THE ROLE OF CONSUMER SPECIALTY PRODUCTS IN IMPROVING THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT

摘要

Many questions arise from the use of chemicals in the indoor environment. This paper discusses many of their functions in consumer specialty products, including important health and safety benefits as well as potential health implications. It also analyzes the nature and extent of US federal and state regulations. Product formulators conduct safety assessments of their products to assure that the products can be used safely. These assessments consider both acute and chronic exposures and effects, and consider both proper use (according to label instructions) and reasonably foreseeable misuse. There is often a failure to consider the public health and indoor air quality benefits of many of the formulated consumer products that are instead, inappropriately, considered only as potential sources of indoor air "pollutants." Many products play a key role in lowering indoor exposures to biological contaminants such as dust mites, cockroaches, bacteria, viruses, and mold, which cause significant health problems.