Brittney Scarborough
SCI/ 275
February 6, 2015
University of PhoenixAssociate Level Material
Indoor Air Pollution
Resources: Chapter 19 of Environmental Science and the EPA web site, “Introduction to Air Quality”. Retrieved from, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html
Complete the following chart:
Pollutant
Sources
Health effects
Is Your Risk Level Acceptable?
Solutions
Sustainable Replacements, when appropriate
Radon
Natural decay of uranium found in almost all soils.
Radon leaks into homes through walls, floors, and water.
Lung cancer
Acceptable, because the risk of indoor air pollution of radon is low
Seal cracks
Build vent system.
Not applicable
Mold
Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores come through indoor and outdoor air continually. Once mold spores land on a damp surface they grow and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive.
Nasal stuffiness
Eye irritation
Skin irritation,
Fever
Shortness of breath.
Obstructive lung disease
Mold infection in lungs
Acceptable, the only mold that is found in the house, tends to be the toilet, which I clean every other day
Control air moisture
Dry water damaged areas within 24 hours to prevent mold growth
Fix leaky plumbing
Not applicable
Formaldehyde
Colorless, flammable gas at room temperature. Found in resins used in manufacture of composite wood products, building materials, insulation, glues, paints, paper products, fertilizer, pesticides, and preservatives used in some medications, cosmetics, cigarette smoke, fuel burning appliances, etc. It is a byproduct of combustion and other natural processes.
Skin irritation
Eye irritation
Nose irritation
Throat irritation High levels of exposure cause many types of cancers
Acceptable, I do not use many of the products that contain formaldehyde. I really only use cosmetics
Emission standards for composite wood products
softwood plywood
Composites of wood fiber
Composites of polypropylene thermoplastics
References: An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). (2015). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html Jones & Bartlett. (2015). Environmental Science (9th Ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection.