The concept of air quality is defined by the 1996 Air Act as “the introduction by humans, directly or indirectly, into the atmosphere and indoor spaces of substances having harmful effects that may endanger human health, harm biological resources and ecosystems, influence climate change, damage property, or cause excessive odor nuisances.” When we talk about air pollution, we mainly think of outdoor air pollution. However, the air inside buildings can also be contaminated, particularly in our homes, schools, offices, as well as recreational spaces, stores, and transportation… In these indoor environments, where we spend more than 80% of our time, numerous pollutants from a wide variety of sources can have harmful effects on people’s health.

In France, an initial assessment of the health burden posed by exposure to these indoor air pollutants was conducted by ANSES and the Observatory of Indoor Air Quality (OQAI) based on six pollutants frequently found in our homes for which the necessary data for this assessment were available (benzene, trichloroethylene, radon, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and environmental tobacco smoke). It was thus estimated that indoor air pollution is responsible for more than 28,000 new cases of illness each year and approximately 20,000 deaths, representing an estimated annual cost of around 19 billion euros.

Beyond air pollutants, other environmental factors in indoor settings can affect our health and well-being: noise, temperature, lighting… The term “indoor environmental quality” is therefore preferable when seeking to address the full range of indoor environmental hazards. Even though studies on the subject today generally focus on one or two types of nuisances, taking all of these factors into account is essential for promoting environments that are conducive to health.