(d) Maximum 1 point.
In 1992, the World Bank designated indoor air pollution in developing
countries as one of the four most critical global environmental problems.
Provide and explain ONE example of a major source of an indoor pollutant
to illustrate how the issue of indoor air quality in developing countries
differs from that in developed countries. (1 point maximum for providing a
correct example that includes a correct explanation.) The wording of the
World Bank designation suggests that the question is referring to the general
masses of the population in developing countries rather than the small,
technologically developed percentage. The answer is thus strongly focused
on this difference in lifestyle.
Homes are perhaps the most important factor when considering indoor air
quality since people tend to spend more time there than anywhere else. The
majority of people in developing countries live in homes with much simpler
technologies. Many of the pollutants found in houses in developed countries
are not present. The major source of indoor air pollutants in developing
countries, therefore, is the combustion of poor-quality fuels for heating,
lighting, and cooking. Such dirty fuels include animal wastes, kerosene, and
low-grade coal that may release large amounts of particulates, carbon
monoxide, sulfur oxides, and other toxins on combustion. As fires are often
burned indoors in places with inadequate ventilation, the levels of these
pollutants and carbon monoxide can be greatly concentrated.
Energy sources are much more technologically advanced in developed
countries, so this is not such an important source of indoor air pollution. For
example, poorly maintained furnaces may produce some carbon monoxide.
However, this problem is not nearly as widespread or generally as serious as
the energy issue in developing countries. Instead, major sources of air
pollution include lead (from lead paints), asbestos, and fumes from volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) in paints, glues, plastics, and furniture. These
things will be less common in houses in developing countries. Houses in
developed countries are often tightly sealed, more so than in developing
countries. This leads to increased levels of concentration. For example, radon
gas, which occurs naturally from radioactive decay in certain rocks, might
accumulate to dangerous levels in a modern air-conditioned house but not in
a simpler hut with no glass in the windows.Question