The incidence of asthma and allergy has increased throughout the developed world over the past 30-50years, roughly the same time period that exposure to phthalates has increased. An ongoing study inSweden, Damp Buildings and Health, showed associations between asthma anddi(2-ethyl-hexyl)-phthalate concentration in dust and between eczema and rhinitis andbutylbenzyl-phthalate.
The indoor environment is by far the most important environment from a health perspective. Allergies, airways infections, lung cancer etc. are associated with indoor air quality (IAQ) in developed countries and they are related to the use of energy for buildings. The main problems related to buildings, energy conservation and health in the developed world concern 'dampness' and inadequate ventilation. It is well established that if there is no 'building dampness' and if the ventilation is adequate then the risk of IAQ-related diseases is low.
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