Indoor air pollution poses serious health risks as people spend 90% of their time indoors. Sources of indoor pollution include household products, furnishings, smoking, cooking, and building materials. Pollutants like asbestos, carbon monoxide, radon gas, and lead can cause both short-term symptoms like irritation and fatigue as well as long-term diseases like asthma, cancer, and heart disease. Reducing indoor pollution involves controlling moisture, properly ventilating homes, regularly cleaning and maintaining heating/cooling systems, limiting chemical exposures, and avoiding smoking.

1. Indoor Pollution
Syeda Shamin Mortada

2. Indoor Pollution
All of us have to go out for our day-to-day activities and
most of us worry about the risks our health is exposed
to due to the severe pollution outside. Well, most of
these “pollution risks” are simply unavoidable and to
choose to stay at home is again simply impossible. For
those who prefer to stay indoors due to the pollution
outdoors, may be surprised to learn that researchers
have discovered that the air inside your home can be
much more polluted than the air outside. If this kind of
pollution is not properly managed it can lead to serious
health hazards. And this is a problem which can be
grave in nature as we spend 90% of our time indoors;
it may be in the office, in our home or in the car.

3. Indoor Pollution
The sources of this pollution can be manifold - for
example household products, furnishings, wet or
moist walls, ceiling, carpets, poorly maintained
humidifiers and dehumidifiers, bedding, household
pets, interior building materials, contaminated or
complicated ventilation systems, improperly placed
outdoor air intakes, moisture or standing water,
heating and air conditioning equipment, smoking,
cooking, house cleaning products and so on and so
forth. Then there are the biological pollutants which
make their way in many homes such as animal
dander, pollen, fungi, cockroaches, dust mites,
mildew, moulds, plants, bacteria, and viruses.

4. Indoor Pollution
Unknown to many, Asbestos is a major interior pollutant. Found
in many products such as roofing and flooring materials, wall
and pipe insulation, cement, coating materials, heating
equipment, textured paints etc. Carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and nitrogen dioxide all of them poisonous are
released through cooking heating systems which are not
properly ventilated. Radon gas comes from uranium containing
soil surrounding the house. It can enter the home through any
openings or cracks in the foundation floors, walls, drains, or
joints. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a major source of
indoor air contaminant because it contains carbon monoxide,
formaldehyde, and many other gases and particles. Lead is also
known to be a harmful pollutant especially in the cases of
children. We may be exposed to lead: through air, drinking
water, food, contaminated soil, deteriorating paint, and dust.

5. Indoor Pollution
Needless to say that these pollutants can adversely affect our health.
Symptoms can be seen soon after exposure or even years after.
Some common signs include irritation of eyes, nose, throat,
headaches, skin irritation, dizziness, or fatigue. While some exposures
may lead to certain diseases like visual disorders, memory
impairment, asthma, hypersensitivity, humidifier fevers, influenza and
other infectious diseases. Some effects are similar to that of a
common cold or a viral problem that may make it all the more difficult
to determine the pollutant. The more severe diseases which may be
fatal occur after a long period and repeated exposures are respiratory
diseases, heart diseases, cancer etc. For example, lead affects all
systems within the body. At high levels it can cause convulsions,
coma and even death.
The good part is by being more careful and altering our lifestyle a bit
we can lead a healthy life with as little pollution as possible. If we are
cautious enough, our indoors may not be 100% pollution free but we
can be certain that our health will be safe from any serious damage.

6. Indoor Pollution
There are ways to reduce pollution indoors. The first step of course
would be to be more vigilant. The next would be to keep the house
clean. House dust mites, pollens, animal dander, and other allergy-
causing agents can be reduced, although not eliminated, through
regular dusting and cleaning. Good ventilation and maintenance play
important roles to keep interior air pollution in control. Ventilation can
be increased through installation and use of exhaust fans especially in
kitchens and bathrooms. If that is not possible open your windows to
let the outside air in. Moisture control is a key factor in controlling
pollution. Moulds, mildews and dust mites grow and increase in moist
environment. Ventilate the attic and crawl spaces to prevent moisture
build up. Empty water trays in air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and
refrigerators frequently. Heating and air conditioning system should be
well maintained and filters should be changed on a regular basis.
Please do remember to keep your carpets and doormats clean and
dry. Try to use exposures to household chemicals such as methylene

7. Indoor Pollution
chloride and benzene to a minimum. Perchloroethylene is
another chemical which we need to be careful about. It is
most widely used in dry cleaning. Studies indicate that
people breathe low levels of this chemical both in homes
where dry-cleaned goods are stored and when they wear
these clothes. This chemical causes cancer in animals.
Discourage smoking and quit smoking yourself. Smoke
combined with radon is a serious health risk. And of course
do not forget to eat and drink nutritious food and clean water.
Given above is just a birds' eye view on the whole context of
Indoor Pollution. Considering the amount of time we spend in
closed surroundings it is of primary importance that we learn
to deal with the issue. Let us therefore start off by keeping
our surroundings and our homes as clean, dry and hygienic
as possible.