Indoor air pollutants & their effects
Checking indoor air quality
The list below is not an exhaustive list of air pollutants. If you do suffer from some of the symptoms mentioned it is important to make sure that indoor air quality is causing these effects.
Contact the right people
If you believe that the air quality of your building is affecting your health, your first point of contact should be the building maintenance company. Together you can work out whether it is the indoor air quality in the building that is affecting your wellbeing.
Testing and analysis
To help determine indoor air quality Airlab use the latest technology and offer an extensive range of tests and air analysis services that can help you discover if there’s something in the air.
| Indoor Air Pollutants | Sources | Health Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Monoxide (CO) | Furnaces, gas stoves, space heaters, vehicle exhausts | Headaches, nausea, impaired manual dexterity, impaired vision, impaired ability to learn, unconsciousness. |
| Carbon Dioxide (CO2) | Tobacco smoke, metabolism and expired air from lungs | Drowsiness, headache, irregular breathing. |
| Nitrogen Oxide(NOx) | Combustion by-products, space heaters, gas heaters | Headaches, nausea, bronchitis, emphysema pleural edema, CNS effects. |
| Asbestos | Fire retardant materials in ceiling tiles and ventilation shafts, insulation, cement powders, roofing felts and shingles | Non-malignant respiratory tract diseases, bronchial gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancer, mesothelioma. |
| Formaldehyde (HCHO) | Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, particle board, plywood, aerosols, tobacco, smoke, flame retardant, crush-proof and shrink-proof fabrics | Respiratory, eye and skin irritations, sensitisation, headaches, nausea, suspect carcinogen. |
| Hydrocarbons and Other Organic chemicals (Toluene, Xylene, Benzene) | Copier toner, floor and furniture polish, cleaning products, aerosols, paint, carpet adhesives, office glues, liquid paper eraser products, pesticides | ENT and respiratory irritations, dermatitis, headaches, nausea, cumulative bone marrow damage. |
| Ozone (O3) | Photocopiers, electrical machines, automobile exhaust | Respiratory and eye irritations, decreased visual acuity, pleural edema. |
| Tobacco smoke | Cigarettes, cigars, pipes | Allergies, respiratory and eye irritations. |
| Micro-organisms (Fungi, Bacteria, Viruses and Spores) | Air conditioning and humidifying systems, indoor vegetation | Allergies, respiratory and eye irritations. |
| Fibreglass | Insulation materials | Respiratory and skin irritations. |
| Pesticides | Foliage sprays and powders, building premises sprays and powders, carpets, furniture, upholstery | Respiratory system and eye irritations, neurological and liver damage, cancer |