July 26, 2019

Indoor Pollution

2 minutes

We mostly think of air pollution as an outdoor problem. The primary culprits are vehicle and factory exhaust as well as occasional wildfire smoke. What we don’t think about is the air quality inside our own homes.

Researchers at Washington State University have found that indoor pollution levels can be surprisingly high and that they vary throughout the day and increase as temperatures rise.

Indoor air pollution comes from a variety of sources, including

building materials, furniture, household chemical products, and from activities

like cooking. One of the most serious

pollutants is formaldehyde, which often is emitted from gypsum wallboard. About half of the gypsum used in homes as

drywall is made from waste products from the coal industry. When the material is heated, formaldehyde and

possibly even mercury can be emitted.

Pollutant levels rise in homes as temperatures increase. Thus, the highest levels of pollution occur

in the afternoon and the lowest are in the early morning. Before this research, manufacturers and

builders assumed that pollution levels were pretty much constant over time.

Building laws require that homes are structurally sound, and that

people are comfortable, but there is little regulation of air quality in

people’s homes. One of the best ways to

clear out harmful chemicals is with ventilation to the outdoors. But with increased concern about reducing

energy use, builders are making homes more airtight, which may inadvertently be

worsening the problem.

We need to balance making more energy efficient homes with protecting

our health by being aware of the dangers that lurk in the air in our

homes. Running the air conditioning or opening

windows are good things to do.

**********

Web Links

Researchers uncover indoor pollution hazards

Photo, posted October 14, 2010, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more

View all episodes

By Randy Simon

4.7

1515 ratings