INDOOR AIR CONTAMINANTSOver the past decade or so, indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a growing environmental issue. An increasing number of health and comfort problems have been reported in office buildings, schools, residences, and similar nonindustrial settings. Many books and scientific articles have dealt with the nature of IAQ problems. The first comprehensive review of indoor air was published in 1981.' Comprehensive compilations of more recent research articles can be found in the proceedings of the past three triennial international conferences on IAQ and Concerns range from vague dissatisfaction to frank irritation to chronic disease. Common terms found in the literature to classify the health and comfort effects of symptoms are:Irritation of eyes, nose, upper airways, throat, and skin. Odors. Respiratory function decreases in nonasthmatics including wheezing, cough, Neurological symptoms including nausea, dizziness, headache, loss of coordi-Immunological reactions including inflammatory reactions, delayed hypersen-Asthma (aggravation). Cancer. Respiratory infections. Increased susceptibility to infections or adverse responses to chemical sub-Indoor air contaminants thought to cause the adverse effects span a range of chemical, physical, and biological species. Well-known agents include tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, asbestos, radon, and legionella bacteria. The air in most buildings also contains a mixture of organic vapors, inorganic gases, nonviable particles, and microbial particles. The concentrations of contaminants are often higher than found outdoors. Because most people spend 80% or more of their time indoors, their exposures to indoor contaminants are often higher still.The biologically relevant exposure time is seldom known, especially for mixtures as complex as those found indoors. Individual chemical species are usually 1 chest tightness, and shortness of breath. nation, tiredness, and loss of concentration. sitivity, and immediate hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions.stances.
