Indoor air. It is generally recognised that Australians spend 90% or more of their time indoors. Despite this, relatively little research has been done on the quality of air in our homes, schools, recreational buildings,restaurants, public buildings, offices, or inside cars. Poor indoor air quality can result in significant adverse impacts on our health and environment.
Moreover, these impacts carry a significant cost burden to the economy. The CSIRO estimates that the cost of poor indoor air quality in Australia may be as high as $12 billion per year (Brown, 1998). In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by the US EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health (US EPA, 1993). Definition of Indoor Air The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) defines indoor air as air within a building occupied for at least one hour by people of varying states of health. Indoor air quality issues. Lifetime risk of mesothelioma from Fluffy asbestos homes 16 in 100,000. While the risk of mesothelioma from living in an asbestos-contaminated house is small, an expert says anything greater than 1 in 100,000 is unacceptable. Photo: Jay Cronan Residents of Canberra's Mr Fluffy homes have an additional 16 in 100,000 lifetime risk of developing lung cancer or mesothelioma as a result of living in an asbestos-contaminated house, according to a Sydney public health expert.
Emeritus professor at the University of Sydney school of public health Bruce Armstrong, who speaks in Canberra on Tuesday, has analysed air monitoring results in Fluffy houses in the 1980s and NSW Fluffy houses more recently, and estimates an average concentration of 0.001 fibres per 1 millilitre of air inside a house that contained the loose-fill asbestos insulation. While the numbers are small, Prof Armstrong said anything over one in 100,000 was considered an unacceptable risk to public health.
"Those are the upper limit measurements that anyone has measured," he said.
Glaxo plant with Legionnaires' bacteria is quiet for 2nd day. ZEBULON, N.C. (AP) -- All was quiet Wednesday at a GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical plant that was shut down after the drug maker discovered the bacteria that cause potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease in a cooling tower at the site. Only a handful of cars could be seen in the parking lots outside the manufacturing plant about 25 miles east of Raleigh where asthma medications and other inhalable products are produced. People can contract Legionnaires' disease when they inhale water vapor or mist containing the bacteria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
It does not spread from person to person, the agency said. The cooling tower "does not come into contact with product manufactured at the facility," GlaxoSmithKline said late Tuesday. Glaxo spokeswomen have not responded to questions about whether there was any risk of indoor exposure to employees or medicines from water droplets that could carry the legionella bacteria. A U.S. Tox Town - Phthalates - Toxic chemicals and environmental health risks where you live and work - Text Version. Phthalates are a family of chemicals used in plastics and many other products. What are phthalates? Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and vinyl. Polyvinyl chloride is made softer and more flexible by the addition of phthalates. Phthalates are used in hundreds of consumer products. Phthalates are used in cosmetics and personal care products, including perfume, hair spray, soap, shampoo, nail polish, and skin moisturizers.
They are used in consumer products such as flexible plastic and vinyl toys, shower curtains, wallpaper, vinyl miniblinds, food packaging, and plastic wrap. Phthalates are also used in wood finishes, detergents, adhesives, plastic plumbing pipes, lubricants, medical tubing and fluid bags, solvents, insecticides, medical devices, building materials, and vinyl flooring. Phthalates had been used to make pacifiers, soft rattles, and teethers, but at the request of the U.S. How might I be exposed to phthalates? New Study: Common Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals That May Affect Human Reproductive Development. New Study: Common Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals That May Affect Human Reproductive Development Environmental Group Calls for Additional Testing, Consumer Awareness to Prevent Risky Exposure NEW YORK (September 19, 2007) – An analysis of more than a dozen common household air fresheners found that most contain chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said today.
The federal government does not currently test air fresheners for safety or require manufacturers to meet any specific safety standards. The study offers both consumers and officials new information on the risks certain air fresheners pose. “More than anything, our research highlights cracks in our safety system,” said Dr. Gina Solomon, NRDC senior scientist. “Consumers have a right to know what is put into air fresheners and other everyday products they bring into their homes,” Solomon added. “There are plenty of good alternatives,” Dr. Ozone-initiated VOC and particle emissions from a cleaning agent and an air freshener: Risk assessment of acute airway effects. Open Access Highlights Ozonolysis of VOCs emitted from two consumer products were studied in a 20 m3 chamber.
