Local air pollution begins at home
Box 2 | Indoor air pollution
We usually think of local air pollution as a problem caused by cars and industry – and that is correct – but what about pollution at home? Indoor pollution can be many times higher than outdoor pollution. CSIRO scientists have been checking to see just what happens when manufactured items like furniture and carpets are placed in a home. And they have been checking the polluting effect of the materials used to build a modern house too.
The foam in the cushions of a sofa is manufactured from a variety of chemicals and some of those chemicals remain active long after the furniture has left the factory. Toxic organic compounds such as formaldehyde (CH2O) may be emitted in small quantities from carpets, soft furnishings and fabrics. Household pesticides and cleaning solvents may contain volatile toxic compounds. And asbestos insulation – once used to keep the heat in – is dangerous if its fibres are inhaled.
Sick building syndrome
If a home, or office, or classroom is well-ventilated there should be no problem from these things – but with growing awareness of energy conservation, many rooms are now quite well sealed against draughts and get less fresh air. In extreme cases this can lead to the same stale polluted air being circulated round and round inside a closed and sealed 'air conditioned' building. Not surprisingly this causes a lot of health problems, and can lead to what has been called the 'sick building syndrome'. When this happens, many of the inhabitants get eye irritation, headaches, and feelings of nausea and tiredness. These so-called 'sick buildings' often have higher than average levels of fungi spores and bacteria in the air. The answer is not to go back to cold draughty buildings, but to cause less pollution.
Building materials
The materials used to build the house itself can cause problems. Builders use all sorts of glues, sealers and fillers in modern building – and most of these use some sort of solvent as their base. The pollution levels in a new house can be quite high, and builders may have to find ways to reduce it. Good ventilation will help disperse most of the air-borne pollutants, but some items emit lower levels of pollutants for years. We may soon see house and furniture buyers being a lot more choosy about the health effects of their purchases.
The home kitchen can also be a source of pollution. This is particularly true where the kitchen has a gas oven and a less than adequate fume extraction system. One solution is to keep a window open or use an extractor fan (the type that blows the air outside) to help remove the fumes.
Solutions
Overseas, people are trying to find ways to reduce indoor pollution, and here in Australia CSIRO has been testing furniture in a special sterile chamber. When more is known about what items give off what kind of pollution, it should be possible to find ways of improving products at the design and manufacturing stage. We might also be seeing a new system of labelling used to tell buyers how 'polluting' their new furniture is! It will probably be a bit like the 'star' rated energy labels now used on fridges and other appliances.
Box
Box 1. Cars
Related sites
Breathe easy – no 'nasty surprises' in air study (CSIRO)
Personal air monitor (Australia Advances, CSIRO)
The healthy home (Your Home, Australian Government)
Indoor air quality (State of the Environment 2006, New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water)
Page updated February 2012.