Indoor Air Pollution

Summary

We usually think of air pollution as being outdoors, but the air in your house or office could also be polluted. Sources of indoor pollution include:

• Mold and pollen
• Tobacco smoke
• Household products and pesticides
• Gases such as radon and carbon monoxide
• Materials used in the building such as asbestos,
  formaldehyde and lead

Sometimes a group of people have symptoms that seem to be linked to time spent in a certain building. There may be a specific cause, such as Legionnaire’s disease. Sometimes the cause of the illness cannot be found. This is known as sick building syndrome.

Usually indoor air quality problems only cause discomfort. Most people feel better as soon as they remove the source of the pollution. However, some pollutants can cause diseases that show up much later, such as respiratory diseases or cancer.

Making sure that your building is well-ventilated and getting rid of pollutants can improve the quality of your indoor air.

Environmental Protection Agency

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Air Cleaners and Air Filters in the Home Environmental Protection Agency
• Ozone Generators That Are Sold as Air Cleaners Environmental Protection Agency
• Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? Environmental Protection Agency

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association American Lung Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Center for Environmental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Start Here

• Clean Air at Home American Lung Association
• Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Introduction to Indoor Air Quality Environmental Protection Agency

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Air Pollution, Indoor National Institutes of Health

Specifics

• Indoor Air in Homes and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Environmental Protection Agency
• Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality Environmental Protection Agency

Related Issues

• Maintaining Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) during Construction and Renovation National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Office Building Occupant’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality Environmental Protection Agency
• Workplace Safety: Indoor Environmental Quality Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Journal Articles

• Indoor Air Pollution