Air Pollutants in the Home and Office

Air Pollutants in the Home and Office describes common chemical and physical indoor air pollutants including allergens, asbestos, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, radon, soot, and volatile organic and inorganic chemicals. The biological indoor air pollutants covered are mold (fungi), bacteria, and respiratory air borne viruses including the common cold and influenza viruses, and the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The introduction chapter provides information on the importance of fresh air ventilation, which is an often overlooked subject for improving indoor air quality or IAQ. The second chapter surmises the symptoms that each indoor air pollutant covered can cause, providing a starting point in the evaluation any symptoms you or your family or workers may have in your home or office. In the following chapters, the origin or generation of each indoor air pollutant is described, along with the chemical or biological characteristics. The personal symptoms when excess levels of each air pollutant are present indoors are described. Mitigation measures are described for each indoor air pollutant in order to make your house or office safe and improve the IAQ. Two additional chapters are “The Carbon Monoxide Evaluation and Checklist” and “Staging Your Life Around COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections”. These chapters provide additional information for improving the IAQ or your home or office.