Indoor Pollutants (1981) / Chapter Skim
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III. Recommendations
III. Recommendations
Pages 46-56
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From page 46... ...
In view of the possible impact of these decisions, the Committee is concerned that policy, research, and economic decisions be formulated with proper understanding of their implications for the quality of the indoor environment. For specific indoor contaminants, two basic inadequacies in the available data must be resolved rapidly: poor definition of population exposures and lack of understanding of the health and welfare consequences of exposure to contaminants in the indoor environment.
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From page 47... ...
Human activity patterns and time budgets, which are essential in determining total exposures to air pollutants, are now derived from population surveys. These survey" do not require (and therefore do not obtain} information relevant specifically to indoor air quality.
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From page 48... ...
me Committee believes that Me research efforts to characterize indoor air pollution and human exposures indoors aunt continue and intensify, if we are to determine total human exposure to pollutants and understand environmental contamination and its effects on health and the quality of life. The remainder of this chapter presents specific recommendations for research, grouped by class of indoor contaminant discussed in the body of the report, and discusses the need for increased understanding of indoor pollutants in general and the need for consumer protection.
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From page 49... ...
"is study would also identify sources of indoor formaldehyde by type of building and decorative materials and would evaluate the effects of ventilation rates and other variables on Me ooncentratior~. Regular measurements over specified periods would help to identify formaldehyde emission rates of insulating building materials and furnishings as functions of temperature, humidity, ventilation rate, and material age.
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From page 50... ...
Bxposure-effect relations and the mechanism involved in the biologic effects require further animal toxico10gic research. For~aldebyde abould be restricted to the extent that Ixweehold conquer products and building products in normal use will not release potentially hazardous or irritating Punts of formaldehyde into indoor air.
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From page 51... ...
Bowever, before this survey can be conducted, there is a need to develop new instruments to record fiber counts continuously, with ~ ice determination and possibly asbestiform-fiber identification, because current sampling and analytic.techniques are inadequate. Synergistic and interactive toxic effects of asbestos fibers in combination with other air pollutants, particularly organic vapors, should be examined in animal toxicologic and mutagenicity studies.
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From page 52... ...
Pilot studies should be initiated to evaluate the extent of emission of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and their indoor concentrations . The magnitude and prevalence of decreases in pulmonary function and increases in respiratory tract infection rates among children living in homes with gas ranges and homes with electric ranges need to be determined more accurately, and there are several related issues that require clarifications · Whether the effects are due entirely to the increased nitrogen dioxide concentration in the gas-stove homes or are influenced by the presence of other combustion effluents from the Stoves, such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and particles.
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From page 53... ...
· Increase in chronic exposure. to carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and particles at low concentrations frae unvented combustion sources; this could lead to increases in respiratory infections in children and decreases in their lung function .
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From page 54... ...
Studies should begin to characterize air-exchange rates in existing buildings by building type, geographic location, occupant life styles, building operation, and observed average pollutant concentrations during the different seasons. Smaller-ecale
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From page 55... ...
Standard methods should be developed and applied to evaluate the performance of in-place environmental control systems and components. Improved methods of providing acceptable and eff icient air diffusion for thermal and contaminant control should be developed.
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From page 56... ...
EDUCATION Public education offers an effective way of reducing exposure of the population to many contaminants encountered indoors. People informed about the potential for exposure to pollutants from Consumer products, tobacco spoke, combustion products, etc., w$11 exercise sooe Control to reduce the pollutant concentrations in their environments.
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