Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/191637
Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health 1 Introduction This chapter provides basic information about the report's motivation and the conduct of the study, beginning with an overview of why the effects of climate change on the indoor environment and health constitute an important issue. It then presents the statement of task for the Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee responsible for this report, which is followed by the committee's approach to its task. The text then addresses some of the methodologic considerations that informed the committee's evaluation of the literature and concludes with a description of the report's organization. WHY THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH CONSTITUTES AN IMPORTANT ISSUE The indoor environment affects comfort, health, and productivity. People in developed countries spend most of their time indoors, so most of the adverse exposures that they encounter regularly take place indoors. Many exposures that are potentially hazardous to health are exposures to substances emitted indoors from indoor sources. Such emissions can occur from building materials; from products used or stored indoors; from processes that occur in indoor environments; from the microorganisms, insects, other animals, and plants that live indoors; and from the behavior of building occupants. Because of the contributions from indoor sources, indoor levels of many pollutants are higher than those found outdoors. In addition to pollutants attributable to indoor sources, ventilation may draw pollutants into buildings from outdoor air. Buildings offer protection 17 Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.