Health aspects of indoor air pollution by organic matter and combustion products

After establishing low-pollution outdoor conditions, it has been increasingly recognized that indoor air pollution would frequently exceed the safe ambient air quality standards because of additional and poorly controlled sources indoors. Since most people spend more than 80% of their time inside buildings, it is important to evaluate the health hazards attributable to typical indoor air pollutants and their combined effects. The paper discusses the occurence and the healths aspects of the most prominent organic indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde and pentachlorophenol as well as typical organic and inorganic products. Indoor exposures are assessed and the potential health problems are discussed and evaluated.