INDOOR AIR – It is generally recognised that Australians spend 90% or more of their time indoors. Despite this, relatively
little research has been done on the quality of air in our homes, schools, recreational buildings, restaurants,
public buildings, offices, or inside cars.
Poor indoor air quality can result in significant adverse impacts on our health and environment. Moreover,
these impacts carry a significant cost burden to the economy. The CSIRO estimates that the cost of poor
indoor air quality in Australia may be as high as $12 billion per year (Brown, 1998). In recent years,
comparative risk studies performed by the US EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked
indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health (US EPA, 1993).