1. Indoor Air Pollution and Health Effects

2. Why is Indoor Pollution a Threat?
More pollution than outdoor spaces
US spends 90% indoors
Countless consumer products/chemicals are used in everyday lives
The most threatening indoor air pollutants:
Smoke and soot from the burning of wood and coal in cooking fires (mostly in less- developed countries)
Cigarette smoke
Chemicals used in building materials and cleaning products

3. Other Indoor Pollution Threats
VOCs = plastics, oils, cleaning fluids, adhesives, pesticides, building materials
Living organisms = dust mites, animal dander, fungi, mold-produce allergies, asthma, etc
Sick building syndrome= when the cause of building-related illness is a mystery

4. Indoor Air Pollution Is a Serious Problem
In developing countries
Indoor burning of wood, charcoal, dung, crop residues, coal
Greatest risk to low-income populations
In developed countries
Indoor air pollution is greater than outdoor air pollution
Chemicals used in building materials

5. Indoor Air Pollution Is a Serious Problem
Indoor air pollution risk
Children under five and the elderly
Sick
Pregnant women
People with respiratory disorders or heart problems
Smokers
Factory workers
Four most dangerous indoor air pollutants in more-developed countries
Tobacco smoke
Formaldehyde
Radioactive radon-222 gas
Very small (ultrafine) particles
Other indoor pollutants
Pesticide residues, lead particles, air-borne spores (mold, mildew)

6. Case Study: Radioactive Radon Gas
Sources
Underground deposits of certain minerals
Comes from radioactive decay of uranium
Human health risks
Can expose the lungs to high amounts of radiation
Lead to damage and cancer

7. What Are the Health Effects of Air Pollution?
Air pollution can contribute to:
Asthma
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
Lung cancer
Heart attack
Stroke
The respiratory system protects from air pollutants through:
Hair
Cilia
Mucus
Effects of smoking and prolonged air pollution exposure
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema

8. Air Pollution Is a Big Killer
3.2 million deaths per year worldwide
Mostly in Asia; 1.2 million in China
150,000 to 350,000 in the United States
EPA proposed stricter emission standards for diesel-powered vehicles
125,000 die in U.S. each year from diesel fumes
Emissions from one truck = 150 cars