Air pollution part 3

Indoor pollution and health effects

Indoor air pollution• Air pollutants can be 2-100 times more concentrated inside

buildings than outside.

• Top four most dangerous:– Tobacco smoke– Formaldehyde (in building materials, treated furniture and upholstery)– Radioactive radon-222 gas (seeps from underground)– Very small fine and ultrafine particles (circulate in air)

• World Health Organization:– Connection between poverty and environmental quality– Many people in developing countries burn wood, charcoal, dung, and

coal indoors for heating and cooking– Poor ventilation and access to healthcare

Health effects

• Each year, air pollution prematurely kills about 3 million people, mostly from indoor air pollution in developing countries.

• In the U.S., the EPA estimates that annual deaths related to indoor and outdoor air pollution range from 150,000 to 350,000.

• According to the EPA, each year more than 125,000 Americans get cancer from breathing diesel fumes.

© WHOFigure 19-16Figure 19-16

Chloroform

Benzo--pyrene

Styrene

Radon-222

Methylene Chloride

Tobacco Smoke

Carbon Monoxide

Asbestos

Nitrogen Oxides

1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane

Particulates

FormaldehydeTetrachloroethylene

Para-dichlorobenzene

Fig. 19-11, p. 453

Indoor air pollutants and their sources

Radioactive Radon

• Radon-222, a radioactive gas found in some soils and rocks

• Can seep into some houses and increase the risk of lung cancer.

Sources and paths of entry for indoor Sources and paths of entry for indoor radon-222 gasradon-222 gas.

Figure 19-13Figure 19-13

Living "pollution": dust mites, mold spores, and mildew

• Household dust mites that feed on human skin and dust, live in materials such as bedding and furniture fabrics.– Can cause asthma attacks and

allergic reactions in some people.

• Molds and mildews are sources of chronic allergies– Can cause headaches and

aggravate asthma and other respiratory diseases

Figure 19-12Figure 19-12