Formaldehyde and 4-oxopentanal were formed by ozonolysis of an air freshener. Emissions from an air freshener raised concern about possible airway effects. Terpene-rich consumer products should be tested at realistic ozone concentrations. Abstract Emissions of volatile organic compounds and ultrafine particles from a kitchen cleaning agent (cream) and plug-in air freshener were investigated in a 20 m3 walk-in climate chamber at low (~ 5 ppb) and high ozone (~ 50 ppb) test concentrations and 0.6 air exchange rate. Keywords Airway effects; Consumer products; Emissions; Ozone; Particles; Terpenes 1. Household related consumer products may contain reactive compounds that affect respiratory health among cleaning personal (Zock et al., 2010). 2. 2.1. 2.2. 2.3.
Emission testing was carried out in a full scale walk-in steel chamber (20.28 m3) with an ante-chamber (2.72 m3) as inner entrance. Biological air contamination in elderly care centers: geria project. Carpet and Indoor air quality. Pesticides | Indoor Air | US Environmental Protection Agency. According to a recent survey, 75 percent of U.S. households used at least one pesticide product indoors during the past year. Products used most often are insecticides and disinfectants. Another study suggests that 80 percent of most people's exposure to pesticides occurs indoors and that measurable levels of up to a dozen pesticides have been found in the air inside homes.
The amount of pesticides found in homes appears to be greater than can be explained by recent pesticide use in those households; other possible sources include contaminated soil or dust that floats or is tracked in from outside, stored pesticide containers, and household surfaces that collect and then release the pesticides. Pesticides used in and around the home include products to control insects (insecticides), termites (termiticides), rodents (rodenticides), fungi (fungicides), and microbes (disinfectants).
Sources of Pesticides Top of page Health Effects Levels in Homes Steps to Reduce Exposure Additional Resources. Is CO2 a good proxy for indoor air quality in classrooms? Part 1: The interrelationships between thermal conditions, CO2 levels, ventilation rates and selected indoor pollutants. Publications: The Inside Story | Indoor Air Quality | US Environmental Protection Agency. The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality U.S. EPA/Office of Air and Radiation Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6609J) Cosponsored with the Consumer Product Safety Commission Introduction Disclaimer Information provided in this booklet is based on scientific and technical understanding of the issues presented and is reflective of the jurisdictional boundaries established by the statutes governing the co-authoring agencies.
Indoor Air Quality Concerns All of us face a variety of risks to our health as we go about our day-to-day lives. In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. In addition, people who may be exposed to indoor air pollutants for the longest periods of time are often those most susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution. Why a Booklet on Indoor Air? Top of page Pollutant Sources. Indoor Air Pollution: Introduction for Health Professionals. This document may be reproduced without change, in whole or in part, without permission, except for use as advertising material or product endorsement.
Any such reproduction should credit the American Lung Association, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The user of all or any part of this document in a deceptive or inaccurate manner or for purposes of endorsing a particular product may be subject to appropriate legal action. Information provided in this document is based upon current scientific and technical understanding of the issues presented and agency approval is limited to the jurisdictional boundaries established by the statutes governing the co-authoring agencies. Following the advice given will not necessarily provide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazards that may be caused by indoor air pollution.
Introduction How To Use This Booklet Diagnostic Quick Reference. Tox Town - Indoor Air - Text Version. Why is indoor air a concern? Most people in the United States spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. However, the indoor air we breathe in homes and other buildings can be more polluted than outdoor air and can increase the risk of illness. There are many sources of indoor air pollution in homes. They include biological contaminants such as bacteria, molds and pollen, burning of fuels and tobacco, building materials and furnishings, household products, central heating and cooling systems, and outdoor sources. Indoor air pollutants in homes can include radon, secondhand smoke (also called environmental tobacco smoke), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, pesticides, lead, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, mercury, sulfur dioxide, dust, and asbestos.
Buildings built before 1978 may contain caulk made with PCBs, which may be released into indoor air. Outdoor air pollution can enter buildings and become a source of indoor air pollution.