para- Air fresheners, Cancer
dichlorobenzene mothballs

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Radon – 222 Soil and rock near Lung cancer
house foundation,
concrete
Styrene Carpets, plastics, Kidney & liver
damage
Tetrachlor- Dry-cleaning fluid Nerve disorders,
ethylene damage to liver and
kidneys, cancer
Tobacco Cigarettes and other Lung cancer and
Smoke smoking sources heart disease
Organic Dust mites, fungal and Allergies, coughs,
Material (Living algal spores, dust sneezing, eye
Organisms) (human skin), animal irritation, sore
dander, hair, carpet throats, difficulty
fibers, fur breathing
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 Sick Building Syndrome
• A sickness produced by indoor pollution w/
general & nonspecific symptoms
– Ex. dizziness, headaches, coughing, sneezing,
nausea, burning eyes, chronic fatigue, irritability,
eye/nose/throat irritation, dry skin, nasal congestion,
difficulty breathing, nose bleeds, flu-like symptoms
• persistent set of symptoms in >20% population
• complaints/Symptoms relieved after exiting building
• causes(s) not known or recognizable

• New buildings are more commonly “sick” than

old ones because of reduced air exchange.
– Can be solved with low-toxicity building materials &
good ventilation
 Building Related Illness
• Also due to exposure to indoor air pollutants
• Recognizable Causes
• Clinically Recognized Disease
–Examples
• Pontiac Fever – Legionella spp.
• Legionnaire's Disease
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
• Humidifier Fever
• Asthma
• Allergy
• Respiratory Disease
– Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
 Reducing Indoor Air Pollution

•Little effort has been devoted to reducing indoor

air pollution even though it is more harmful to
human health than outdoor air pollution

•Environmental & health scientists call for us to

focus on preventing air pollution (especially
indoor) in developing countries.
 Solutions
Indoor Air Pollution
Prevention Cleanup or
Dilution

Cover ceiling tiles & lining of AC Use adjustable fresh air

ducts to prevent release of mineral vents for work spaces
fibers
Increase intake of outside air
Ban smoking or limit it to well
ventilated areas
Change air more frequently
Set stricter formaldehyde
emissions standards for carpet, Circulate a building’s air
furniture, and building materials through rooftop green houses

Prevent radon infiltration Use exhaust hoods for stoves

and appliances burning
Use office machines in well natural gas
ventilated areas
Use less polluting substitutes for Install efficient chimneys for
harmful cleaning agents, paints, wood-burning stoves
and other products
Fig. 19-20, p. 461
 We can reduce indoor air pollution
• In developed countries:
– Use low-toxicity material
– Monitor air quality
– Keep rooms clean
– Limit exposure to chemicals
– Allow for better mixing of indoor & outdoor air

• In developing countries:
– Dry wood before burning
– Cook outside
– Use less-polluting fuels (natural gas)
 We can reduce indoor air pollution
• The amount of air available (for mixing of indoor
& outdoor air) to dilute pollutants is an important
indicator of the likely contaminant concentration
– Indoor air can mix with outside air by 3 mechanisms
• infiltration
• natural ventilation
• forced ventilation
 Mixing of Indoor & Outdoor Air
• Infiltration
– natural air exchange that occurs between a
building & its environment when doors &
windows are closed
• leakage through holes or openings in the building
– Influenced by:
» pressure differentials inside & outside the building
» temperature differentials inside & outside of bldg
~in winter, warm air inside wants to rise  exits
through cracks in ceiling & draws in outside air
» how fast wind is blowing
 Mixing of Indoor & Outdoor Air
• Natural ventilation
– air exchange that occurs when windows or
doors are opened to increase air circulation

• Forced ventilation
– mechanical air handling systems used to
induce air exchange using fans & blowers
 What Can You Do?
Indoor Air Pollution

• Test for radon and formaldehyde inside your home and take
corrective measures as needed.
• Do not buy furniture and other products containing formaldehyde.
• Remove your shoes before entering your house to reduce inputs
of dust, lead, and pesticides.
• Test your house or workplace for asbestos fiber levels and for
any crumbling asbestos materials if it was built before 1980.
• Don't live in a pre-1980 house without having its indoor air
tested for asbestos and lead.
• Do not store gasoline, solvents, or other volatile hazardous
chemicals inside a home or attached garage.
• If you smoke, do it outside or in a closed room vented to the outside.
• Make sure that wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene-
and gas-burning heaters are properly installed, vented, and
maintained.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors in all sleeping areas.
Fig. 19-21, p. 461