[General environmental pollutants and passive smoking]

Epidemiological studies-especially data from smog episodes-indicate that antropogenous outdoor air pollution exercises a deleterious effect on health and particularly on the respiratory organs. Controlled exposure test in animals and man confirm this. The main pollutants are SO2, suspended dust particles (dust aerosols or solid atmospheric condensation nuclei) as well as NO2 (NOx) and O3. The adverse influence of quite a number of meteorological factors such as low temperature and inversion cannot be denied. During smog conditions in January 1985 in the Federal Republic of Germany there was a highly significant negative correlation between atmospheric temperature and the rate of exacerbations of bronchitis. Indoor air pollution is gaining in importance. Airtight sealing of buildings associated with reduced indoor ventilation results in novel health upsets ("sick building syndrome"). Interiors are characterised by an accumulation of CO2, CO, NO2, dust aerosols and various organic substances such as benzene, benzypyrene, formaldehyde, nitrosamines etc. Cigarette smoke is a frequent cause of indoor air pollution. The possible unhealthy effects of passive smoking (mainly the inhalation of sidestream smoke) have been frequently studied. Infants of smoking parents are more often affected by respiratory diseases than non-exposed children. The same applies to schoolchildren: the incidence of bronchial signs and symptoms increases with increasing smoke consumptions of the parents. However, no definitely established effect on lung function has been seen in children, adults and asthmatics. The important question as to whether passive smoking increases lung cancer risk is still a subject of controversial discussion among experts.