Cent Eur J Public Health 1998, 6(2):175-176
Home exposure to some indoor air pollutants
- University of Medicine "Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania
The indoor air pollution of houses is very important because a lot of people spend inside about 70 % of the time a day. For women working in the household, children, elderly people, ill people and convalescents the time spent inside can be about 90 % of the day time. In this study we tried to investigate the indoor levels of the nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde in 34 flats situated in block of flats of a residential area in Bucharest. The main source of pollutants was the use of gas in the kitchen. All flats had central heating. We investigated also 34 flats without gas in the kitchen, with electric cooker. All measurements were made after one hour of using gas. The levels of nitrogen dioxide in houses with gas source were higher in the kitchen than in the living-room, and in the winter than in the summer. In this type of houses, the levels of nitrogen dioxide exceeded the outdoor levels. The levels of formaldehyde in houses with gas source were higher than outdoor levels. The levels measured in the kitchen were higher than those measured in the living-roam during the winter. In the summer, the levels of formaldehyde measured in the living-room were higher than those measured in the kitchen. Formaldehyde was present also in the houses without gas source. The levels of formaldehyde measured in houses with electric cooker were higher in living-room than in the kitchen. An additional source of formaldehyde may be the furniture made of chipboards. The high levels of indoor pollutants can induce, in normal condition of living, acute effects like respiratory symptoms, eye irritations, nose and throat irritations, bronchitis and pneumonia and asthma.
Published: June 1, 1998 Show citation