WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control - No. 47 - June 2011

Sep 15, 2026

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Newsletter issue No. 47 (June 2011) from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control addresses how indoor air quality directly affects general health. It highlights health impacts linked to pollutants such as dampness and mould, respiratory symptoms, allergies, asthma, and immune disturbance, while also covering hazards from building materials and indoor combustion. Guidance development is described, including guideline planning and the evidence-based approach to defining exposure threshold limits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Editorial

Development of WHO Guidelines on Indoor Air Quality

A German View on the Harmonisation of Indoor Material Emission Labelling Schemes in the EU

Notes and News

Meetings and Conferences

Publications

Coming Events

neWsLetteR WHo CoLLABoRAtInG CentRe FoR AIR QUALItY MAnAGeMent AnD AIR PoLLUtIon ContRoL at the FeDeRAL enVIRonMent AGenCY, GeRMAnY no. 47-June 2011 | eDItoRIAL | | | --- | --- | | New guidance for healthy Indoor Air | | | As people spend a considerable amount of time indoors, either at work or at home, indoor air quality plays a significant role in their general state of health. The most important effects of exposure to indoor air pollutants are the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma, as well as disturbance of the immune system. This is particularly so forchildren, elderly people and other vulnerable groups. | | | Mouldy ceiling © Infrogmation / wikipedia | | |
Contents
1 Editorial
3 Development of WHO Guidelines on Indoor Air Quality
8 A German View on the Harmonisation of Indoor Material Emission Labelling Schemes in the EU
14 Notes and News
16 Meetings and Conferences
19 Publications
20 Coming Events
On the one hand, sufficient moisture is available, hundreds of biological species of bacteria and fungi – particularly mould – pollute indoor air quality. For example, related to damp and mould the risk of respiratory disease in children and adults increases by 50% . On the other hand, hazardous substances emitted from buildings, construction materials and indoor equipment or due to human activities such as fuel combustion for cooking or heating, lead to a broad range of health problems and may even be fatal.
Therefore, WHO/Europe has started a series of new guidance documents on healthy indoor air quality, identifying threshold limits for exposure that are based on the latest scientific evidence. The guidelines for dampness and mould were published in 2009, those on selected chemical-specific pollutants in 2010 and WHO expects to issue those on indoor combustion of fuels next.
continued on page 2 | | neWsLetteR WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control The first article of this indoor air-related Newsletter issue gives an overview on the process of the development of WHO indoor air quality guidelines and their respective recommendations. An insight will be provided by the second article, a particular country view on the approach of harmonizing indoor material emission labelling schemes in the European Union. Such overviews are amended by a contribution on a practical guidance for Indoor Air Hygiene in School Buildings in Germany, and news about a European project on School Indoor Air Pollution and Health: Observatory Network in Europe (SINPHONIE) . Hans-Guido Mücke WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control ABoUt The NEWSLETTER is published twice a year by the WHO COLLABORATING CENTRE FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND AIR POLLUTION CONTROL, located at the FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, GERMANY. It is circulated in 2000 issues and distributed to readers in more than 50 countries. Additionally, the NEWSLETTER is published on our website (see link below) to be downloaded as pdf. The NEWSLETTER does not constitute formal publications; it should not be reviewed, abstracted or quoted without prior permission. Authors alone are responsible for their articles. note We appreciate articles and contributions concerning the subject of Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control. Due to the abuse of e-mail addresses the symbol @ is replaced by [at]! ContACt WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control Corrensplatz 1, 14195 Berlin, Germany phone: + 49-30-8903-1280/81/82, fax: + 49-30-8903-1283 website: [www.umweltbundesamt.de/whocc/titel/titel21.htm](www.umweltbundesamt.de/whocc/titel/titel21.htm) 2 No. 47~~-~~June 2011 neWsLetteR WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control DeVeLoPMent oF WHo GUIDeLInes on InDooR AIR QUALItY Michal Krzyzanowski Background Quality of indoor air

FAQs

Why is indoor air quality considered important for health?

Indoor air quality strongly affects health because people spend substantial time indoors. Pollutants can increase respiratory symptoms, allergies, asthma, and disrupt immune function, especially for children, elderly people, and other vulnerable groups.

What are the main health-related indoor air pollution sources discussed?

The issue describes microbiological pollution from bacteria, fungi, and mould, as well as hazardous substances emitted from buildings, construction materials, and indoor equipment. It also notes pollution from human activities such as fuel combustion for cooking and heating.

How does WHO develop indoor air quality guidance documents?

WHO/Europe develops guidance based on the latest scientific evidence, setting threshold limits for exposure. The newsletter outlines that guidelines for dampness and mould were published in 2009 and chemical-specific pollutants in 2010, with further topics expected next.

Sep 15, 2026

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