DOMESTIC INDOOR AIR QUALITY



Domestic Indoor Air Quality

Domestic Indoor Air Quality

Introduction

Air is one of the most vital resources for life, without it one even cannot think to survive. Air referers about Oxygen, which is immensely polluted in many areas precisely in the third world or in developing countries and partially destroyed in the developed countries such as United States of America, England, France, Etc (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989).

To improve air pollution requires the knowledge of the substances, which are participating in pollution. The most common primary source of air pollution in developed countries is motor vehicles. Motor vehicles are contributing enormously for polluting the air in almost all the major cities of the world. Nitrogen Oxide and volatile organic compounds come from motor vehicles, which is very lethal and dangerous for human as well as for animals and plants. The impact of their emission also has seen on ozone layer (Gold, 1992).

Some countries also highly affected with them and motor vehicles can also be considered as the major contributor in polluting the environment (Gammage, n.d).

Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health but many do not know that indoor air pollution can also have significant health effects. The US Environmental Protection Agency studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2-5 times, and occasionally more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants may be of particular concern because most people spend about 90% of their time indoors (Gold, 1992).

In the last few years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors.

While outdoor air quality and pollution have become issues of concern for many people, the quality of the air we breathe at home or at work has gone largely unnoticed. Many people suffer from illnesses or discomfort that are either caused or aggravated by poor indoor air quality (Linn, 1983).

Research Method

For this study we have utilized the qualitative research approach. Qualitative research is much more subjective than quantitative research and uses very different methods of collecting information, mainly individual, in-depth interviews and focus groups. However, since this research study is a secondary qualitative research the data that has been collected for qualitative analysis has been through an extensive review of literature that has been published in the field in the past few years.

Secondary research is often less costly than surveys and is extremely effective in acquiring information about peoples' communications needs and their responses to and views about specific communications. It is often the method of choice in instances where quantitative measurement is not required.

Literature Selection Criteria

The selection criteria for the literature were ...