Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

ChloroformSource: Chlorine-treatedwater in hot showersPossible threat: CancerPara-dichlorobenzeneSource: Air fresheners,mothball crystalsThreat: CancerTetrachloroethyleneSource: Dry-cleaning fluidfumes on clothesThreat: Nerve disorders,damage to liver and kidneys,possible cancer1, 1, 1-TrichloroethaneSource: Aerosol spraysThreat: Dizziness, irregularbreathingFormaldehydeSource: Furniture stuffing,paneling, particleboard, foaminsulationThreat: Irritation of eyes, throat,skin, and lungs; nausea; dizzinessNitrogen OxidesSource: Unvented gas stoves andkerosene heaters, woodstovesThreat: Irritated lungs, children’scolds, headachesAsbestosSource: Pipe insulation,vinyl ceiling and floor tilesThreat: Lung disease, lungcancerCarbon MonoxideSource: Faulty furnaces,unvented gas stoves and keroseneheaters, woodstovesThreat: Headaches, drowsiness,irregular heartbeat, deathTobacco SmokeSource: CigarettesThreat: Lung cancer, respiratoryailments, heart diseasesMethylene ChlorideSource: Paint strippersand thinnersThreat: Nerve disorders,diabetesBenzo-α-pyreneSource: Tobacco smoke,woodstovesThreat: Lung cancerStyreneSource: Carpets, plastic productsThreat: Kidney and liver damageRadon-222Source: Radioactive soil androck surrounding foundation,water supplyThreat: Lung cancerFigure 20-13 Some important indoor air pollutants. (Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)Are You Exposed to Formaldehyde?A Serious ProblemFormaldehyde, found in a variety of commonmaterials and household products, can cause anumber of health problems.The chemical that causes most people in developedcountries difficulty is formaldehyde, a colorless, extremelyirritating gas widely used to manufacture commonhousehold materials.According to the EPAand theAmerican Lung Association, 20–40 million Americanssuffer from chronic breathing problems, dizziness, rash,headaches, sore throat, sinus and eye irritation, wheezing,and nausea caused by daily exposure to low levelsof formaldehyde emitted from common household materials.Are you one of these people?There are many sources of formaldehyde. They includebuilding materials (such as plywood, particleboard,paneling, and high-gloss wood used in floorsand cabinets), furniture, drapes, upholstery, adhesivesin carpeting and wallpaper, urethane-formaldehyde insulation,fingernail hardener, and wrinkle-free coatingon permanent-press clothing (Figure 20-13). The EPAestimates that as many as 1 of every 5,000 people wholive in manufactured homes for more than 10 years willdevelop cancer from formaldehyde exposure.Case Study: Are You Being Exposed toRadioactive Radon Gas? Test the Air in YourHouseRadon-222, a radioactive gas found in some soil androcks, can seep into some houses and increase the riskof lung cancer.Radon-222—a naturally occurring radioactive gas thatyou cannot see, taste, or smell—is produced by the radioactivedecay of uranium-238. Most soil and rock containsmall amounts of uranium-238. But this isotope ismuch more concentrated in underground deposits ofminerals such as uranium, phosphate, granite, and shale.When radon gas from such deposits seeps upwardthrough the soil and is released outdoors, it dispersesquickly in the atmosphere and decays to harmless levels.However, in buildings above such deposits radongas can enter through cracks in foundations and walls,openings around sump pumps and drains, and hollowconcrete blocks (Figure 20-14). It tends to be pulledinto a house because of the slightly lower atmospheric450 CHAPTER 20 Air Pollution