Introduction

Environmental Protection Agency studies have shown that the air inside our homes and workplaces is often 3-5 times more polluted than outside air. Harmful airborne pollutants such as dust, pollen, mold, viruses, bacteria, pet dander, carpet fibers and second-hand smoke are constantly being recirculated and inhaled while indoors. According to the EPA, a person breathes in 2 teaspoons of these pollutants each day. This can result in harmful health conditions such as allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems.

According to the American College of Allergies, 50% of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted indoor air. To begin with, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) themselves declare that indoor air is anywhere from 2 to 10 times more hazardous than outdoor air. The EPA also warns us that the indoor air quality epidemic is the nation's number one environmental health problem. Today's homes and buildings are built air-tight, with energy-efficiency in mind, as a result of the energy crisis of the 1970s. Their air-tight construction keep airborne pollutants trapped inside and nature's air-cleansing agents outside. Is it any wonder that statistics for asthma problems began rising sharply around the same time that homes and buildings began to be built this way?

In fact, a recent study found that the allergen level in super-insulated homes is 200% higher than it is in ordinary homes. Plus, according to Scientific America, a baby crawling on the floor inhales the equivalent of 4 cigarettes a day, as a result of the outgassing of carpets, molds, mildews, fungi, dust mites, etc. Most people spend well over 90% of their time inside. In which case, indoor air is going to impact our health far more than outdoor air.

Air pollution contributes to lung disease, including respiratory tract infections, asthma and lung cancer. Lung disease claims close to 335,000 lives in America every year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over the last decade, the death rate for lung disease has risen faster than for almost any other major disease.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

The term "sick building syndrome" (SBS) is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building. The following have been cited causes of or contributing factors to sick building syndrome:

• Inadequate ventilation - which may occur if heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems do not effectively distribute air to people in the building.
• Chemical contaminants from indoor sources - most indoor air pollution comes from sources inside the building. For example, adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, copy machines, pesticides and cleaning agents may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde. Environmental tobacco smoke contributes high levels of VOCs, other toxic compounds and respirable particulate matter. Research shows that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations and some are known carcinogens. Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions. Combustion products such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, as well as respirable particles, can come from unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, wood stoves, fireplaces and gas stoves.
• Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources - the outdoor air that enters a building can be a source of indoor air pollution. For example, pollutants from motor vehicle exhausts; plumbing vents and building exhausts (e.g., bathrooms and kitchens) can enter the building through poorly located air intake vents, windows and other openings. In addition, combustion products can enter a building from a nearby garage.

Sources of indoor air pollution

• Carpet, plywood and other construction materials: the "new" smell associated with new carpet, newly painted walls, new home, remodeled room, etc. is actually the outgassing of the chemical solutions used to treat these products.
• Mattresses and furnishings: treated with fire retardants and other chemicals, which add to the chemical vapours we breathe inside.
• Pillows and blankets: (dust mites comprise over 50% of the weight of the average pillow)
• HVAC Systems: HVAC systems create a truly artificial environment, by stripping the air of the same natural elements that make the air in the mountains so invigorating and healthy. HVAC systems don't just take out the good elements, but they also add harmful elements to the air. Air ducts serves as a prime breeding ground for mold spores.
• Household cleaners/aerosols, insecticides, pesticides: we literally poison the air we breathe with chemical fumes and toxins when we use these products. Out of the more than 600 active ingredients in these products, the EPA has reviewed only 4 for safety.
• Moist things or humid environments
• Mold spores, bacteria and mildew thrive: in dampened towels, washed clothes and moist or humid areas. Children in homes with high mold show persistent, cold-like symptoms - 300% more than the average. Also, according to the Mayo Clinic, most cases of sinusitis is a result of indoor molds.

Health effects

Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects. Different groups of individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Some individuals are much more sensitive to pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted.

The extent to which an individual is harmed by air pollution usually depends on the total exposure to the damaging chemicals, i.e.., the duration of exposure and the concentration of the chemicals must be taken into account.

Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. In the great "Smog Disaster" in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution.

Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. It is estimated that half a million people die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.

Research into the health effects of air pollution is ongoing. Medical conditions arising from air pollution can be very expensive. Healthcare costs, lost productivity in the workplace and human welfare impacts cost billions of dollars each year.