Healthy Buildings '94 I. [antikvár]

INDOOR AIR PROBLEMS AND QUALITY Ir Michael J. Suess International Adviser on Environmental Healtli Hazards Copenhagen, Salzburg, Tel-Aviv (Tel Fax: +45-39-293774) The most important indoor air pollutants are examined in light of their major sources, human exposure and health effects. The paper concludes with 7 basic rules to be adhered to as far as possible to reduce any potential negative impact of indoor air on health. INTRODUCnON Indoor air quality (lAQ) is controled by physical, chemical and biological agents, and affects human health. At least in the highly developed and industrialized countries, the majority of the general population spends most of its time indoors, such as in homes, educational and cultural stmctures (i.e. schools, theatres, museums), general working places (i.e. offices and professional buildings), medical, health and sports facilities (i.e. hospitals, clinics, gyms, closed swimming pools), and most transportation means (i.e. cars, buses, aeroplanes, trains, ships, and respective land, air and sea terminals). When dealing with lAQ from a public health viewpoint (in contrast to the industrial hygiene situation), one is also concerned with people working in enclosed spaces, where the air quality is not directly affected by the nature of their work. Yet, there is a major difficulty in characterizing lAQ because of the large variety of distinct indoor environments, and within them, the complex differences in structure and furnishing, operation and strength of emission sources, and human activities. SOURCES Major indoor air pollutants, recognized to be significant, are listed im Table 1, together with their typical range of concentrations and respective concentrations of concern to human health. Pollutants primarily generated outdoors result from continuous air exchange with the exterior, most pollutants present in the outdoor air are also found iadoors. Important pollutants in this category are : suspended particulates, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (CO), photochemical oxidants and lead. In most cases, concentrations indoors are similar to those outdoors with the ratio of indoor/outdoor concentration falling within the range of 0.7 and 1.3. Yet, concentrations of combustion products indoors could rise substantially above those outdoors, when there is heavy use of cooking and heating appliances. Pollutants generated or released uidoors are the result of human action or choice. In the first, the pollutants are released only in connexion with human activity or even presence, while in the second, they are released from building materials, land or contents, generally over