Indoor Air Quality
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Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide (also spelled Sulphur Dioxide)
In contrast to the tasteless and odorless carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide has a pungent, sharp odor and taste. An active volcano is a major source, so is decaying organic matter. In more colorful words, when 'Mother Nature' has digestive problems, the smell of rotten eggs will enter your nose. This colorless gas is highly water soluble and is the cause of acid rain, which damages buildings, harms animals and plants, and acidifies soil, lakes and rivers. Concerned governments regulate the amount that industry is allowed to discharge. No rules and regulations exist at home, though.
If the odor isn't enough to make this gas unpleasant, sulfur dioxide is also a health hazard. It is even more irritating to your eyes, nose, throat and lungs than is nitrogen dioxide, and may result in the narrowing of the airways, causing breathing problems. Children and people with asthma or other lung disorders are again at a higher risk.
Nitrogen Dioxide
The combustion process also forces nitrogen to react with oxygen. Nitrogen dioxide, that is one part nitrogen and two parts oxygen, is the major result of the process and of health concern. It is a gas that is produced in large amounts by vehicles and industry that uses fossil fuels. At home, the main source are unvented appliances, such as gas burners and heaters, and tobacco smoke.
Nitrogen dioxide is an irritant. It dissolves easily in the moist protective layer
of the eyes and the mucus lining of nose, throat and lungs. The gas is said to reduce
the body's resistance towards respiratory infections, especially in children. Long-