Indoor Pollution

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Indoor Pollution

• Marisa McAllister
• Whitney Humphrey

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WHAT???
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Sources of Pollution

• Combustion sources gas, kerosene, wood, tobacco
• Furnishings that are deteriorating may contain
  asbestos or formaldehyde
• Household cleaning products
• Personal care products
• Pesticides
• Central heating or cooling

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AND. . .

• Radon!!!
• Radon is a noble gas
• It is colorless, oderless, and tasteless
• It is part of the decay of Uranium-238
• All radon isotopes are radioactive, but radon-222
  is the most hazardous due to its long half-life
  (3.8 days)
• When it decays it is through the process of
  fission

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How does radon get into my house?
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How does radon get into my house?

• It has been found in homes build over uranium
  mill tailing deposits
• The gas seeps through the cracks in the basement
  floors
• It is soluble so it can be easily spread
• When it further decays polonium-214 and 218 are
  created, which can attach to dust and smoke and
  more easily enter lungs

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How does Radon get into my house??
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Why is radon dangerous?

• These particles that decay release
  alpha-particles into the lungs
• These particles are not large enough to penetrate
  human skin, but they can enter the lungs through
  inhalation
• This can cause lung cancer

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How do I get rid of radon in my house?

• First purchase a test kit to determine if in fact
  you do have radon in your house
• If you have high levels of radon in your house it
  must be properly ventilated
• Or install a ventilation duct to take air from
  your basement and move it outside

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Formaldehyde (H2CO)

• A rather disagreeable-smelling liquid that is
  used in biology and industry
• Gas at room temperature, but is soluble in water

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The where and how?

• Comes from the incomplete combustion of
  carbon-containing materials, smoke from forest
  fires, automobile exhaust, and tobacco smoke.
• Can be produced by the action of sunlight and
  oxygen on atmospheric methane and other
  hydrocarbons.

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in the industry!

• Formaldehyde is produced by the catalytic
  oxidation of methanol.
• The Formox Process is an iron oxide system and is
  as follows
• 2CH3OH O2 ? 2H2CO 2H2O

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Uses in Industry

• Used in permanent adhesives (plywood and
  carpeting)
• Paper sanitary products (facial tissue, table
  napkins, and paper towels)
• Foam can be used in insulation or cast into
  molded products
• Photography

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in biology!

• Kills most bacteria and fungi and their spores
• Preserves vaccinations
• Applied to skin to treat warts
• Preserves tissues and cells
• embalming

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Health effects .. Uh oh!

• Can irritate eyes and mucous membranes
• If inhaled headaches, burning sensation in
  throat, difficulty breathing, trigger asthma,
  nausea, and drowsiness
• If ingested rise in body acidity, rapid, shallow
  breathing, blurred vision or complete blindness,
  hypothermia, coma or death.

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Health

• A safe standard as been set by the United States
  Environmental Protection Agency at 0.1 ppm by
  volume.
• Air purifiers that contain oxidants such as
  Al2O3and KMnO4 convert formaldehyde to the less
  harmful formic acid.