The quality of the air in enclosed spaces also poses health risks.

-Systems of ventilation and air conditioning, building materials and architectural design of the buildings influence the quality of the air

-COPD and respiratory tract tumors are main diseases causing death attributable to poor indoor air quality

SpainMarch of 2013.- human spends about 80% of their time indoors. Schools, Office, workshop, the shopping centres and of course housing tend to be places where we spend more hours of our lives. However, when we talk about contamination of the air always we think about traffic and smoke from factories or power plants, rarely we consider what is the quality of the air we breathe in our everyday environment. An articulated entitled indoor air pollution and its impact on respiratory pathology ” published in Bronconeumología files, the scientific journal of the Spanish society of Pneumology and thoracic surgery, SEPAR, explains how indoor air pollutants are also a risk factor for lung health. In children, the COPD respiratory tract infections and tumors in the airway in adults are main diseases causing death attributable to poor indoor air quality.

To the variety of causes and risk factors, the lung specialists believe that necessary to standardize systems measurement and monitoring of exposure to help prevent health effects that may have poor indoor air quality. Contaminants in indoor air have been associated with multiple respiratory diseases, some with high level of evidence – as in the case of asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, rhinitis or Lung Cancer and others with less evidence, but with data that suggest certain strong – such as Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis or pulmonary tuberculosis ” explains Dr. Ramón Fernández ÁAlvarez, Coordinator of the Area of Medio.

Polluting potential indoor air and therefore pathological processes derived from them are different depending on the level of income or geographic location. If in less developed countries the contamination originates mainly in the use of biomass for cooking or heating the House and the lack of ventilation, in developed countries, such as Spain, the pollution is given by the architecture of the buildings, building materialsventilation and air conditioning systems and own outdoor pollution.

Ventilation aims to provide sufficient air to dilute the possible contaminants, but ventilation may not be useful when its volume is inadequate, there is a high level of recycling or inefficient distribution that leaves areas without ventilation, thus raising the level of contaminants. On the other hand, air conditioning maintenance systems are associated with an increase in respiratory, ocular or cutaneous symptoms of occupants. The clearest example of the harmful effects of poor ventilation or air conditioning systems maintenance are outbreaks of Legionella occurring intermittently in Spain.

From abroad also produced the input of pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide generated in power plants and industrial processes. Other contaminants are filtered through the foundations of the building (gasoline vapors, fumes from sewer and radon). The increase in NO2 levels in indoor air has been linked to increased frequency of nocturnal cough, wheezing, and use of medication bronchodilator, both children and adults.

Building materials, furniture and the use of chemicals affect the air quality. Thus, heating appliances, cookers, stoves, refrigerators or gas ovens can release different pollutants. The main is the CO or carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas that occurs when combustion is not good. At low concentrations can produce respiratory symptoms in healthy individuals and exacerbations in patients with chronic cardiopulmonary disease, since it decreases the supply of oxygen to the tissues. It is common in winter CO poisoning because of stoves that do not work well.

Glass fibers used as insulating material in air conditioning systems easily degrade and break down into particles that can be incorporated into the air ducts and reach the lung tissue by inhaled. also the asbestos used in insulation materials can emit fibers. Although it is a use not recommended by the who material it should not be forgotten that it is present in many older buildings, and it may be source of contamination during maintenance and rehabilitation work. Asbestos is clearly recognized as a carcinogen.

The leak of toxic gases through the soil under homes or water services can produce indoor air pollution. The main source is the radioactive gas radon emissions. Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless, gas weighing a 7 times greater than air, which is emitted by the decay of uranium in rocks and the Earth. Radon seeps through the ground, spreads in the air, and concentrates on closed and little ventilated spaces. Inhalation continued at high levels increases the risk of lung cancer.

Levels that can reach the radon depend on the geological characteristics of the land, the construction and ventilation of the building materials. In a recent study we noted that for each 100Bq/m3 of radon increased, mortality from COPD increased 13%. Radon was first identified as a cause of cancer environmental agent.

Rooms furnishings and products used in the cleaning and in artistic and artisanal activities are a source of emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde, benzene or toluene. Formaldehyde has been classified as a human carcinogen, and its presence in plywood, panels and granules used in the furniture industry is common. Aging also favors increasing its concentration in the air, appears during the first months of ageing of some varnishes. Benzene is carcinogenic that has as main sources paints, resins, oils, plastics and detergents.

VOCs penetrate easily in the airway by its ability to arise in the form of vapors or gases. Recent studies confirm an increase in the prevalence of asthma in children from 3% per each 10μg/m3 increase in formaldehyde levels. A study case-control study with children demonstrates that the other VOCs such as acetaldehyde or toluene exposure significantly increases the prevalence of asthma.

Endotoxin, bacterial, fungi and dust mites are the main biological pollutants. These contaminant levels are highly variable and are modified depending on the weather and cleaning. The accumulation of organic material serves as a nutrient to fungi and bacteria, so the wood, paper, paint and carpets can harbor microorganisms.

Most antigens in indoor air come from the dust and mites of fungi present in bedding, carpets and furniture. It has shown that exposure to the dust mite is a fundamental factor in awareness-raising and the development of atopic disease. Exposure to fungi can cause allergies, infection, and irritating effects. Also has been linked with the prevalence of asthma, with worse disease control or more exacerbations moisture and heat support your growth and you can find showers or basements with high humidity levels, and also in the water of the humidifiers or in its filters.