associated with these pollutants.2 Sources of pollution
may result from combustion processes for cooking
and heating; from human activities, such as smoking,
presence of biological agents, and use of chemical
substances; and from emissions of construction materials
and furniture.7 Indoor concentrations of pollutants
depend on the quantity of emissions, the volume
of the polluted space, and the rate of exchange
between indoor and outdoor air. The principal indoor
pollutants vary in rural and urban areas, and in developing
and industrialized countries, but they are a
source of disease everywhere. Industrialized countries
employ several times more energy per person than
developing countries, but because cleaner fuels are
utilized, there is actually less exposure to pollutants
than in developing countries.
This review will not deal with occupational exposure
or environmental tobacco smoke;8 it will center
on the health effects of exposure to solid fuel smoke,
mainly in developing countries. Recent reviews have
dealt with domestic indoor pollution as a health problem
in industrialized countries.9,10