This article first appeared in the January 2013 issue of The Safety & Health Practitioner – www.shponline.co.uk
As a consequence of the many sources of pollution in buildings, air quality indoors can often be worse than outdoors, says Simon Birkett, who considers the evidence, the impact of poor air quality on workers and visitors, and what can be done to address the problem.
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the dangers posed by air pollution are far larger than previously thought as it called again for rapid global action in reducing what it described as one of the greatest hazards to human health.
The warning was voiced at the recent meeting of the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), held in Paris, France.
Health advocates were told that indoor air pollution had become the leading risk factor for “burden of disease” in South Asia while it was ranked second in Eastern, Central and Western Sub-Saharan Africa and third in Southeast Asia.
The estimations we have now tell us there are 3.5 million premature deaths every year caused by household air pollution, and 3.3 million death every year caused by outdoor air pollution,
Dr. Maria Neira, WHO’s Director of Public Health and Environment, told the meeting.
According to the UN News Centre, ground-level ozone pollution was estimated to cause an additionally 200,000 premature deaths every year, the agency said in a press release, which notes that “burden of disease” is a calculation based on years of life lost combined with years lived at less than full health.
Air pollution is becoming one of the biggest health issues we have in front of us at the moment,
Dr. Neira said.
The CCAC, whose partners include Member States and civil society health advocates, targets so-called short-lived climate pollutants, or SLCPs, as major culprits in the damage to health, as well as the cause of crop loss and climate change. SLCPs that are harmful to human health are released through numerous sources ranging from diesel engine exhaust and smoke and soot from inefficient cook stoves to leakage and flaring from oil and natural gas production and emissions from solid waste disposal.
In a press statement marking the meeting, UNEP noted that fast action on SLCPs could “dramatically” reduce the number of annual deaths from air pollution. Efforts to lower black carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and engines were receiving “particularly strong attention” from the CCAC.
Outdoor air pollution infiltrates into buildings. Without appropriate ventilation, it accumulates and can even react with other indoor air pollutants. The Camfil Group is a world leader in the development and production of air filters and clean air solutions. With 50 years of experience in air filtration products and solutions, Camfil delivers value to customers all over the world while contributing to something essential to everyone – clean air for health, well-being and performance.
Find out how to maximise clean indoor air quality in your buildings by calling (0)1706 238000 or email filtersales@camfil.co.uk
A case brought against the government to force it to take action on air quality was heard by the UK Supreme Court of Justice in London last week on March 7. The UK’s air-quality plans on nitrogen dioxide were challenged by campaign group ClientEarth in the Supreme Court.
Image Credit: Wiktor Bubniak / Shutterstock.com
Defra faced accusations from environmental campaigners ClientEarth that it has failed to put sufficient measures in place to comply with EU air pollution limits at the day-long appeal hearing. ClientEarth said it was “hopeful” of a judgement before Easter after its air quality case against Defra (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) was heard.