Exposures in Indoor Air Affecting Health

Maria Hartiala; Varpu Elenius; Alicia Aguado Pesquera; Silas Androulakis; Isabella Annesi-Maesano; Artur Badyda; Sicco Brandsma; Ioanna Chatziprodromidou; Goran Gajski; Judith Garcia-Aymerich; Chiara Giorio; Timo Hugg; Jouni J.K. Jaakkola; Sarah Koch; Pim E.G. Leonards; Angeliki Matrali; Lisa Melymuk; Natalie Mueller; Adam Muszyński; Jet Opbroek; Inês Paciência; Spyros N. Pandis; Sofya Pozdniakova; Aino K. Rantala; Sandra Rodríguez Sufuentes; Linda Schenk; Eva Sugeng; Adrià Sunyer-Caldú; Apostolos Vantarakis; Alexander Zherebker; Ernesto Alfaro-Moreno; Pernilla Bohlin Nizzetto; José Fermoso Dominguez; Stylianos Karatzas; Francesco Mureddu; Heidi Salonen; Nikolaos Papadopoulos; Tuomas Jartti; the IDEAL Consortium

doi:10.1111/all.70179

Exposures in Indoor Air Affecting Health

Maria Hartiala^*
, Varpu Elenius
, Alicia Aguado Pesquera
, Silas Androulakis
, Isabella Annesi-Maesano
, Artur Badyda
, Sicco Brandsma
, Ioanna Chatziprodromidou
, Goran Gajski
, Judith Garcia-Aymerich
, Chiara Giorio
, Timo Hugg
, Jouni J.K. Jaakkola
, Sarah Koch
, Pim E.G. Leonards
, Angeliki Matrali
, Lisa Melymuk
, Natalie Mueller
, Adam Muszyński
, Jet Opbroek

Inês Paciência, Spyros N. Pandis, Sofya Pozdniakova, Aino K. Rantala, Sandra Rodríguez Sufuentes, Linda Schenk, Eva Sugeng, Adrià Sunyer-Caldú, Apostolos Vantarakis, Alexander Zherebker, Ernesto Alfaro-Moreno, Pernilla Bohlin Nizzetto, José Fermoso Dominguez, Stylianos Karatzas, Francesco Mureddu, Heidi Salonen, Nikolaos Papadopoulos, Tuomas Jartti, the IDEAL Consortium

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is influenced by a wide range of chemical, biological and physical agents that can negatively impact physical, immunological and mental health. Adverse health effects depend on the type and concentration of pollutants, duration of exposure, and individual susceptibility. The availability of data on IAQ is limited, as are standardized approaches for evaluating its health impact. This expert review aims to describe the most important indoor air determinants affecting health, and present the IDEAL cluster, which comprises seven EU-funded scientific projects on the topic of IAQ and human health. Across the IDEAL projects, knowledge is generated on exposure to a wide range of indoor air pollutants, including well-known hazards and more explorative chemical and microbiological determinants. The projects will also contribute to the implementation of low-cost and/or real-time sensors on IAQ, as well as advanced chemical and microbiological analyses, and evaluate various interventions to improve IAQ. Several of them focus on particularly vulnerable groups. Raising public awareness and implementing measures to reduce pollutant levels are essential for safeguarding health, particularly in urban areas with elevated pollution levels.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	700-719
Number of pages	20
Journal	Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume	81
Issue number	3
Early online date	4 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70179
Publication status	Published - Mar 2026

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Allergy published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Funding

