New homes may risk health of young

Homes could trap pollution, says report

HOUSING: Energy-efficient homes could be inadvertently worsening indoor air pollution and risking the health of children, a report suggests.

Modern homes which are not adequately ventilated risk trapping emissions and concentrations of everyday pollutants, two royal colleges have said.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOUSING could be inadvertently worsening indoor air pollution and risking the health of children, a report suggests.

Modern homes which are not adequately ventilated risk trapping emissions and concentrations of everyday pollutants, two royal colleges said. The report, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians, contains evidence linking indoor air pollution to asthma, wheezing, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and eczema.

Local authorities should provide free indoor air testing for residents, they recommend, amid fears poor air quality is storing up future health problems.

Smoking inside, damp, burning coal and wood, dust, aerosol sprays and cleaning products can all contribute to indoor air pollution.

The authors said that, while housing design and construction has evolved to emphasise insulation and energy efficiency, ventilation provision and advice has not followed suit.

This, coupled with new sources of pollutants indoors, such as paints, adhesives, varnishes, waxes, emissions from building materials, flame retardant-treated furnishings and cleaning sprays, risks deteriorating air quality inside.

The report, The Inside Story:

Health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people, says: “Homes are also becoming more airtight, to reduce thermal losses and improve energy efficiency.

“Energy efficiency is important to reduce our use of fossil fuels and to prevent climate change, but without adequate ventilation it could inadvertently worsen indoor air quality and impact health.”

Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution because their brains and lungs are still developing.

The report warns that little is known about how different pollutants react in combination, and that the secondary pollution created when they mix can be more harmful than the original pollutants.

Air quality tends to be poorer in low quality housing, where ventilation may be inadequate or insufficient, the authors said.

Opening windows would improve ventilation but has consequences including cold, heat loss, increased heating bills, noise and security concerns, while people living in polluted areas may want to keep fumes out of their homes.

Professor Jonathan Grigg, paediatric respiratory consultant from the RCPCH, said: “We’re finally paying attention to the quality of our outdoor air and this is long overdue. It’s harder to get population level data on the quality of indoor air, but the evidence in this report paints a worrying picture.”

Professor Stephen Holgate, special adviser for the Royal College of Physicians, added: “If we ask our children to spend their childhood days in unhealthy spaces, then we’re storing up problems for future health.”

The evidence in this report paints a worrying picture.

Professor Jonathan Grigg, paediatric respiratory consultant.