While air pollution is thought to be a problem related to outdoor air, the same pollutants can be found indoors. Modern buildings are designed to be energy efficient so as to maintain temperature, but as a consequence they do not breathe. This allows air pollutants to accumulate inside the building, as they cannot escape. Sources of indoor air contamination include cigarette smoking indoors, gasses given off from poorly ventilated cooking appliances and heaters, and other materials within the home that emit unhealthy chemicals.
People can add to levels of indoor air pollution with recently dry cleaned clothing and perfumes.
Perfumes can contain as many as 100 ingredients and are very potent additions to indoor air pollution. All of these pollutants present together within any indoor environment are a 'chemical cocktail' the result of which is called 'sick building syndrome'. Long periods of exposure to the 'chemical cocktail' can cause a large range of health problems. But there are things you can do to avoid these chemicals within your own home. Design - when you are planning your home, ensure that the design maximises the air exchange rate.