This work was supported by Next Generation EU; European Regional Development Fund; Croatian Science Foundation; UK Research and Innovation; National Health and Medical Research Council; UK Research and Innovation; State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation; Horizon Europe. This work was supported by Next Generation EU; European Regional Development Fund; Croatian Science Foundation; UK Research and Innovation; National Health and Medical Research Council; UK Research and Innovation; State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation; Horizon Europe. The project was funded by the Horizon Europe project SynAir-G, grant agreement ID: 101057271. This work was co-funded by the Horizon Europe INQUIRE project (grant agreement number 101057499) and by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government's Horizon Europe funding guarantee (grant number 10042425). This work is part of the TwinAIR project, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe program (grant agreement number 101057779). InChildHealth is receiving funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research under grant agreement 101056883, from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI grant agreement 22.00324), from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI grant agreement 10040524), and from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC grant agreements APP2017786 and APP2008813). This work has received financial support from the K-HEALTHinAIR project, grant agreement number 101057693, under a European Union's Call on Environment and Health (HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02). This work was supported by the affiliated institutions, European Regional Development Fund project KK.01.1.1.02.0007 (Rec-IMI), the Croatian Science Foundation (HUMNap project #1192), the Horizon Europe (EDIAQI project #101057497), Next Generation EU 533-03-23-0006 (BioMolTox). The authors wish to acknowledge Tanzeela Hanif for their expertise concerning the graphic design of this manuscript. Open access publishing facilitated by Turun yliopisto, as part of the Wiley - FinELib agreement. The project was funded by the Horizon Europe project SynAir‐G, grant agreement ID: 101057271. This work was co‐funded by the Horizon Europe INQUIRE project (grant agreement number 101057499) and by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government's Horizon Europe funding guarantee (grant number 10042425). This work is part of the TwinAIR project, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe program (grant agreement number 101057779). InChildHealth is receiving funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research under grant agreement 101056883, from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI grant agreement 22.00324), from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI grant agreement 10040524), and from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC grant agreements APP2017786 and APP2008813). This work has received financial support from the K‐HEALTHinAIR project, grant agreement number 101057693, under a European Union's Call on Environment and Health (HORIZON‐HLTH‐2021‐ENVHLTH‐02). This work was supported by the affiliated institutions, European Regional Development Fund project KK.01.1.1.02.0007 (Rec‐IMI), the Croatian Science Foundation (HUMNap project #1192), the Horizon Europe (EDIAQI project #101057497), Next Generation EU 533‐03‐23‐0006 (BioMolTox). The authors wish to acknowledge Tanzeela Hanif for their expertise concerning the graphic design of this manuscript. Open access publishing facilitated by Turun yliopisto, as part of the Wiley ‐ FinELib agreement.

Funders	Funder number
European Regional Development Fund
Tanzeela Hanif
Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation
European Union's Call on Environment and Health
Next Generation EU
NextGenerationEU
National Health and Medical Research Council	101057693, APP2017786, APP2008813, HORIZON‐HLTH‐2021‐ENVHLTH‐02, KK.01.1.1.02.0007
UK Research and Innovation
Hrvatska Zaklada za Znanost	1192
Horizon Europe project SynAir‐G	101057271
Spine Education and Research Institute	10040524, 22.00324
Horizon Europe project SynAir-G	101057499
EDIAQI	101057497, EU 533-03-23-0006
Horizon Europe funding guarantee	10042425
HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme	101057779, 101056883

Keywords

exposure
health
indoor air quality
pollution

Access to Document

10.1111/all.70179

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Cite this

Hartiala, M., Elenius, V., Pesquera, A. A., Androulakis, S., Annesi-Maesano, I., Badyda, A., Brandsma, S., Chatziprodromidou, I., Gajski, G., Garcia-Aymerich, J., Giorio, C., Hugg, T., Jaakkola, J. J. K., Koch, S., Leonards, P. E. G., Matrali, A., Melymuk, L., Mueller, N., Muszyński, A., ... the IDEAL Consortium (2026). Exposures in Indoor Air Affecting Health. Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 81(3), 700-719. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70179

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abstract = "Indoor air quality (IAQ) is influenced by a wide range of chemical, biological and physical agents that can negatively impact physical, immunological and mental health. Adverse health effects depend on the type and concentration of pollutants, duration of exposure, and individual susceptibility. The availability of data on IAQ is limited, as are standardized approaches for evaluating its health impact. This expert review aims to describe the most important indoor air determinants affecting health, and present the IDEAL cluster, which comprises seven EU-funded scientific projects on the topic of IAQ and human health. Across the IDEAL projects, knowledge is generated on exposure to a wide range of indoor air pollutants, including well-known hazards and more explorative chemical and microbiological determinants. The projects will also contribute to the implementation of low-cost and/or real-time sensors on IAQ, as well as advanced chemical and microbiological analyses, and evaluate various interventions to improve IAQ. Several of them focus on particularly vulnerable groups. Raising public awareness and implementing measures to reduce pollutant levels are essential for safeguarding health, particularly in urban areas with elevated pollution levels.",

