- Year not given
Health impacts of indoor air pollutants
Short answer
Indoor particulate matter from biomass cooking causes acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in women. Carbon monoxide causes headaches, dizziness and death; radon, tobacco smoke, asbestos, and VOCs increase cancer and heart disease risk. Mold and dust mites trigger allergies and asthma.
What are the health impacts of common indoor air pollutants?
Indoor air pollution is especially serious in developing countries like Nepal where about half of households still cook with firewood, dung or residue on traditional stoves in poorly ventilated kitchens. The World Health Organization estimates millions of deaths per year worldwide from household air pollution.
| Pollutant | Source | Health impact |
|---|---|---|
| Particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10) | Biomass and coal smoke, tobacco, incense | Acute respiratory infection (children), COPD, lung cancer, heart disease, low birth weight |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | Incomplete combustion in stoves, heaters | Headache, dizziness, nausea; at high levels unconsciousness and death |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | Gas stoves, heaters | Respiratory irritation, reduced lung function, asthma |
| Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) | Coal and kerosene | Irritation of eyes and airways, asthma |
| Volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde | Paint, furniture, cleaning products, glue | Eye, nose and throat irritation, headache, some are carcinogens |
| Radon | Soil and building materials | Second leading cause of lung cancer |
| Tobacco smoke | Smoking | Cancer, heart and lung disease, passive smoking harm |
| Biological (mould, dust mites, bacteria, pollen) | Damp rooms, poor cleaning | Allergy, asthma, infections |
| Asbestos and lead | Old building materials, paint | Lung disease (asbestos); brain damage (lead) |
Women and children, who spend the most time near the kitchen, are the most affected: pneumonia in children, chronic bronchitis in women, cataract, and tuberculosis risk. Eyes get irritated by smoke. Sick-building syndrome (headache and fatigue) occurs in poorly ventilated buildings.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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