Indoor air pollution major problem in congested localities

[Naveed Yaseen]

Noor Aftab
People living in localities marred by ill-planned construction are highly vulnerable to indoor pollution, considered as ‘hidden fright,’ which is fast causing adverse effects on their health.

Hundreds of thousands of people are currently living in congested areas, especially in ‘Purana Shehr’, where construction of houses lack a proper layout plan, as they were built in a haphazard way to meet the demand of the city’s growing population.

Despite the fact that various research reports in the past clearly indicate 60 per cent of Pakistani women as being faced with diseases generally caused by indoor pollution, no large-scale mass awareness campaign has so far been launched to highlight the issue. Consistent efforts are underway to highlight factors responsible for environmental hazards but there still is a massive need to launch public awareness campaigns to enable people to completely understand the level of threat caused by indoor pollution.

Experts underline indoor smoke, the HVAC systems of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (climate control), mould (fungus), pesticides, radon gases and stagnant water as major sources of indoor air pollution that act like ‘silent killers’. Indoor air pollution can also cause infections, asthma, headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea, fatigue and even lung cancer.

According to a research report posted on a website, smoke (from tobacco and fuels) is the most common and hazardous indoor air pollutant while cooking and heating with solid fuels result in high levels of indoor air pollution. Fungus release toxic spores, which if inhaled over a certain period of time, can cause chronic inflammation and the scarring of lungs. Pesticides - applied deliberately or inadvertently in buildings to control ants, flies, fleas, moths and rodents - are toxic to people as well, as they can contaminate buildings with carcinogenic chemicals. HAVC systems also contribute to indoor air pollution if equipment and filters are not maintained properly.

One of the researches also maintained that gas and oil furnaces release carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, while furniture and carpets often contain toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and organic solvents. Coffee machines, fax machines, computers and printers also release dangerous gases like ozone (O3), which are highly oxidising.

United States’ National Aeronautics & Space Administration (Nasa), in a research associated with the development of life support systems for future space stations, has found that common indoor plants can protect against the rising levels of indoor air pollution. Nasa officials reported that findings from a two-year study suggest that indoor plants may provide a natural way to combat the ‘sick building’ syndrome - a phenomenon in which workers complain of health problems such as itchy eyes, skin rashes, drowsiness, respiratory and sinus congestion, headaches and other allergy-related symptoms.

Hira Tabassum, a Karachi based environmentalist, suggested while talking to ‘The News’ that these days, plants must be a part of the internal setting, not as a surplus item in homes, as they can help not only in reducing indoor pollution but also counter the adverse effects of contaminated air due to various harmful pollutants.

“The trend of indoor plants have become so much a part of modern living that they are seen in tastefully furnished homes, business centres and recreational clubs in posh areas,” she said and added that high light foliage plants be placed in homes that could do best with better light near windows, but there are many good low-light plant varieties as well that only need proper watering in intervals.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=187033