Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

 7.8. 
 Indoor air pollutants 
When conducting the analysis of air pollution, the air quality 
outdoors is usually analysed. At the same time, people’s health can 
be  significantly  more  affected  by  air  pollution  on  their  living  and 
working premises (Figure 7.32).
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
India
Africa
China
Asia
Latinamerica Industrial
countries
Health 
risk 
factors, 
%
Indoor air quality
risks, %
Outdoor air quality
health risks, %
This is determined by several factors, of which the first to be 
mentioned is the air pollution in human living environ ment, caused 
by the external air supply. An example of such a situation can be 
the elevated lead and polyaromatic hydrocarbon content in the 
dwelling houses near a highway. Serious indoor air pollution can 
be caused by a variety of local sources – kitchens, ovens, as well as 
furniture, polymeric materials, painted surfaces, animals. The level 
of environ mental pollution with one or another substance is also 
affected by the ventilation of rooms. Its intensity must be balanced 
against the need to maintain an optimum temperature regime in 
living quarters.
Creation of new materials and substances result in the human 
living environ ment receiving increased quantities of new substances, 
and thereby being contaminated. For example, new insulation 
materials, cleaning products, cosmetics formulations, solvents, plant 
protection products cause human contact with substances having 
proven toxic properties. The human environ ment pollution can 
cause a variety of consequences, including immediate death. There 
are cases of death due to poisoning by carbon monoxide gas from 
the stoves and fireplaces. Even in developed countries, the indoor 
pollution may be a cause of death, as evidenced by the deaths as a 
result of legionellosis.
Figure 7.32. 
Relative 
impact of indoor and 
outdoor air pollution 
(the share of risk factors) 
on human health in 
different regions of the 
world

---

7. AIR POLLUTION
 155
Significantly  more  widespread  and  important  is  the  long-term 
effect of living environ ment pollution on human health.
However,  this  effect  can  become  evident  after  a  considerable 
time, even decades later, and therefore, using modern research 
methods (especially results of epidemiological studies) the harmful 
effects  of  substances  are  difficult  to  prove.  Substances  which  are 
characterized by this type of impact include radon, asbestos, 
formaldehyde and others. However, the air pollution in the people’s 
homes and workplaces today is considered to be one of the most 
important causes of some diseases, such as lung cancer.
A particular emphasis should be placed on the allergic influence 
of indoor air pollution, which may result, for example, in asthma.
Air  pollution  can  be  caused  by  both  organic  and  inorganic 
materials, as well as micro-organisms (Table 7.8).