Indoor air pollutants: exposure and health effects: report on a WHO meeting, Nördlingen, 8–11 June 1982
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World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe
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42 p.
The working group on assessment and monitoring of exposure to indoor pollutants was convened by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. There have been many case reports of serious impacts on human health due to indoor exposure to formaldehyde, to carbon monoxide and other products of unvented combustion, and to a variety of organic chemicals from consumer products. The meeting reviewed current knowledge about the sources of a number of indoor pollutants of concern and considered the concentrations at which they have been reported. It found that the instrumentation available for measuring exposure was usually of acceptable quality, but that the monitoring data and knowledge about the distribution of sources and concentrations were inadequate or marginal. It noted that the types of adverse health effect to be expected were largely known, but that in many cases knowledge of exposure–effect relationships was inadequate, especially with regard to delayed effects of chronic exposures. The group made a number of recommendations on priorities and methodologies for research designed to produce more precise estimates of the impact of indoor air pollution on public health, and to develop effective strategies for the improvement of indoor air quality.
The working group on assessment and monitoring of exposure to indoor pollutants was convened by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. There have been many case reports of serious impacts on human health due to indoor exposure to formaldehyde, to carbon monoxide and other products of unvented combustion, and to a variety of organic chemicals from consumer products. The meeting reviewed current knowledge about the sources of a number of indoor pollutants of concern and considered the concentrations at which they have been reported. It found that the instrumentation available for measuring exposure was usually of acceptable quality, but that the monitoring data and knowledge about the distribution of sources and concentrations were inadequate or marginal. It noted that the types of adverse health effect to be expected were largely known, but that in many cases knowledge of exposure–effect relationships was inadequate, especially with regard to delayed effects of chronic exposures. The group made a number of recommendations on priorities and methodologies for research designed to produce more precise estimates of the impact of indoor air pollution on public health, and to develop effective strategies for the improvement of indoor air quality.