The Safety Net

Click here to View Current Newsletter

Newsletters are in PDF Format. Click the link below to download the free Acrobat Reader:

Numerous medical problems may result from or be worsened by exposure to environmental health hazards. Almost every disease can be linked to an environmental component. Indeed, it is now estimated that 75% of all cancer deaths in the United States are caused by environmental factors. Some diseases, most notably asthma, have significantly increased over the last few decades, likely due to increases in indoor and outdoor air pollutants.

It is estimated that most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors where they may be exposed to indoor air pollutants in the environments in which they live, work, and go to school. Further, studies have shown that concentrations of pollutants may be much higher indoors than outdoors.

Health problems associated with indoor air pollutants are most commonly respiratory in nature but they may include other signs and symptoms. Differential diagnosis of illnesses related to indoor air pollutants can be difficult since many signs and symptoms may be nonspecific, associated with other illnesses such as the common cold, and linked to exposures of multiple pollutants.

Printed below is a reference tool from Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals, U.S. Government Printing Office Publication No. 1994-523-217/81322, 1994. This reference tool is a chart that lists key signs and symptoms from exposure to different pollutant groups. Please note that this is not an all-inclusive listing, yet does provide a general overview of problems most likely encountered. Following the chart is a listing of questions that clinical professionals may want to consider in screening consumers presenting with signs and symptoms possibly related to environmental pollutants.

Screening Questions: The following questions may be useful in determining if the signs and symptoms of a consumer's health problem may be related to an indoor air pollutant. Family members, service providers, and others providing support to a consumer may need to be consulted for information.

1. When did the symptom or complaint begin?
2. Does the symptom or complaint exist all the time, or does it come and go? Is it associated with times of the day, days of the week, or seasons of the year? If so, is the person usually in a particular place at those times?
3. Does the problem abate or cease, either immediately or gradually, when the person leaves that location? Does it reoccur upon return?
4. Where does the person spend his or her day? Has there recently been a change in the location or activities?
5. Has the location where the person spends his or her day been recently redecorated or refurnished? Or, has the person recently started working with new or different materials or equipment?
6. Is the person exposed to environmental tobacco smoke?
7. Has the person recently changed residences? If not, have there been any recent changes or additions to the residence?
8. Has the person or anyone else with whom the person resides recently started a new hobby or other activity?
9. Has the person recently acquired a new pet?
10. Does anyone else in the person's home or day or work location have a similar problem?

For additional information: The information in this article is from Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals, U.S. Government Printing Office Publication No. 1994-523-2177/81322, 1994. This publication is co-sponsored by the American Lung Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, The Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the American Medical Association. The publication may be accessed through the Internet at:

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html