CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

ABSTRACT

Published statements have ranked indoor air quality among the top ten health risks currently facing the general public. In developed countries, indoor air has been shown to be more polluted in most cases than outdoor air, especially in "tight’: buildings designed to conserve energy where radon, asbestos, and environmental tobacco smoke pose health risks. In developing countries, cooking and heating with open stoves is the major source of indoor air pollution. Indoor sources of emissions of air pollutants include construction materials, interior fixtures and furnishings, indoor combustion, pollutants from outdoor sources, sources of biological agents, occupant activities, and consumer products such as office equipment; cleaning products; personal care products, cosmetics, toiletries; deodorizers, room fresheners; pesticides; hobby materials; toys; and textile containing products. In contrast to our knowledge on emissions from and exposure to pollutants from outdoor sources, and well-defined indoor sources of combustion, much less is known about the contribution of consumer products to indoor air pollution. Consumer attitudes and information, risk perception of and risk communication to consumers, emissions quantification, ageing of products, human and residential exposure factors, and scenarios for exposure of building inhabitants, all these factors influence indoor exposure. The paper discusses challenges and opportunities for approaches to estimate exposure to indoor air pollution due to consumer products.