Indoor air pollution

INDOOR AIR
POLLUTION
Sources and
Health Effects
Janine Bernadette A.
Pontanar
BS Chemistry IV

Air pollution is the introduction of
chemicals, particulate matter, or biological
material that cause harm discomfort to
humans or other living organisms, or
damages the natural environment; into
the atmosphere.

What do you mean by INDOOR AIR
POLLUTION?

It refers to the physical, chemical, and
biological characteristics of air in the
indoor environment within a home,
building, or an institution or commercial
facility.

What are the SOURCES of indoor
air pollution?

COMBUSTION OF GASES
FROM FIREPLACES AND
WOODBURNING
STOVES

CHEMICAL FUMES

TOBACCO SMOKE

Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

FORMALDEHYDE
Sources:
durable press fabrics
Pressed wood products such as
plywood and particleboard furnishings
wallpaper
upholstery
Carpets
Detergents
shampoo

FORMALDEHYDE
 Glues
Markers
Paints
Cigarettes
Dyes
Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation
Bubble bath

FORMALDEHYDE
Health effects:
nose irritation
Eyes irritation
throat irritation/spasm
allergic reactions
Skin rashes
Headache
cancer

NITROGEN DIOXIDE
Sources:
un-vented gas stoves and heaters
Environmental tobacco smoke
Kerosene heaters

NITROGEN DIOXIDE
Health effects:
NO2 acts mainly as an irritant affecting the
mucosa of the eyes, nose, throat, and
respiratory tract. Extremely high-dose
exposure (as in a building fire) to NO2
may result in pulmonary edema and
diffuse lung injury. Continued exposure to
high NO2 levels can contribute to the
development of acute or chronic
bronchitis.

NITROGEN DIOXIDE
• Low level NO2 exposure may cause
increased bronchial reactivity in some
asthmatics, decreased lung function in
patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease and increased risk of
respiratory infections, especially in young
children. Death generally results within 2-
10 days after exposure to 500 ppm or
more of NO2.

CARBON MONOXIDE
Sources:
 Unvented or Malfunctioning Gas
Appliances
 Wood Stoves
 Tobacco Smoke
 Incomplete combustion of any fuel

CARBON MONOXIDE
Health effects:
 Fatigue
 Dizziness
 irregular breathing
 cherry red lips
 Nausea
 Headache
 Paleness
 Coughing
 Impaired vision and mental functioning
 Fatal at high concentrations

Figure 1.0 Absorption Effects of
Carbon Monoxide in the Body

TOBACCO SMOKE
Sources:
 cigarettes

Figure 1.2 Tobacco has 4000 chemicals

TOBACCO SMOKE
Sidestream smoke Mainstream smoke
Pollutant (mg per cigarette) (mg per cigarette)
Carbon dioxide 10,000-80,000 81,000-640,000
Carbon monoxide 500-26,000 1200-65,000
Nitrogen oxides 16-600 80-3500
Ammonia 10-130 400-9500
Hydrogen cyanide 280-550 48-203
Formaldehyde 20-90 1000-4600
Acrolein 10-140 100-1700
Nicotine 60-2300 160-7600
Total particles 100-40,000 130-76,000
Phenol 20-150 52-390
Catechol 40-280 28-196
Naphthalene 2.8 45
Aniline 0.1-1.2 3-36

TOBACCO SMOKE
Health effects:
 burning eyes
 Nose irritation
 throat irritation cancer
 Bronchitis
 Pneumonia
 severe asthma
 decrease in lung function
 TB
 Cancer

Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Carbon dioxide
5. Tobacco smoke
6. Asbestos
7. Radon

ASBESTOS
Sources:
 Buildings
 Fireplace gloves
 Certain hair dryers
 Pipes

ASBESTOS
Health effects:
 asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs that
leads to breathing problems and heart
failure.
 lung cancer
 Mesothelioma
 Asbestos may also be linked to cancer
of the stomach, intestines, and rectum

Closed Vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana
where 192 deaths and 375 lung injuries
due asbestos were reported.

RADON
Health effects:
 Lung Cancer

RADON
Radon is radioactive but chemically
unreactive colorless, tasteless, odorless
gas produced by radioactive decay of
uranium. Its decay products, called radon
progeny, are electrically charged and can
be inhaled or attach to particles that are
inhaled. Radon itself is not harmful, but its
progeny, particularly polonium and lead,
are highly carcinogenic.

1898 Ernest Rutherford found out that
Becquerel’s uranium emitted alpha
and beta particles.

According to the survey of National
Human Activity Pattern Survey
(NHAPS), adults and children stay
indoor 89% of all the time, 6% outdoor,
and 5% in the car.

Comparison of Personal, Indoor, and
Outdoor Air pollution

RULE OF A THOUSAND
“A pollutant released indoors is about
1000 times more likely to be inhaled
than that same amount released
outdoors.”
-Nazaroff, 2000

How to avoid air pollution?
Proper VENTILATION
Proper construction of buildings
Green Chemistry

Indoor air pollution

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