Indoor Air Pollutants: Relevant Aspects and Health Impacts

During the last three decades, many efforts have been made to protect populations from harmful exposure to outdoor pollutants. Networks of air monitoring stations have been located in strategic places and these provide information on the outdoor pollutant concentrations to which populations are exposed. However, people spend about 80-90% of their time in various indoor ambiences (i.e. homes, offices, restaurants, etc.) and the quality of indoor air, is an important factor influencing human health. Indoor air quality is characterized by multiple determinants, such as physical parameters, chemical emissions and biological contaminations. It is a common belief that while indoors, one is safe from harmful pollutants. However, the scientific evidence has shown that indoor air at homes can be more seriously polluted than outdoor air of the largest and most industrialized cities (WHO, 2006; Franklin, 2007). Furthermore, people who constantly stay indoors, thus being chronically exposed to indoor pollution, are often the most susceptible individuals (infants, children and seniors). To understand the relationship between indoor air quality and health, it is important to further study the indoor pollutants that have the most significant effects on human health.