What are two causes of indoor air pollutants?
Two causes of indoor air pollutants are chemicals and odors, dampness, and mold. Each contamination brings on health risks and issues in buildings. Chemical contaminant such as volatile organic compounds can be harmless due to the odors dissolving into the air, but there are many chemical contaminants that are health hazards and can cause upper respiratory issues from lead, asbestos, cigarette smoking and sodium hypochlorite (“CDC – Indoor Environmental Quality: Chemicals and Odors – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic,” 2013). Storms and leaks can affect the structure of a building-leaving mold to spread in damp areas. Building areas that are left damp for long periods of time cause unwanted moisture allowing bacteria, mold, and fungi to grow (“CDC – Indoor Environmental Quality: Chemicals and Odors – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic,” 2013).
Evaluate the correlation between health and indoor air pollutants.
Poor indoor air quality puts individuals at risk for infection and illness. Many of the pollutants that affect the air quality inside start with problems that already exist from inside the building. In addition, people are more prone to being inside and they are more vulnerable to health risks over time from the inhalation of different chemicals and fumes (Leung, 2015). This can lead to long-term health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease (“Introduction to Indoor Air Quality, “2020).
Why is outdoor air quality regulated more effectively than indoor air quality?
Outdoor air pollution has always been a problem in the environment and human health. Pollutants released into the air cause disease and poor air quality both indoor and outdoor. The connection between the ecosystem and air pollutants lets researches know if gases and chemicals are responsible for damaging environmental effects (“Outdoor Air Quality, “2019). Because of this, (ROE) indicators are put in place to monitor and track trends on pollutants (“Outdoor Air Quality, “2019). Implementing these indicators helps protect the environment and human health plus measure conditions in different areas (“Outdoor Air Quality, “2019). In my opinion, it would be hard to track indoor air quality for every workplace, home, or business, as it would be too complex to monitor each place individually. However, some form of regulation could be implemented by the owners to keep indoor air quality safe and free of pollutants to provide a much cleaner environment for individuals to live and work.