Indoor Air Pollution

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

• Indoor air quality is influenced by:

Outdoor air pollution: vehicles and industrial

plants
Secondhand tobacco smoke
Fuels used for heating and cooking
Confined and poorly ventilated spaces
Overcrowded homes and insufficient living
space
 SMOKY COOKING FUELS

• Open fire cooking stoves produce heavy smoke

containing:
Fine particles
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Strongly linked to pneumonia

In adults: chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, lung cancer
 CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON MONOXIDE: THE "SILENT
KILLER"
A COMMON CAUSE OF ACUTE AND
LETHAL POISONING
Colourless, odourless gas formed by incomplete
burning of carbon-based fuels
CO causes a leftward shift of the
oxyhaemoglobin (OHb) dissociation curve
Intoxication results in tissue hypoxia
Multiple organ systems are affected
PREVENTION OF EXPOSURE TO
CO
• Keep fuel-burning appliances in
good working condition
• Check heating systems, chimneys
and vents regularly
• Never burn charcoal indoors
• Never leave a car running in a
closed garage
• Consider CO detectors
 PESTICIDES

Spraying pesticides at home / school:

Higher concentrations near the floor
Persistence in some surfaces (carpets, soft toys)
Overuse and misuse
Children’s behaviour and inhalation of pesticides
Playing close to the floor
Plush toys
Hand-to-mouth
Object-to-mouth
 MOSQUITO COILS

Major active ingredient – pyrethrins

Long-term exposures linked to
asthma
 APPROACHES TO REDUCE
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
• Eliminate or control the sources of pollution
Improved stoves
Clean fuels (kerosene, gas)
Venting stoves for cooking and heating
Regular maintenance of cooking, heating and cooling
systems
Choose non-volatile, non-toxic building materials

• Ventilation – building design

Dilute and remove pollutants through ventilation with
outdoor air
 APPROACHES TO REDUCE
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

• Air cleaning – NOT air fresheners!

Gas adsorbing material is used to remove gaseous
contaminants