Poor indoor air quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Poor indoor air quality - Essay Example People spend majority of their time indoors and are exposed to numerous indoor contaminants / pollutants from other occupants (exhaled carbon dioxide, second hand smoke, perfume, body odors), building materials (gases, dusts, asbestos etc), furniture and fixtures (dust mites, vapors, gases), dampness (fungus, mould, bacteria) and cleaning agents used (toxic vapors, volatile toxic compounds). High or low level of humidity, improper ventilation, infiltration, lighting and noise also effect air quality. There are standard tests for gauging the air quality and remedies for improving IAQ to the set standards that verify good living condition for us. Poor IAQ can adversely affect health of a person which are summed up as a) Sick Building Syndrome (SBS): where health is adversely effected linked to how much time a person spends indoor yet the cause or illness cannot be identified, b) Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS): where some might come under the effect, however medical opinion remai ns divided, c) Building-Related Illness (BRI): these are more serious yet less frequent cases with clinical symptoms proven linked to the IAQ, d) Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS): arises from passive smoking and increases the risk of coronary heart diseases (The International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC, 2002).