| Author (Person) | Chapman, Peter |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.31, 25.9.03, p6 |
| Publication Date | 25/09/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date:25/09/03 By Peter Chapman THE air you breathe in your sitting room may be damaging your health as much as the traffic fumes you inhale cycling home from work, according to new EU research. Worse still, scientists warn, efforts to use ventilators to suck away tobacco smoke - the main indoor-air culprit - may have little effect in reducing concentrations of harmful gases. Philippe Busquin, the research commissioner, said the results of the study show that policymakers need to take the issue seriously and set a "consistent and effective strategy" to clean up EU air. "Traffic and smog are, of course, major causes of pollution, and we are studying and analysing their impact on human health. But unfortunately smoking and chemical substances sometimes follow us even behind closed doors - at home, at the office, in restaurants and bars. "Under certain conditions we can even be at risk while sitting on our sofa at home, not only while cycling downtown during the rush hour," added the Belgian commissioner. The research, carried out by scientists at the Commission's Joint Research Centre, found people are at risk from an array of ailments directly linked to the indoor air they breathe. These include allergies, mucous irritation, headaches and tiredness. Indoor pollutants such as tobacco smoke, radon gas, asbestos and benzene may substantially contribute to the increase of cancer, the scientists say. Some 20% of the EU population suffers from asthma and other allergic diseases caused by substances breathed indoors. On the risks from tobacco smoke, the report lends weight to Health Commissioner David Byrne's plan to ban cigarettes from bars across the European Union. Scientists at the European Commission's Joint Research Council have discovered people are at risk from a number of ailments directly linked to the indoor air they breathe. These include allergies, mucous irritation, headaches and tiredness. |
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| Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research, Environment |
