Indoor Air Quality

The chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of the atmosphere inside of dwellings and in commercial and institutional buildings are influenced in numerous ways. Sometimes, effects on indoor air quality can be sufficient to cause people to experience significant discomfort, and even to become physically ill.

People vary greatly in their sensitivity to air pollution, both inside and outside of buildings. People also differ in the sorts of symptoms that they develop in response to deterioration of air quality. Consequently, it has proven difficult for scientists to characterize the dimensions of indoor air quality, and to precisely define the nature of the subsequent environmental illnesses that some people appear to develop. This has led to a great deal of environmental and medical controversy, concerning the extent and intensity of a syndrome of air-quality related illnesses, known as the "sick building syndrome."