| Summary: | A practical guide to both general principles and specific methods used to assess exposure to indoor air pollutants. Addressed to public health professionals who lack specialized training in this field, the book aims to facilitate well-designed assessments in order to identify health hazards and support strategies for risk management. Information is specific to the assessment of air pollution exposure in such indoor environments as homes, offices, and various public service buildings. <br><br>The book has two parts. The first, which serves as a general introduction, opens with an explanation of concepts used in exposure assessment and important to the design and interpretation of findings. Against this background, subsequent chapters describe specific direct and indirect methods of exposure assessment and use the example of volatile organic compounds to show how exposure to mixtures can be measured. Other chapters discuss the influence of temperature and humidity on the indoor environment, provide guidelines for the design of exposure assessment surveys, and discuss the components of quality control. <br><br>The second and most extensive part describes currently available methods for assessing six gaseous air pollutants; four categories of particulate air pollutants; and three biological contaminants commonly found in indoor environments and representing distinct methodological problems. Each pollutant is covered according to a common format which includes information on health effects, sources, variation of exposure, and the advantages and disadvantages of methods for assessing exposure. Further practical guidance is provided in an annex, which includes short summaries of exposure assessment studies completed or under way in the USA and several European countries.<br>
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