The Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have produced the report “Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution” detailing air quality as a significant public health burden. The health effects of air pollution are well recognised in terms of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Research indicates that air pollution may be associated with a much wider range of health conditions including diabetes, neurological disease and low birth weight or pre-term births.
The report considers that air pollution is not just an outdoor problem and there are a number of significant sources of air pollution indoors. The quality of the air indoors is important, because it is here that we spend the majority of our time – whether that is at home, at work, at school, in shops or in vehicles. Indoor pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions from stoves (Nitrogen dioxide). We need to consider things we use every day, from our gas cookers and cleaning and personal care products, to materials for DIY.”
Nitrogen oxides and particulates from heating and cooking appliances can damage the lungs and/or heart. VOCs can be emitted from many common items, including air fresheners and some personal care, DIY and cleaning products. As well as the health effects of poor indoor air quality symptoms such as headache, tiredness and loss of concentration (sometimes referred to as ‘sick building syndrome) from high CO2 concentrations can occur if there is poor indoor air quality.
Workplace exposure to air pollution may occur and the Health and Safety at Work Act and subsequent Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations contain much of the legislation used to control harmful inhaled exposures at work and require monitoring of workplace exposure to a broad range of harmful substances in the workplace, including allergens, asthmagens, organic dusts, mineral dusts and fibres, solvents and VOCs, gases and chemical carcinogens.
Large numbers of workers continue to be exposed, in a variety of workplace sectors, to respirable crystalline silica. While the dangers of these exposures have long been recognised, silica exposure still causes new cases of lung disease.
Southdowns Environmental Consultants offer air quality services including indoor air quality surveys, occupational dust, silica and gaseous pollutant surveys, management plans for occupational exposure reduction and emissions control measures.
