THE COHEN GROUP
  Environmental Health & Safety Consulting Services

The Cohen Group Newsletter - Volume 6  Issue 3, Article 1.  August, 2004

 Health Risk of Indoor Air Pollution Said To Be Substantial

Mark Golembiewski, CIH

Indoor air pollution has been ranked as one of the most serious environmental health concerns by both state and federal agencies. In September 2002, then Governor Gray Davis signed a bill that required California's air quality watchdogs, the California Air Resources Board (ARB), to promptly address these public health issues regarding indoor air pollution. AB 1173 (which became California Health and Safety Code Section 39930) for the first time required the State to compile information on indoor air quality emissions, exposures, and health effects and to determine solutions to protect public health. ARB’s draft report notes numerous deficiencies in California’s approach to mitigate indoor air pollution in our homes, schools and public buildings.

Under this bill, the ARB was required to report its findings on indoor air pollution to the Legislature by January 2004. On June 29, 2004 ARB released its draft report to the public for comment. According to the report’s authors, this report summarizes the best scientific information available on indoor air pollution, including information on common indoor pollutants and their sources; the potential health impacts of indoor pollutants and associated costs; existing regulations and practices; options for mitigation in schools, homes, and non-industrial workplaces; and other information specified in the legislation.

Stakeholder input is now being solicited from relevant state agencies, industries, interest groups, and the public, and a workshop for receiving such comments was held on July 27 in Sacramento. Unfortunately, because of the timing of this meeting and the deadline for our newsletter, points raised at this workshop are not discussed below, but will be summarized in a subsequent newsletter article. Before it is submitted to the Legislature, the final report will undergo scientific peer review by a panel of University of California scientists.

The draft report concludes that indoor pollution causes substantial, avoidable illness and health impacts – ranging from irritant effects to asthma, cancer, and premature death –and costs Californians billions of dollars each year. These costs are said to include not only increased expenditures for health care, but also the health valuation of premature death and costs associated with reduced worker productivity.

Because there are numerous sources of pollutants in indoor environments, and because people spend most of their time indoors, the authors believe that exposure and the associated risk is substantial. They cite a long list of airborne indoor contaminants, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, environmental tobacco smoke, formaldehyde and other aldehydes, organic chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, radon, biological agents, and endocrine disrupters.

According to the draft report, indoor concentrations of many pollutants sometimes exceed health-based guideline levels or standards. Some pollutants, like formaldehyde, nearly always exceed recommended levels. Studies conducted by the ARB, the U.S. EPA, and others have shown that indoor levels of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and some other pollutants are typically elevated. Additionally, personal exposures to pollutants, especially VOCs, are often greater than both indoor and outdoor pollutant levels because people spend time very near sources of pollutants, such as when using a gas stove, cleaning solutions, or personal care products.

The authors further state that many agencies, professional groups, and organizations have taken actions to reduce indoor pollution, but these have been piecemeal and are not sufficiently effective in addressing the problem. Examples given of governmental actions include workplace standards, building ventilation requirements, anti-smoking laws, ambient air quality standards, consumer product safety standards and local wood burning ordinances.

The report maintains that there are many actions that could be taken to significantly reduce indoor emissions and exposure. The authors believe that if experience in controlling sources of outdoor pollution is repeated relative to indoor sources, many of these measures will be low cost and will provide substantial health benefits. A focused risk reduction program is needed to effectively assure acceptable indoor air quality in California homes, schools, and public buildings. A program that stresses direct emission reductions is recommended, but the authors think that education, ventilation, labeling, and advisory standards also should play a role.

Building materials, furnishings, woodstoves and fireplaces, and indoor air cleaning devices are high priority sources, according to the report authors. High priority pollutants include formaldehyde, environmental tobacco smoke, and toxic VOCs. Biological contaminants such as mold and other irritation-causing contaminants should also receive priority. Special priority should be paid to measures that reduce children’s exposures and the report makes note of the urgent need for mitigating indoor pollution in schools.

Finally, the authors of the draft report note that indoor air controls cannot be substituted for the state and national ambient air quality programs. As discussed throughout the report, indoor and outdoor pollution operate in tandem, increasing the health risk to all Californians. That means that any new initiatives to mitigate indoor air pollution must be accomplished alongside California’s decades-long efforts to improve our outdoor environment.

The full draft report (almost 200 pages) can be found at the ARB website: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/ab1173/ab1173.htm. It will be interesting to learn of the extent of comments that are received by the agency and how they will affect the final report, which is due to be submitted to the legislature some time this fall. Stay tuned for further updates.