Indoor Air Pollution: A Review on the Challenges in Third World Countries

Abstract

Background: The challenges of third-world countries toward curbing indoor air pollution seem insurmountable as its solution is closely linked to their economic incapacities, lifestyle, and existing outdoor air quality. The economic incapacities include types of the cookstove, fuel sources, types of insecticides and pesticides, building patterns, indoor fermentation activities (such as leaving dirty plates and biological waste in the house for a long time), and regulation on the use of deodorants. Aside from the common pollutants from these sources, the reactive chemistry of pollutants leads to other kinds of pollutants which have been reported to be short-lived but dangerous. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to: profile emerging indoor pollutants; examine the pollutant dynamics and their impact on unplanned regions of developing countries; offer solutions to curb indoor pollution in the identified region; elaborate on the cost analysis of existing solutions and how irrelevant they may be due to the rising poverty index; and project how government policies could help in reducing indoor pollution. Design: This paper is a review that wholistically examined indoor pollution. A total of fifty-six articles was reviewed in addition to the data obtained from MERRA-2. Results: The study observed that indoor air pollution dynamics are more complex—compared to outdoor air pollution. It was observed that the possibility to control indoor air pollution is based on the type of pollutants, the reactive chemistry of the pollutants, and ventilation in the building. This review shows that poverty is one of the many reasons why indoor air pollution would be a source of menace for a long time in third-world countries. Several solutions to curbing indoor air pollution were considered with a principal focus on cost and availability. Limitations: Most experimental results that were used to corroborate postulates were obtained from the literature. The accuracy of those experiments and the sensitivity of the equipment used cannot be verified. Conclusion: The plant-based technique was identified as a perfect solution to indoor air pollution control in third-world countries but the local architecture and lifestyle of most third-world countries constitute a threat to its adoption. It was observed that less than 8% of third-world countries have specific Air Quality Acts which have not been amended for decades. Most third-world countries have a general Environmental Act with air quality as a sub-section in the Act with very low fines for violators. The inclusion of indoor air quality as a vital public health issue in third-world countries is necessary for the preservation of lives and posterity.