INDOOR POLLUTANTS

摘要

The type of pollutants that have been determined indoors has changed over the years. While in earlier times the focus has been on the "classical" pollutants as measured in outdoor air, new insights on and concerns about, potential health effects, and the advances in analytical techniques have contributed to broaden the view and draw a more complex picture of indoor pollutants. In particular, the vast array of organic compounds has attracted the interest of analytical chemists and will continue to play an important role. Growing attention is also being paid to the study of microbiological indoor pollution. Whatever the progress in information is, it must be borne in mind that the knowledge about the qualitative and quantitative presence of pollutants indoors - as important as a comprehensive description of the status of an indoor space may be - is not an end in itself. Rather, it is only one - though important - element of the various facets of indoor sciences, which has to be evaluated in relation with its meaning for human exposure and its relevance for human health.