Making Health Care Healthier: A Prescription for Change Bob Weinhold Abstract
Photo credit: Reuther/EHP, PhotoDisc When it comes to indoor air pollution, the usual suspects include tightly sealed buildings, poor ventilation, mold, synthetic building materials and furnishings, and chemically formulated personal care, pest control, and cleaning products. But hospitals and other health care settings may add even more hazards to the mix. Problems can be triggered by exposure to mercury, latex, disinfectants, laboratory chemicals, and hundreds of other substances. On top of the usual indoor culprits, the extra burdens added by health care facilities can affect both employees, who are continually exposed to pollutants, and vulnerable patients, who likely have weakened immune systems. Pollution issues linked to health care facilities, such as medical waste and mercury contamination, have recently come under regulation, and the health care industry is launching numerous viable indoor air quality programs, projects, and educational efforts.
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