Blog
Home Blog EFFECTS OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION TO HUMAN HEALTH

EFFECTS
OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION TO HUMAN HEALTH

Chaitramayee
Pradhan

Department
of Zoology

Given that most
individuals spend 90% of their time indoors, mostly at home or at work, the
circumstances of the indoor environment have a significant positive impact on
human welfare(1). IAP poses a major hazard to human health and is responsible
for millions of annual fatalities (2). Major indoor pollutants are particulate
matters  like Sulphates, nitrates,
endotoxin, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals (iron, nickel,
copper, zinc, and vanadium) (3) , Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are
recognised as gases released from liquids or solids that include a variety of
chemicals such as formaldehyde (4) , NO According to research, indoor NO2 levels
are influenced by both outdoor and indoor sources. As a result, high outdoor
NO2 concentrations from sources such local traffic or combustion can have an
impact on inside NO2 levels. According to a survey, the amount of space between
buildings and traffic lanes significantly affects indoor NO2 levels (5) ,  Ozone which  speeds up reactions with a number of indoor
contaminants, but the byproducts of such reactions can irritate people and
harm.(6) , toxic metal  , radon and
biological products . IAQ in homes and buildings has declined over the years,
which has been related to a variety of symptoms and illnesses. The WHO defines
building-associated illness as any ailment brought on by indoor environmental
variables, which are typically split into two categories: Building-related
illnesses (BRI) and the sick building syndrome (SBS).  BRI identifies diseases and symptoms with a
known etiological caused by biological agents are more common, it is recognised
that causative agents can be chemicals such formaldehyde, xylene, insecticides,
and benzene. Cooling towers, humidifiers, filters, drain pans, wet surfaces,
and water-damaged building materials are typical sources of biological
pollutants that are released indoors in buildings(7). IAP effects often target
the respiratory system as their primary target since pollutants frequently
enter the human body through inhalation. Acute respiratory infections (ARIs)
and upper respiratory infections (URIs) can be distinguished based on the
region of the respiratory tract that is affected (8). According to reports,
particulate matters  can lead to CVDs by
increasing blood coagulability, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and
autonomic and vascular imbalance (9) .The release of endothelins, a family of
powerful vasoconstrictor molecules, as well as increases in fibrinogen,
platelet activity, plasma viscosity, and these parameters are all significantly
influenced by PM. Additionally, the presence of CO in indoor air is expected to
affect tissue oxygenation by influencing the synthesis of carboxyhemoglobin,
which has a significant impact on cardiovascular function (10).

 

 

REFERENCES

1.     
Leech, J.
A., Nelson, W. C., Burnett, R. T., Aaron, S., & Raizenne, M. E. (2002). It’s
about time: a comparison of Canadian and American time-activity patterns. Journal
of exposure analysis and environmental epidemiology
12(6),
427–432.
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500244.

2.     
Tran, V. V.,
Park, D., & Lee, Y. C. (2020). Indoor Air Pollution, Related Human
Diseases, and Recent Trends in the Control and Improvement of Indoor Air
Quality. International journal of environmental research and public
health
17(8), 2927.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082927

3.     
Hamanaka,
R. B., & Mutlu, G. M. (2018). Particulate Matter Air Pollution: Effects on
the Cardiovascular System. Frontiers in endocrinology9,
680.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2018.00680

4.     
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality

5.     
World
Health Organization. (2010). WHO guidelines for indoor air quality:
selected pollutants
. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe.

6.     
Huang, Y.,
Yang, Z., & Gao, Z. (2019). Contributions of Indoor and Outdoor Sources to
Ozone in Residential Buildings in Nanjing. International journal of
environmental research and public health
16(14), 2587.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142587

7.     
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/fundamentals-indoor-air-quality-buildings

8.     
Simkovich,
S. M., Goodman, D., Roa, C., Crocker, M. E., Gianella, G. E., Kirenga, B. J.,
Wise, R. A., & Checkley, W. (2019). The health and social implications of
household air pollution and respiratory diseases. NPJ primary care
respiratory medicine
29(1), 12.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-019-0126-x

9.     
Kampfrath,
T., Maiseyeu, A., Ying, Z., Shah, Z., Deiuliis, J. A., Xu, X., Kherada, N.,
Brook, R. D., Reddy, K. M., Padture, N. P., Parthasarathy, S., Chen, L. C.,
Moffatt-Bruce, S., Sun, Q., Morawietz, H., & Rajagopalan, S. (2011).
Chronic fine particulate matter exposure induces systemic vascular dysfunction
via NADPH oxidase and TLR4 pathways. Circulation research108(6),
716–726.
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.110.237560

 

10.  Kim, K. H., Jahan, S. A., & Kabir, E.
(2011). A review of diseases associated with household air pollution due to the
use of biomass fuels. Journal of hazardous materials192(2),
425–431.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.05.087

Kalinga Plus is an initiative by Kalinga University, Raipur. The main objective of this to disseminate knowledge and guide students & working professionals.
This platform will guide pre – post university level students.
Pre University Level – IX –XII grade students when they decide streams and choose their career
Post University level – when A student joins corporate & needs to handle the workplace challenges effectively.
We are hopeful that you will find lot of knowledgeable & interesting information here.
Happy surfing!!

  • Free Counseling!