title: [Environmental quality: wellfare, confort and health].
abstract: Different ways of interpreting environmental conditions have led to the development of concepts such as the sick building, indoor air quality or indoor environment quality, for understanding the complexity of the pollutants in enclosed environments and the implications thereof on the health. The "Indoor Environment Quality" proposal is an advancement, operative and conceptual, surpassing amply prior ones, given that it orients the actions toward healthy environments without limiting the idea of pollution to the air alone. The aim is identifying the competence to preventing hazards related to exposure to pollutants within the confines of indoor environments and know the legislative framework useful for taking the actions. Optimum conditions within indoor environments must redound in health, well-being and comfort with regard to both working life as well as the environments in which everyday activities outside of work, extracurricular, leisure-time and entertainment activities are carried out. Today's society is demanding safe, clean, well-climatized places, for this is necessary to integrate the inhabitant's perceptions and demands and achieve an optimum balance among social standards, energy use and sustainable development. Legislation is being further expanded upon in the direction of occupational health and safety and the regulation of chemical substances. Environmental Health carries out prevention and control tasks, takes part in the enforcement of international pollution and waste reduction agreements and promotes measures for carrying out the European Environment and Health Strategy. It is considered useful the elaboration of protocols for the evaluation and administration gives the risks associated to the interior pollutants.
authors.affiliation: Subdirección General de Sanidad Ambiental y Salud Laboral, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid. fvargas@msc.es
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vargas Marcos
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gallego Pulgarín
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011788:Quality of Life