Long-term Health Effects From Indoor Air Pollution

Air inside a building may contain unhealthy gases or particles. Over time these pollutants affect the health of the person who spends time in the building. Particles affecting health include soot and dust. Undesirable gases include carbon monoxide, which is produced by wood-burning stoves or kerosene burners, and the naturally occurring radioactive gas radon. These gases can build up in enclosed spaces so adequate ventilation is important for environmental health. As of 2011 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was conducting research into establishing criteria for safe levels of indoor air contaminants.

Lung Diseases

• The respiratory system is the means by which air enters the body so it bears the brunt of adverse health effects from polluted air. Allergies such as asthma may be triggered by indoor pollutants such as cigarette smoke.

  Particulates such as dust get into the respiratory system and the system usually attempts to remove them through sneezing or moving the particles out of the lungs through the movement of little hairs called cilia. In a polluted environment, this system may not be able to work as efficiently as necessary and the result is bronchitis or pneumonia.

Cancer

• Air with lots of dust particulates and homes with high radon concentrations are implicated in the development of cancer, especially of the lungs. Asbestos, from sources such as insulation in homes, is another source of carcinogenic indoor air pollution.

Effects on Babies

• Infant children who live in houses where someone smokes are more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome than children who are not exposed to tobacco smoke, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. The California Department of Public Health says fetuses are affected by polluted air. Pregnant women who inhale high levels of carbon monoxide and particulates are more likely than other women to have babies with congenital defects such as heart malformations or a condition known as restricted fetal growth, where the child does not mature properly in the womb, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Heart Disease

• People who breathe indoor air containing a high concentration of particles are more likely to develop heart problems than people who breathe cleaner air, according to a 2004 statement by the American Heart Association in the journal "Circulation". Heart attacks and irregular heartbeats are among the problems caused by breathing polluted air, according to the association.