When alternative methods for heating and cooking are
utilised indoors and the combustion of different kind of fuels is included, a
number of pollutants are produced depending on the fuel type. This phenomenon
is called Household Air Pollution (HAP) and is responsible for more than 4
million deaths annually. Heaters that use biomass, butane, Liquid Petroleum Gas
(LPG) and kerosene, fireplaces and wood – burning stoves are some examples of
alternative methods for energy. The reason for studying different ways of
producing energy is to understand how the behaviour of indoor air is altered
correlated to the air produced by the combustion. This means that as long asheaters or stoves are used, a large number of air pollutants are produced andget combined with the existing air. Some of the pollutants produced, among
many, are the formaldehyde (CH2O), the carbon monoxide (CO), the nitrogen
dioxide (NO2), the particulate matter (PM2.5) and the nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Another significant pollutant that is naturally produced
and extensively studied for HAP, is radon (222Rn). Radon originates from thesoil and underlying rock and it enters the buildings through cracks, pipelines,sinks, etc. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) radon alongside formaldehyde
have both been established as Group 1 and Group A carcinogens with deadly
potential effects on human health that usually target the respiratory system.
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