Indoor Air Quality

• By: AWMA
• On: 01/05/2026 13:28:40
• In: EM Articles
• Comments: 0

by Christopher Whitehead

We spend the majority of our lives indoors. Ambient air conditions within our homes and our places of work can have direct impacts on our health. Lower concentrations of contamination over long periods of time (chronic exposure) can have the same or even greater health impact than relatively brief (acute) exposure to higher concentrations.

Outdoor air also eventually gets into our indoor spaces. Understanding contributors to these emission levels is critical to minimizing associated health impacts. This issue we are fortunate to have four authors who expertly dig into various aspects of these topics.

First, Patra and Boor detail the pervasive nature of aerosols and nanoparticles and their wide range of sources, both outdoor and indoors. Since these particles are so small, many well smaller than the thickness of a human hair, they travel freely over great distances. Gas burners and cooking stoves are primary indoor sources of such particles, but candles and other small flames burning at a steady flame for long periods of time can also contribute to indoor contaminant concentrations.

Next, Richard discusses the Chemical Assessment of Surfaces and Air (CASA) research campaign. CASA involved nearly 40 people from eight different universities running 25 unique experiments over an 8-week period, exploring how chemical and physical changes impact indoor air. Read the full article to learn more about their interesting work.

Next, Eichler authors an interesting article on the fate and occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—or PFAS—in indoor air. Since PFAS are not naturally occurring, and have strong C–F bonds, they take extremely long periods of time to break down. So, even if you remove all PFAS containing materials from a home, trace levels can remain on other materials and in the air. PFAS are known to cause a range of detrimental health effects and are a known carcinogen.

Lastly, Lloyd describes the indoor air impacts of gas appliances and potential benefits that may come from “all-electric” policies. Indoor gas combustion can release nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, fine and ultrafine particles, and under some conditions, benzene and formaldehyde. Each of these particles has detrimental health impacts. Read the full article to learn more.

We thank each of the authors for their insightful contributions and hope you enjoy reading them. Read more here.