Disadvantages Of Indoor Air Pollution

Sinenhlanhla Nontobeko Majozi

216001599

A2

Types of indoor air pollution, their impacts on human health and the interventions to reduce such impacts

In this essay the different types of indoor air pollution sources and the effect it has on human health will be discussed as well as the intervention to decrease the impacts that indoor air pollution has on human health. Indoor air pollution refers to the presence of toxic substances in the air that we encounter in a closed environment. These substances produce particles that include a range of health damaging pollutants. Developing countries face a major health risk due to indoor air pollution since it relies on coal and biomass fuel. Evidence show that women and children are more at risk than men, since women are more exposed to indoor pollution as they spend most of the time indoor. This causes chronic diseases and acute respiratory infections (Bruce et al 2000).

Biomass fuel is the burning of materials such as wood for domestic use. Biomass smoke produces incomplete combustion resulting to high levels of indoor pollution that has an impact on human health. Substances that form from biomass smoke may contain particles that have a diameter below 10 microns and are able to penetrate deeply into the lungs causing cancer (Bruce et al 2000). The use of gas stoves, coal and wood produces carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide if the materials are not burnt fully. When pregnant women are exposed to these gases they give