Indoor environments and health: moving into the 21st century.
The quality of our indoor environments affects well-being and productivity, and risks for diverse diseases are increased by indoor air pollutants, surface contamination with toxins and microbes, and contact among people at home, at work, in transportation, and in many other public and private places. We offer an overview of nearly a century of research directed at understanding indoor environments and health, consider current research needs, and set out policy matters that need to be addressed if we are to have the healthiest possible built environments. The policy context for built environments extends beyond health considerations to include energy use for air-conditioning, selection of materials for sustainability, and design for safety, security, and productivity.
Samet
Jonathan M
JM
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Suite W6041, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. jsamet@jhsph.edu
Spengler
John D
JD
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004526:Efficiency; D004779:Environment Design / Q000639:trends*; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012106:Research; D014481:United States