Official statistics shows
▲ 68% fetal abnormalities of pregnant women are caused by indoor formaldehyde extremely exceeding normal level. 90% of leukemia patients’ houses have been decorated within six months.
▲Consume Daily reported on November 11th, 2005 that the indoor environment pollution index is 76.9% in the newly decorated classrooms
▲ More than 500 kinds of harmful volatile organic compounds were found indoor during the joint test led by Chinese environmental department, and the concentrations of some harmful gas indoor is more than ten times or even hundred times higher than that of outdoor, including more than 20 kinds of strong carcinogenic substances such as formaldehyde, benzene.
• "China Youth Daily" reported on April 24th, 2001 that a newly married couple's baby was diagnosed with leukemia 3 months after born, it is confirmed this was caused by the woman’s long term stay in the newly renovated office and living room.
• "Believable Journal" reported on May 24th, 2003 that it was proved a lady with surname Liu suffered from gynecological diseases because the indoor formaldehyde exceeded the normal level, then Lady Liu suited the decoration company to court.
• Mr. Zhu bought a new car in Shanghai in February 2006. Mr. zhu’s 2-year-old grandson was diagnosed as "acute lymphoblastic leukemia." on March 27. Medical experts believe that if the toxic gas in the new car exceeds the normal standard, it will raise possibility of leukemia. The test result showed formaldehyde in that car is 1.5 times of the standard, and total volatile organic compounds are 6 times more than the standard.
• , Beijing authorities spot-check 168 new high-end officesin November 2007 and found formaldehyde in 62% of them exceeded the standard, ammonia in 82% exceeded the standard; Hundreds of thousands of people die from poisonous structural and decorative material every year in China, which does not include a variety of chronic diseases, unknown diseases, etc.
Yan Zhang, chief MD of pediatric department of Beijing Children’s Hospital. released a appalling news on February 14, 2001: MD did a research on the living environment of childhood leukemia patients from the year 2000 and found nine in tenth of childhood patients’ houses were decorated within half a year and mostly were deluxe decoration! Medical experts speculate that the indoor environmental pollution caused by decoration is one of the inducements of the significant increase of childhood leukemic patients recently. CCTV interviewed the experts of China Indoor Decoration Association on Feb. 14th evening, and played in "Oriental Horizon" section of CCTV1 on February 15
Beijing Daily News reported on May 9th, 2007 that 700 poor childhood leukemia patients in the city will get Medical Assistance this year. Yesterday was the 60th World Red Cross Day, millions of Red Cross volunteers, fund-raising campaign started yesterday in the Temple of Earth Park. Enthusiastic people on site donated one by one, Raised more than 10 thousand Yuan for these children within less than a half day.
Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention published in January this year a survey of indoor environment which lasts for 7 years. 10,000 surveyed people live in more than 10 community and more than 30 luxury hotels, office buildings, convention centers and laboratories which are newly-built or newly-decorated in Beijing. 30% have headache, dizziness, fatigue, bad sleep; 30% to 40% have skin mucosal irritation; 30% to 40%have chest tightness, throat problems; 40% have rhinitis ... ... Many contaminants were detected in their houses! After the large-scale survey of Million people, many people have significantly excessive psychologic pressure, some suffer from depression, some are leery and do not want to stay any longer in the house. They have a same enemy - the indoor pollution, which is the modern "personal killer."
World Health Organization published in "World Health Report 2002" that indoor environmental pollution, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and other disease are listed as top ten threats to human health, which are listed in top ten killers of human health blacklist. 60% of human cancers are related with the environment. Meanwhile, because the modern people work and live indoor or in the car most of the time, the high rate of lung cancer has related with more and more indoor air pollution factors.
In the First National Conference about indoor air quality and health, the authorities announced striking figures: currently, there are nearly 2 million excessive deaths in developing countries may be caused by indoor air pollution; about 4% of diseases in the world are related with indoor environmental pollution.
National bureau of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and National Standardization Administration jointly released " Limitations of Formaldehyde Emission from Man-made Floor and Its product for Interior Decoration" by the end of 2001, effective from July 1, 2002.
“Environmental Pollution Control Regulations of Civil Construction Engineering " came into effect on Jan, 1st, 2002, standardized the indoor air quality in public places.
The first Chinese relevant regulations "Indoor Air Quality Standards" came into effect on March 1st, 2003, standardized and protecting civil living environment.
Shandong People's Government Decree No. 208 “Interior Decoration Management of Architecture in Shandong Province," came into effect on March 1, 2009.
It is reported that recently National Standards Commission, National Environmental
Protection Product Inspection and Monitoring Center and other relevant institutions are setting up production quality standards for such products. This series of activities shows our Government's determination on indoor pollution control. With more and more specialized segments of the social division of labor, governance encouraged the companies and enterprises specialized in setting up control regulations to join this emerging industry of monitoring and treatment.
Chutian City Daily reported that Hubei Committee appeal that leukemia should be included into Hubei medical insurance on Feb 11th, 2009 (Picture 1)
Shandong Qilu Evening News reported that air quality in public buildings will be compelled to be tested on October 16, 2008 (Picture 2)
Formaldehyde --- is mainly from pressed-wood products, such as particleboard, plywood, and fiberboard; glues and adhesives; permanent-press fabrics; paper product coatings; and certain insulation materials. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde can cause nasal cancer, oral cancer, nasopharynx cancer, throat cancer, skin tumor and gastrointestinal cancer. Short-term health effects of formaldehyde exposure are watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, wheezing, nausea, skin irritation, chronic respiratory diseases, pregnancy syndrome, and even nasopharyngeal cancer.
Benzene --- is mainly from dope, paint, glues and adhesives, permanent-press fabrics, wallpaper, carpets, synthetic fibers , detergents, solvents and so on. Benzene has a special flavor, but it is a strong carcinogen. Long-term exposure to Benzene may damage human circulatory system and hematopoietic function, leading to leukemia.
Ammonia --- is mainly from concrete additives and interior decoration materials. Ammonia is easily soluble in water. Ammonia has strong tract irritation to eyes, nose, throat and upper respiratory. Short-term exposure to ammonia will cause tears, sore throat, coughing, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, dizziness, vomiting, fatigue and other symptoms. Ammonia is mainly from concrete admixtures used in construction, especially from concrete antifreeze used in construction in the winter by adding urea and ammonia as raw materials into the concrete wall.
TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) --- is mainly from the furniture, wallpaper and so on. TVOC can cause immune disorders, affecting the central nervous system function, causing dizziness, headache, drowsiness, chest tightness and other symptoms. TVOC may also affect the digestive system, causing loss of appetite, nausea, in severe cases it can damage the liver and hematopoietic system.
Radon --- is mainly hidden in ceramic product such as granite, ceramic tiles and sanitary ware products. Radon is a natural radioactive gas, colorless and tasteless, as the "invisible smoke". Cancer risk is proportional to the average concentration of radon per cubic meter of space, 100 Baker increased risk of lung cancer increased by 16%. The latest research result released by World Health Organization shows that radon is the second major incentive of lung cancer only to smoking.
