1. INDOOR AIR
POLLUTION
Sources and
Health Effects
Janine Bernadette A.
Pontanar
BS Chemistry IV

2. Air pollution is the introduction of
chemicals, particulate matter, or biological
material that cause harm discomfort to
humans or other living organisms, or
damages the natural environment; into
the atmosphere.
What do you mean by INDOOR AIR
POLLUTION?

3. It refers to the physical, chemical, and
biological characteristics of air in the
indoor environment within a home,
building, or an institution or commercial
facility.

4. What are the SOURCES of indoor
air pollution?

6. COMBUSTION OF GASES
FROM FIREPLACES AND
WOODBURNING
STOVES

8. DUST MITES AND
ANIMAL DANDER

9. DUST MITE FECES

10. PAINTS, VARNISH

11. CHEMICAL FUMES
TOBACCO SMOKE

12. CAR EXHAUST
SOIL

13. MOLDS AND BACTERIA

14. INDOOR WORKPLACE

15. PLYWOOD

16. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

17. FORMALDEHYDE
Sources:
durable press fabrics
Pressed wood products such as
plywood and particleboard furnishings
wallpaper
upholstery
Carpets
Detergents
shampoo

18. FORMALDEHYDE
 Glues
Markers
Paints
Cigarettes
Dyes
Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation
Bubble bath

19. FORMALDEHYDE
Health effects:
nose irritation
Eyes irritation
throat irritation/spasm
allergic reactions
Skin rashes
Headache
cancer

20. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

21. NITROGEN DIOXIDE
Sources:
un-vented gas stoves and heaters
Environmental tobacco smoke
Kerosene heaters

22. NITROGEN DIOXIDE
Health effects:
NO2 acts mainly as an irritant affecting the
mucosa of the eyes, nose, throat, and
respiratory tract. Extremely high-dose
exposure (as in a building fire) to NO2
may result in pulmonary edema and
diffuse lung injury. Continued exposure to
high NO2 levels can contribute to the
development of acute or chronic
bronchitis.

23. NITROGEN DIOXIDE
• Low level NO2 exposure may cause
increased bronchial reactivity in some
asthmatics, decreased lung function in
patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease and increased risk of
respiratory infections, especially in young
children. Death generally results within 2-
10 days after exposure to 500 ppm or
more of NO2.

24. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

25. CARBON MONOXIDE
Sources:
 Unvented or Malfunctioning Gas
Appliances
 Wood Stoves
 Tobacco Smoke
 Incomplete combustion of any fuel

26. CARBON MONOXIDE
Health effects:
 Fatigue
 Dizziness
 irregular breathing
 cherry red lips
 Nausea
 Headache
 Paleness
 Coughing
 Impaired vision and mental functioning
 Fatal at high concentrations

27. Figure 1.0 Absorption Effects of
Carbon Monoxide in the Body

28. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

29. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

30. TOBACCO SMOKE
Sources:
 cigarettes

31. Figure 1.2 Tobacco has 4000 chemicals

32. TOBACCO SMOKE
Sidestream smoke Mainstream smoke
Pollutant (mg per cigarette) (mg per cigarette)
Carbon dioxide 10,000-80,000 81,000-640,000
Carbon monoxide 500-26,000 1200-65,000
Nitrogen oxides 16-600 80-3500
Ammonia 10-130 400-9500
Hydrogen cyanide 280-550 48-203
Formaldehyde 20-90 1000-4600
Acrolein 10-140 100-1700
Nicotine 60-2300 160-7600
Total particles 100-40,000 130-76,000
Phenol 20-150 52-390
Catechol 40-280 28-196
Naphthalene 2.8 45
Aniline 0.1-1.2 3-36

33. TOBACCO SMOKE
Health effects:
 burning eyes
 Nose irritation
 throat irritation cancer
 Bronchitis
 Pneumonia
 severe asthma
 decrease in lung function
 TB
 Cancer

36. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Carbon dioxide
5. Tobacco smoke
6. Asbestos
7. Radon

37. ASBESTOS
Sources:
 Buildings
 Fireplace gloves
 Certain hair dryers
 Pipes

38. Figure 1.3 Asbestos

39. ASBESTOS
Health effects:
 asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs that
leads to breathing problems and heart
failure.
 lung cancer
 Mesothelioma
 Asbestos may also be linked to cancer
of the stomach, intestines, and rectum

41. Closed Vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana
where 192 deaths and 375 lung injuries
due asbestos were reported.

42. Indoor POLLUTANTS
1. Formaldehyde
2. Nitrogen dioxide
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Asbestos
6. Radon

43. RADON
Sources:
 Soils

44. RADON

45. RADON
Health effects:
 Lung Cancer

46. RADON
Radon is radioactive but chemically
unreactive colorless, tasteless, odorless
gas produced by radioactive decay of
uranium. Its decay products, called radon
progeny, are electrically charged and can
be inhaled or attach to particles that are
inhaled. Radon itself is not harmful, but its
progeny, particularly polonium and lead,
are highly carcinogenic.

47. Radioactive
emissions

48. 1898 Ernest Rutherford found out that
Becquerel’s uranium emitted alpha
and beta particles.

49. According to the survey of National
Human Activity Pattern Survey
(NHAPS), adults and children stay
indoor 89% of all the time, 6% outdoor,
and 5% in the car.

50. Comparison of Personal, Indoor, and
Outdoor Air pollution

51. RULE OF A THOUSAND
“A pollutant released indoors is about
1000 times more likely to be inhaled
than that same amount released
outdoors.”
-Nazaroff, 2000

53. How to avoid air pollution?
Proper VENTILATION
Proper construction of buildings
Green Chemistry

54. DAGHANG SALAMAT!!!
:DD