Its major sources in indoor air are unflued gas heaters and, probably, unflued gas cooking appliances. The major sources of VOCs in indoor air are paints, adhesives and sealants in new buildings, and a mixture of wet household products and other materials, such as carpets and soft furnishings, in established buildings. VOCs have received very little investigation of any type. Little research into ozone exposure in modern office buildings appears to have been carried out in Australia. Potential indoor sources include electrostatic photocopiers, laser printers, electrostatic precipitators for air cleaning, ionisers and ozone-based sterilisers Lead in old house paint presents the main health risks to occupants, especially children, due to flaking and chalking of the paint.
People are more likely to be exposed during renovations.
Assessment of building-related illnesses in Australia has been very limited but research so far suggests a general dissatisfaction with office air environments. We cannot adequately assess outdoor ambient air quality over much of Australia because of a lack of data. Air quality in industrial areas such as Port Kembla, Broken Hill and Boolaroo in New South Wales and Port Pirie in South Australia is often a major concern. Smelters can emit lead and other heavy metal compounds into the air. Port Pirie, a city of some 15,000 people, is the site of the world's largest pyrometallurgical lead smelter, in operation since the 1890s.