Brussels, 24 June 2008.
Indoor air may contain over 900 chemicals, particles and biological materials with potential health effects. When assessing the health risks to the general population and particular vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and elderly people, the principles used in the EU for risk assessment of chemicals should also be applied to indoor air. This is one of the conclusions of a recent opinion by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER).
At the request of the European Commission DG Health and Consumer Protection, GreenFacts faithfully summarised the opinion on risk assessment on indoor air quality.
A plain-language summary of this scientific opinion is now available from the EU Directorate General of Health and Consumers (http://ec.europa.eu/health/opinions/en/indoor-air-pollution/) in four languages: English, French, Spanish and German. It is also available from GreenFacts (www.greenfacts.org), a leading publisher of scientific information that was commissioned by the Directorate General to produce this and other summaries of scientific opinions.
Highlights of the SCHER Opinion on indoor air quality
Indoor exposure to air pollutants may occur in both private and public indoor environments such as homes, offices, schools and transport systems. Some indoor air pollutants come from the outside, but most are released inside the building, for example when cleaning and when burning fuel for cooking and heating. Furniture and construction materials can also emit pollutants. Dampness and lack of ventilation may further increase indoor air pollution.
Because indoor air can contain a mixture of many different pollutants, it is very difficult to assess the associated risks to health. Moreover, there is no such thing as a "typical indoor environment". When assessing risks, the principles used in the EU for risk assessment of chemicals should also be applied to indoor air.
More research and data are needed, particularly on particles and microbes, volatile organic compounds from consumer products, building dampness, levels of exposure, and effects on vulnerable populations.
Gaps in knowledge should be addressed by European-wide multidisciplinary research.
Indoor air pollutants of particular concern are carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, nitrogen oxides, naphthalene, environmental tobacco smoke, radon, lead and organophosphate pesticides.
About GreenFacts
GreenFacts asbl/vzw is an independent, multi-stakeholder non-profit organization based in Belgium. Our mission is to bring complex scientific reports on health and the environment to the reach of non-experts.
We publish faithful summaries of authoritative international scientific reports. The summaries are written in a language for non-specialists and presented in a reader-friendly Three-Level Structure of increasing detail.
GreenFacts' publications are freely available in several languages on www.greenfacts.org.
GreenFacts was created in 2001 by individuals from scientific institutions, environmental and health organizations, and businesses, who called for wider access to unbiased information on health and the environment.
About the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER)
The SCHER is one of three independent non-food scientific committees set up in 2004 by the European Commission to advise the Commission on matters of consumer safety, public health and the environment.
The SCHER (Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks) provides the Commission with unambiguous scientific advice on health and environmental risks of chemicals, biochemicals and biological compounds. In particular, the SCHER addresses questions related to new and existing chemicals, the restriction and marketing of dangerous substances, biocides, waste, environmental contaminants, plastic and other materials used for water pipe work (e.g. new organics substances), drinking water, as well as indoor and ambient air quality. It addresses questions relating to human exposure to mixtures of chemicals, sensitisation and identification of endocrine disrupters.
About DG Health and Consumers
The role of Health and Consumers Directorate General is to make Europe's citizens healthier, safer and more confident. Over the years the European Union has established EU laws on the safety of food and other products, on consumers' rights and on the protection of people's health. The DG Health and Consumers has the task of keeping these laws up to date.
It also ensures that the national, regional or even local governments in EU countries apply the EU's health and consumer protection laws and make sure traders, manufacturers and food producers in their country observe the rules.
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