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Manufacturers add further chemicals to maintain the softness, to harden the product or to stabilize the compound. In general, building products containing glues, sealants and plastics, emit gases that contribute to indoor air pollution.

Carpets are a pollution source. Toxic gases may arise from: the synthetic fibres of carpets; the products used to install it, such as underlays or adhesives; carpet treatment, such as mildew resistors and stain proofing; and from chemicals used in the cleaning process. A freshly laid carpet is of particular concern and rooms should be well ventilated before occupation. Carpets, curtains and other decorative fabrics may also store chemical and biological pollutants. Chemicals in deodorants and pesticides, or natural contaminants such as dust mites and fungal spores, settle in between the fibres of the material and will get airborne again once disturbed.

Hardly any other material, used in the building industry, makes the presence of its volatile ingredients felt as fast as paint does. Open a can and you can instantly sniff the smell of solvents. Euphoria may not be such a bad reaction, but symptoms, such as headache, nausea, dizziness and fatigue follow if you don't get your nose out of the paint. Wouldn't you like to use paint without harmful chemicals? A small number of paint manufacturers react to the demand and produce low or non-toxic paint. I hope we will see ingredient labels on paint cans very soon.

Dripping water or sewer pipes, condensation along cold-water pipes or poor ventilation in crawl spaces underneath the house can promote excess growth of biological contaminants. Wherever there is moisture, mold will grow: in walls, behind wall paper, on timber and bricks, in carpets etc. Lock-up garages are often part of the house and car exhausts and petrol and oil fumes may enter the living area through cracks in the adjoining walls or along gaps around plumbing and electrical work.

Solid wood is expensive, shrinks, warps, splits etc. The solution is to glue together sheets of wood fibres to prevent these disadvantages from happening. The end products are particle boards and plywood for wall and ceiling panels, sub-floors and furniture. To make them look good, the manufacturers glue a thin veneer of plastic of boundless designs onto the surface. Today you won't see much difference between a synthetic wood of marble design and the natural product. But, unless you have the 'real' thing, the formaldehyde in surface finishing and the glues are chemical compounds.

Petrochemicals belong to a large family of chemicals that were chiefly derived from petroleum, natural gas or coal. The end product can be soft, such as sealants or adhesives; or flexible and hard, such as electrical insulators and switches, bathroom and kitchen furniture, components of appliances, plumbing material - the list is long.

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