Controlling Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

Abstract

Source control is the preferred approach to providing indoor air quality for public health protection. Source control includes judicious product selection, modification, or use restrictions that eliminate or reduce emissions of harmful substances into indoor air. In many cases source control may be more cost-effective than removal of contaminants from indoor air by dilution or exhaust ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning. Identification of important sources should be based on their potential health effects resulting from building occupant exposures to their emissions. Insufficient knowledge exists regarding emission rates, exposure distributions in buildings and among target population groups, and the expected public health consequences. Effective source control requires understanding emission processes, acquiring emissions data useful in manufacturers' product development and data useful for architects and others who select building materials and other products that are sources of indoor air pollution. Scientists, government, and industry are accelerating efforts to develop and improve emissions test methods to characterize the chemical characteristics and health effects of significant indoor pollutant sources.