Summarize sources of indoor air pollution

For this assignment, you will write an essay that incorporates the following elements:

Summarize sources of indoor air pollution:

• Discuss at least three specific indoor air pollutants and their sources.
• Discuss air quality regulations related to the air pollutants chosen.
• Describe how indoor air pollutants in commercial businesses may differ from those in homes.
• Refer to Figure 11.1 in the textbook. What pollutant is being measured? Were people exposed to a higher concentration of this pollutant in an indoor or an outdoor environment?
• According to Table 11.3 in the textbook, which energy source for cooking in developing countries results in the highest PM concentration? Explain why this source results in such a high PM concentration.
• Explain your personal experiences with indoor air pollutants.

Analyze indoor air pollutant removal:

• Assess indoor air pollutant removal methods for at least three different indoor air pollutants.
• If a radon sensor indicates a decay rate of 4.3 pCi/liter, determine the number of atomic disintegrations per minute per liter. Show your work.
• Does a home with a radon decay rate of 4.3 pCi/liter require fixing? Explain.
• Describe remedies at your home or work that are used to treat or remove indoor air pollution.

The essay should flow smoothly from topic to topic with thoughtful transitions and section headings. Include a strong introduction.

TABLE 11.3

Indoor Airborne Particulate Matter (TSP) Concentrations Associated with Biomass Cooking in Developing Countries

Location/Report Year  Measurement Conditions  PM Concentration (μg/m3)

Papua, New Guinea
1968
Overnight, floor level
200–4,900

1975
Overnight, sitting level
200–9,000

India
1982
Cooking with wood
15,000

1988
Cooking with dung
18,000

Cooking with charcoal
5,500

Cooking, measured near ceiling
4,000–21,000

Nepal, 1986
Cooking with wood
8,800

China, 1987
Cooking with wood
2,600

Gambia, 1988
24 h
1,000–2,500

Kenya, 1987
24 h
1,200–1,900

Source: Smith, K.R., School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.
Godish, T., Davis, W. T., & Fu, J. S. (2021). Air quality (6th ed.). CRC Press.

FIGURE 11.1

In National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs) promulgated under clean air legislation, there is an implicit (although unrealistic) assumption that exposures occur similarly in both ambient and indoor environments. They do not, as a consequence, take into account actual (personal) exposures. Scientific studies have shown that such personal exposures are often considerably different from those implied in NAAQSs. Differences in outdoor, indoor, and personal exposures to respirable particles (RSPs) in a Topeka, KS, study can be seen in Figure 11.1. Note that although all three exposure measures track each other, indoor exposures are greater than outdoor exposures, and for the most part, personal exposures are greater than indoor exposures. Personal exposures include different environments and activities, including motor vehicle travel and hobbies. Research conducted on personal pollution exposures to criteria pollutants indicates that exposures inferred from fixed-site monitoring stations may be significantly less than those experienced by a significant portion of the U.S. population.

FIGURE 11.1 Indoor, outdoor, and personal exposure of Topeka, KS, residents to RSPs. (Courtesy of Spengler, J.D., School of Public Healtkovh, Harvard University, Boston, MA.)