ABSTRACT
Public and occupational health is of growing concern, an important aspect being the increasing number of airborne pollutants to which our lungs are exposed as we simply breathe. To identify these agents and understand their potential for pulmonary toxicity is a priority. In general, individuals spend an increasing amount of time in the home and the “built ” environment, in some cases as much as 80-90% of their time. The balance in exposure between indoor and outdoor environments could have a marked effect on the pollutant profi le and concentration accessing the lung. It is likely that the indoor environment is the more important milieu, primarily because of human occupancy, coupled with its confi ned nature.
