"Indoor air quality (IAQ) is the air quality within and around buildings and structures. IAQ is known to affect the health, comfort, and well-being of building occupants."
The level of air pollution inside a building that may negatively affect the health and wellbeing of occupants.
Sources of Indoor Air Pollution: This topic covers the various sources of indoor air pollution, such as gases from wood-burning stoves, pesticides, tobacco smoke, and chemicals from building materials.
Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution: This topic discusses the health effects of poor indoor air quality, including respiratory problems, allergies, and other related health issues.
Ventilation: This topic covers the importance of proper ventilation in indoor spaces and how it helps to remove indoor air pollution while promoting the flow of oxygen.
Air Quality Testing: This topic covers the various methods and tools for measuring indoor air quality to determine the extent of pollution in a space.
Cleaning Products: This topic discusses the types of cleaning products used indoors, their chemical properties, and their impact on indoor air quality.
HVAC Systems: This topic covers the importance of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in maintaining good indoor air quality and how they work.
Building Materials: This topic covers the types of building materials used indoors and how they impact indoor air quality.
Radon: This topic covers the risks of radon exposure in indoor spaces and how to reduce it.
Mold and Moisture: This topic covers the dangers of mold and moisture in indoor spaces, their causes, and how to reduce their occurrence.
Formaldehyde: This topic covers the risks of formaldehyde exposure and its sources in indoor spaces.
Carbon Monoxide: This topic discusses the dangers of carbon monoxide exposure and how to prevent it in indoor spaces.
Particulate Matter: This topic covers the sources of particulate matter and its impact on indoor air quality.
Energy Efficiency: This topic discusses the relationship between energy efficiency and indoor air quality in buildings.
Green Building: This topic discusses the concept of green building and how it can improve indoor air quality while reducing environmental impact.
Noise Pollution: This topic discusses the sources of noise pollution indoors and its impact on human health.
Indoor Plants: This topic covers the use of indoor plants to improve indoor air quality and reduce indoor air pollution.
Sustainable Living: This topic covers the importance of sustainable living in improving indoor air quality and protecting the environment.
Chemical contaminants: This includes pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from cleaning products, paints, and air fresheners.
Biological contaminants: This includes airborne microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and allergens.
Radon: A naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps into buildings through cracks and gaps in the foundation, which can cause lung cancer.
Carbon monoxide: A toxic gas that can be produced by gas appliances and heating systems, as well as idling cars in enclosed spaces.
Asbestos: A mineral fiber found in building materials that can cause lung diseases when inhaled in fibers.
Lead: A metal found in paint and other building materials that can cause neurological damage.
Poor ventilation: Insufficient air exchange in a building, which can lead to high levels of indoor pollutants.
Particulate matter: Small particles, such as dust or smoke, that can cause respiratory irritation and worsen existing conditions such as asthma.
Ozone: A gas that can be emitted from air purifiers or electrostatic precipitators and can cause chest pain, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Formaldehyde: A colorless gas found in some building materials, such as pressed wood products, which can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat.
"Common pollutants of indoor air include: secondhand tobacco smoke, air pollutants from indoor combustion, radon, molds and other allergens, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, legionella and other bacteria, asbestos fibers, carbon dioxide, ozone and particulates."
"Source control, filtration, and the use of ventilation to dilute contaminants are the primary methods for improving indoor air quality."
"IAQ is evaluated through collection of air samples, monitoring human exposure to pollutants, analysis of building surfaces, and computer modelling of air flow inside buildings."
"IAQ is part of indoor environmental quality (IEQ), along with other factors that exert an influence on physical and psychological aspects of life indoors (e.g., lighting, visual quality, acoustics, and thermal comfort)."
"Indoor workplaces include offices, retail stores, hospitals, libraries, schools and preschool childcare facilities."
"Symptoms can include burning of the eyes, scratchy throat, blocked nose, and headaches."
"To determine the origin of the problem, investigators may analyze the air and consider lighting, noise, temperature, and any ionizing radiation."
"A report assisted by the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance can support in the systematic investigation of individual health problems arising at indoor workplaces, and in the identification of practical solutions."
"Indoor air pollution is a major health hazard in developing countries and is commonly referred to as 'household air pollution' in that context."
"It is mostly relating to cooking and heating methods by burning biomass fuel, in the form of wood, charcoal, dung, and crop residue, in indoor environments that lack proper ventilation."
"Millions of people, primarily women and children face serious health risks."
"In total, about three billion people in developing countries are affected by this problem."
"The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that cooking-related indoor air pollution causes 3.8 million annual deaths."
"The Global Burden of Disease study estimated the number of deaths in 2017 at 1.6 million."