We usually think of air pollution as being outdoors, but the air in your house or office could also be polluted. Sources of indoor pollution include
- Biological contaminants like mold and pollen
- Tobacco smoke
- Household products and pesticides
- Gases such as radon and carbon monoxide
- Materials used in the building such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead
Sick building syndrome occurs when several people are affected, but no specific source of the illness is found. Indoor air quality problems usually only cause discomfort, and most people feel better as soon as they eliminate the source of the pollution. However, some pollutants can cause diseases that show up much later, such as respiratory diseases or cancer. Making sure that your building is well-ventilated and eliminating pollutants can improve the quality of your indoor air.
Environmental Protection Agency
- Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html
- CDC Releases Reports on Formaldehyde Tests of Trailers(07/02/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080702.htm
- Flood Cleanup(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/mold/flood/index.html
- Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html
- Indoor Air Quality and Building a Home Addition(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/homes/hip-addition.html
- Ozone Generators That Are Sold as Air Cleaners(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
- Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html
- Use and Care of Home Humidifiers(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/humidif.html
- Your Home: Ventilation(Dept. of Energy) - http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11830
- Biological Pollutants(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/biologic.html
- Formaldehyde(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html
- Indoor Air Quality(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/iaq.html
- Ventilation for Airborne Hazards(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=23037
- Clean Burning Wood Stoves and Fireplaces: Healthier Home, Cleaner Environment(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/woodstoves/healthier.html
- Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Basics for Schools(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36007
- Office Building Occupant's Guide to Indoor Air Quality(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/occupgd.html
- Preliminary Findings on Air Quality in FEMA-Supplied Mobile Homes and Trailers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FEMAtrailersFindings/
- Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html
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Tox Town(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/
- Article: Cryogenic nitrogen: a threat to safe air. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18604923&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Housing and health: intersection of poverty and environmental exposures. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18579887&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: StatBite: States with smoking bans in indoor public places. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18577743&tool=MedlinePlus
- Indoor Air Pollution -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=air+pollution,indoor[majr]+NOT+(radon[mh]+OR+mercury[mh]+OR+mycoses[mh]+OR+pesticides[mh]+OR+fungi[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+(united+states[mh]+OR+kitchen[tw]+OR+home[tw]+OR+house[tw]+OR+residential[tw])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Indoor Air Quality Glossary of Terms(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/glossary.html
- IAQ Hotlines and Resources(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/iaqinfo.html
- Indoor Air Quality Information by State(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/indoor_air.htm
- Where You Live: State and Regional Indoor Environments Contact Information(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/contacts.html
- American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
- Consumer Product Safety Commission - http://www.cpsc.gov/
- Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
- National Center for Environmental Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/community/espanol/
- Age Healthier, Breathe Easier: Solutions You Can Use to Control or Reduce Environmental Triggers(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/aging/solutions/
- Air Pollution - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/airpollution.html
- Asbestos - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asbestos.html
- Asthma - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asthma.html
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbonmonoxidepoisoning.html
- Lead Poisoning - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/leadpoisoning.html
- Molds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/molds.html
- Pesticides - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pesticides.html
- Radon - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radon.html
- Secondhand Smoke - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/secondhandsmoke.html
- Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Indoor Air Pollution is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/