News Items

News Item - October 2002

"Indoor Air Quality in Australia: A Strategy for Action"

This new national report, published October 17th 2002, documents the extensive problems regarding the quality of indoor air within Australia and New Zealand.The following is the full press release from the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ).

"IT'S THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE"

Private homes, hospitals, schools and caravans are all sources of unhealthy air in Australia, and the consequent problems add up to a national health bill estimated at $12 billion every year.

The major pollutants are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, particles, formaldehyde, environmental tobacco smoke, and house dust mites.A new report released today (Thursday) calls for the establishment of national standards for indoor air quality, and a national body to take responsibility for coordinating government action.

"Indoor Air Quality in Australia: A Strategy for Action" has been prepared by the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ), and is published by the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS).

Mr Len Ferrari, President of CASANZ, said that every home has a different mix of possible sources of pollution-new furnishings, a cat, a gas stove or flueless gas heater, a cigarette smoker, or particle board floors.

"The problem is made worse by the push for energy efficiency in house design," he said. "Modern buildings are designed to seal off buildings to conserve heat, but in doing so they limit ventilation and prevent air circulation, thus trapping the pollutants inside."

"The quality of outdoor air is strictly governed by national enforceable standards (NEPMs) which are rarely broken. Why don't we have comparable standards to govern indoor air? That's where Australians spend 90 per cent of their time and where the air is commonly much worse."

"People are dying because of the air they breathe indoors. In Victoria in 2000 there were five deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning associated with gas heaters. It's time for governments in Australia to get their act together." Mr Ferrari estimated 350,000 people may experience regular, unacceptable levels of carbon monoxide due to gas cooking appliances.

The report lists twenty-one indoor air pollutants and their sources, with an action recommendation for each.

• Download the Full Report (PDF) or the Summary (HTML)
  from the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ) website.