اضرار
التلوث بالانجليزية
اضرار التلوث بالانجليزية
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The
different pollutants of indoor air
In our homes
there are several types of pollutants of many and varied origins, which have
equally diverse consequences on our health.
Biological
pollutants
Pollution
and health: these substances that poison indoor air
Infectious
agents (bacteria, viruses, toxins) come from living beings, or can proliferate
in some poorly maintained equipment (ventilation, etc.) Mold can lead to
infections such as nosocomial invasive aspergillosis. Allergens come from pets,
plants, molds, insects and mites.
Chemical
pollutants
Very often
found in the indoor air:
Carbon
monoxide (CO): a colorless, odorless and deadly gas with a high concentration.
Heating or hot-water heating appliances are disengaged when they are old or
poorly adjusted. The symptoms of intoxication are: headache, dizziness, blurred
vision, nausea, weakness of the legs, drowsiness, syncope ...
Volatile
organic compounds or VOCs (formaldehyde, organic solvents, glycol ethers,
hydrocarbons ...): they are found in new or recently renovated buildings. They
can be released by many materials: glues, paints, cleaning products, chemical
perfumes, felts, but also so-called "natural" materials such as
treated wood. Most are carcinogenic.
lead in old
paintings causes anemia and irreversible damage to the central nervous system
phthalates
contained in plastic, they cause reproductive disorders.
Particles
and fibers
Dust
contains particles, the smallest of which can be inhaled. It also contains
smoke, soot, pollen, spores and allergens. Fibers are particles emitted by
certain materials (cellulose, hemp, sisal, asbestos, glass wool, rock ...).
Some activities such as DIY, cooking or cleaning emit significant amounts of
particles and fibers that remain suspended in the air.
Asbestos is
infamous because it is very carcinogenic.
Radioactive
gases
Radon is a
natural radioactive gas contained in soil and rock all over the world, at
varying concentrations depending on the nature of the soil and the degree of
containment of the site.
It is not
perceptible (painless, colorless) and nevertheless dangerous, indeed, radon is
a definite pulmonary carcinogen for humans and belongs to group I in the
classification of the International Center for Research on Cancer (CIR). As
such, "exposure to radon is one of the major risk factors in environmental
health and this gas is significantly involved in the occurrence of a particularly
common and serious disease: lung cancer"
The tobacco
Tobacco
smoke contains more than 3,000 dangerous substances. It causes irritation of
the eyes and respiratory tract, may cause seizures in asthmatics, cancer by
active or passive smoking, etc. Hence the importance of airing if someone
smokes in the room. Or better, to smoke outside. As a reminder, it is anyway
forbidden to smoke in public places today.
Moisture, an
indirect source of pollution
The sources
of moisture are not lacking: shower, cooking, washing, drying (up to 1 kg of
water vapor for laundry) toilets, human metabolism (an adult produces about 55g
of water vapor per hour), water damage...
Of course,
moisture is not directly polluting, but it promotes the proliferation of molds
and mites. Moisture also degrades the glue on particle board, which releases
formaldehyde.
Outside air:
another type of pollution
Outside air
also includes pollutants, but is different in nature from indoor air. A
double-flow ventilation makes it possible to filter the air entering the
housing and therefore the dust. If the outside air is often of better quality,
pay attention to pollution peaks (ATMO index 6 or higher). It remains to
ventilate an enclosed space is essential to stir air and evacuate indoor pollutants.
