Indoor air pollution: a public health perspective

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6857273· OSTI ID:5176472

Spengler, J D ^[1]; Sexton, K

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1. Harvard Univ. School of Public Health, Boston, MA

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. 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, concentrations on some contaminants are higher indoors than outdoors, and for some pollutants personal exposures are not characterized adequately by outdoor measurements. Among the more important indoor contaminants associated with health or irritation effects are passive tobacco smoke, radon decay products, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, asbestos fibers, microorganisms, and aeroallergens. Efforts to assess health risks associated with indoor air pollution are limited by insufficient information about the number of people exposed, the patttern and severity of exposures, and the health consequences of exposures. An overall strategy should be developed to investigate indoor exposures, health effects, control options, and public policy alternatives.

• OSTI ID: 5176472
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 221:4605; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ALDEHYDES
ALLERGY
ASBESTOS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
FORMALDEHYDE
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
POLLUTION
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDUES
SMOKES
SOLS
TOBACCO SMOKES