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| superceded by airtight air-conditioned buildings.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