What are the causes and effects of indoor air pollution?
What are the causes and effects of indoor air pollution?
Toxic products, inadequate ventilation, high temperature and humidity are a few of the primary causes of indoor air pollution in our homes. 1. Asbestos is the leading cause of indoor air pollution. Asbestos can be found in various materials used commonly in the automotive industry as well as home construction.
What are short term effects of indoor air pollution?
Short term effects of pollution include eye, nose and throat irritation, bronchitis and pneumonia, asthma and emphysema and allergic reactions. In some cases, pollution can exacerbate pulmonary issues that can lead to death.
What is indoor air pollution list some indoor air pollutants and explain their effects on human health?
Many indoor pollutants are either known, or suspected to be, allergens, carcinogens, neurotoxins, immunotoxins or irritants, while all may contribute to sick building syndrome (SBS). The set of health symptoms associated with SBS includes nasal, ocular and generalised diseases.
What are the four major types of toxic substances?
There are generally five types of toxic entities; chemical, biological, physical, radiation and behavioural toxicity: Disease-causing microorganisms and parasites are toxic in a broad sense but are generally called pathogens rather than toxicants.
What are examples of harmful substances?
Harmful substance are elements that are dangerous to human health. They are water, fruits, food and drugs that are unfit for human consumption. Examples of harmful substances are: Stale food; this is food that is spoil, food that has stayed old is not fit for the body because it is very harmful to the body.
How can you tell if water is toxic?
Toxicity refers to the effect on aquatic organisms, rather than to the concentration of the pollutants. In a typical toxicity test, Ceriodaphnia placed in “test chambers” full of sample water are periodically observed for a given length of time, for example 48 hours, and their survival (or death) is recorded.
How do you test for toxicity in the body?
Heavy metal toxicity is diagnosed by means of an evaluation of symptoms and testing for heavy metal levels. A heavy metals test may look for specific metals in urine, blood, or plasma to evaluate levels within the body. Your blood sample can be used to check mercury levels or diagnose lead poisoning, for example.
How can you measure the toxic chemicals in water?
Test strips – These are small, single-use strips that change color to indicate the concentration of a specific chemical. Depending on the particular test, the user “activates” the paper or plastic strip by dipping it into the water sample and swishing it around, or by holding the strip in a stream of water.
What organisms are used to determine the toxicity of chemicals?
Toxicity tests are commonly determined using fish, crustaceans, insects, birds, algae, aquatic and terrestrial plants, and rodents. Alternative tests may use microorganisms such as bacteria. The duration of exposure is usually included in reporting acute toxicity, for example, 96 h LC50.
How can you tell if water is safe to drink?
Often county health departments will help you test for bacteria or nitrates. If not, you can have your water tested by a state certified laboratory. You can find one in your area by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or visiting www.epa.gov/safewater/labs.
What is the test for pure water?
A physical test for pure water is testing the boiling or freezing point. Pure water will boil at 100 degrees Celsius and freeze at 0 degrees Celsius. One chemical test is to use cobalt chloride paper – the paper will turn from blue to pink in the presence of water.
How do you test for bacteria in water?
One of the most common ways to test for bacteria is to culture the water sample in a vial with a chemical reactant. The process can take up to 48 hours. Some companies test samples sent in by mail, which is one of the cheaper options.