Photo d'un couple au sein de leur habitation

Air and Indoor Environments

Indoor air pollutants, as well as other factors (noise, heat, etc.), can have harmful effects on health. Since we spend more than 80% of our time in indoor environments (homes, schools, stores, public transportation, etc.), it is essential to pay closer attention to the quality of these environments.

Our Mission

  • Collect data on the effects of indoor air pollution on human health and quantify its health impacts

  • Inform public authorities, healthcare professionals, and the general public about the health impacts of indoor air pollution

  • Promote the consideration of other environmental factors (noise, heat, etc.) to foster indoor environments conducive to good health

Who is affected by indoor air pollution?

Even though exposure levels and duration vary, indoor air pollution affects all indoor environments: schools, offices, gyms, public transportation, and even the interior of one’s vehicle. Anyone can therefore be exposed to it and experience health effects. However, certain groups are more vulnerable:

  • pregnant women due to the risk to the fetus,

  • infants and children under the age of 5 due to their ongoing development, particularly that of the respiratory system, and their behaviors (time spent in indoor environments, playing on the floor in contact with dust, and hand-to-mouth contact),

  • the elderly, due to physiological changes (less effective natural barriers and digestive system, reduced elimination of toxic substances by the liver and kidneys, weakened immune system, and frequent respiratory or cardiac insufficiency),

  • people with respiratory conditions (such as asthma), cardiovascular diseases, or immunodeficiency,

  • workers due to occupational exposure.

In addition to vulnerability factors, other factors can increase the number and concentration of pollutants present and thus increase the population’s exposure to indoor air pollutants, such as housing characteristics (dilapidated housing, absent or inadequate ventilation, humidity…), overcrowding, and the surrounding environment (air pollution, heavy traffic, safety concerns limiting window opening, and contaminated sites and soil linked to past or present activities). These factors contribute to increased exposure.