| Indoor air pollution - is it a problem? | | | | recycled indefinitely, high concentration |
| Everyone knows about air pollution affecting | | | | levels can be reached. Printers and copiers |
| urban areas and industrial regions. Mexico | | | | emit toxic gases. Then there are chemicals |
| City and Southeast Asia have hit the | | | | used in the manufacture of computers, |
| headlines. But wherever there are cities and | | | | especially those added to VDUs as fire |
| industry there is pollution, from industrial | | | | retardants, which emit high levels of |
| effluents and the omnipresent automobile. | | | | pollutants when new. Even cleaning solvents |
| | | | make their contribution to the pollution. In |
| But indoors? The fact is that indoor air can | | | | some cases, prolonged exposure to this |
| be one hundred times more polluted than | | | | mixture can cause chemical sensitivities |
| outdoor air. As the majority of people spend | | | | which may be difficult to cure. |
| up to 90% of their time indoors, this is a | | | | |
| cause for concern. | | | | How can indoor air pollution be dealt with? |
| | | | Potted plants can improve room air quality. |
| "Sick building syndrome" is a phenomenon | | | | They reduce levels of carbon dioxide and |
| which emerged in the 1970s when, to conserve | | | | increase oxygen levels. Among the most |
| energy as well as to provide a more | | | | effective are spider plants, rubber plants |
| comfortable draught-free environment, many | | | | and yucca. Plants can even be used to |
| naturally ventilated buildings were | | | | monitor pollution. Plants can wither from |
| superceded by airtight air-conditioned | | | | pollutants before people start to sicken from |
| buildings. It is used to describe a situation | | | | them. |
| in which a substantial proportion of a | | | | |
| building's occupants report a number of | | | | Regular maintenance of air conditioning |
| symptoms while occupying that building. It is | | | | systems is essential in centrally-controlled |
| estimated that as many as one third of U.S. | | | | air-conditioned buildings. This should |
| buildings suffer from sick building syndrome. | | | | include coil, fins and filters for the |
| Symptoms experienced by people vary as widely | | | | equipment to function effectively. The most |
| as drowsiness, lethargy, nausea, headaches, | | | | important maintenance task is cleaning or |
| nosebleeds, dizziness and respiratory | | | | replacement of filters. Not only do clogged, |
| problems. | | | | dirty filters block normal air flow, but also |
| | | | can directly reduce the effective working |
| What are the sources of indoor air pollution? | | | | life of the equipment. Not to be overlooked |
| Tobacco smoke is a major culprit, with its | | | | is the correctinstallation of |
| lethal cocktail of toxic chemicals. | | | | air-conditioning systems in the first place. |
| Insulation, synthetic fabrics, treated wood | | | | Air intake ducts need to be properly located. |
| and carpets,especially when new, release | | | | If they are placed in polluted areas, the |
| potentially harmful chemicals, such as | | | | system will actually bring polluted air into |
| formaldehyde, into the air. When this air is | | | | the building. |