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note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Allergy published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley \& Sons Ltd.",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1111/all.70179",

language = "English",

volume = "81",

pages = "700--719",

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Hartiala, M, Elenius, V, Pesquera, AA, Androulakis, S, Annesi-Maesano, I, Badyda, A, Brandsma, S, Chatziprodromidou, I, Gajski, G, Garcia-Aymerich, J, Giorio, C, Hugg, T, Jaakkola, JJK, Koch, S, Leonards, PEG, Matrali, A, Melymuk, L, Mueller, N, Muszyński, A, Opbroek, J, Paciência, I, Pandis, SN, Pozdniakova, S, Rantala, AK, Sufuentes, SR, Schenk, L, Sugeng, E, Sunyer-Caldú, A, Vantarakis, A, Zherebker, A, Alfaro-Moreno, E, Nizzetto, PB, Dominguez, JF, Karatzas, S, Mureddu, F, Salonen, H, Papadopoulos, N, Jartti, T & the IDEAL Consortium 2026, 'Exposures in Indoor Air Affecting Health', Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, vol. 81, no. 3, pp. 700-719. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70179

TY - JOUR

T1 - Exposures in Indoor Air Affecting Health

AU - Hartiala, Maria

AU - Elenius, Varpu

AU - Pesquera, Alicia Aguado

AU - Androulakis, Silas

AU - Annesi-Maesano, Isabella

AU - Badyda, Artur

AU - Brandsma, Sicco

AU - Chatziprodromidou, Ioanna

AU - Gajski, Goran

AU - Garcia-Aymerich, Judith

AU - Giorio, Chiara

AU - Hugg, Timo

AU - Jaakkola, Jouni J.K.

AU - Koch, Sarah

AU - Leonards, Pim E.G.

AU - Matrali, Angeliki

AU - Melymuk, Lisa

AU - Mueller, Natalie

AU - Muszyński, Adam

AU - Opbroek, Jet

AU - Paciência, Inês

AU - Pandis, Spyros N.

AU - Pozdniakova, Sofya

AU - Rantala, Aino K.

AU - Sufuentes, Sandra Rodríguez

AU - Schenk, Linda

AU - Sugeng, Eva

AU - Sunyer-Caldú, Adrià

AU - Vantarakis, Apostolos

AU - Zherebker, Alexander

AU - Alfaro-Moreno, Ernesto

AU - Nizzetto, Pernilla Bohlin

AU - Dominguez, José Fermoso

AU - Karatzas, Stylianos

AU - Mureddu, Francesco

AU - Salonen, Heidi

AU - Papadopoulos, Nikolaos

AU - Jartti, Tuomas

AU - the IDEAL Consortium

PY - 2026/3

Y1 - 2026/3

N2 - Indoor air quality (IAQ) is influenced by a wide range of chemical, biological and physical agents that can negatively impact physical, immunological and mental health. Adverse health effects depend on the type and concentration of pollutants, duration of exposure, and individual susceptibility. The availability of data on IAQ is limited, as are standardized approaches for evaluating its health impact. This expert review aims to describe the most important indoor air determinants affecting health, and present the IDEAL cluster, which comprises seven EU-funded scientific projects on the topic of IAQ and human health. Across the IDEAL projects, knowledge is generated on exposure to a wide range of indoor air pollutants, including well-known hazards and more explorative chemical and microbiological determinants. The projects will also contribute to the implementation of low-cost and/or real-time sensors on IAQ, as well as advanced chemical and microbiological analyses, and evaluate various interventions to improve IAQ. Several of them focus on particularly vulnerable groups. Raising public awareness and implementing measures to reduce pollutant levels are essential for safeguarding health, particularly in urban areas with elevated pollution levels.

AB - Indoor air quality (IAQ) is influenced by a wide range of chemical, biological and physical agents that can negatively impact physical, immunological and mental health. Adverse health effects depend on the type and concentration of pollutants, duration of exposure, and individual susceptibility. The availability of data on IAQ is limited, as are standardized approaches for evaluating its health impact. This expert review aims to describe the most important indoor air determinants affecting health, and present the IDEAL cluster, which comprises seven EU-funded scientific projects on the topic of IAQ and human health. Across the IDEAL projects, knowledge is generated on exposure to a wide range of indoor air pollutants, including well-known hazards and more explorative chemical and microbiological determinants. The projects will also contribute to the implementation of low-cost and/or real-time sensors on IAQ, as well as advanced chemical and microbiological analyses, and evaluate various interventions to improve IAQ. Several of them focus on particularly vulnerable groups. Raising public awareness and implementing measures to reduce pollutant levels are essential for safeguarding health, particularly in urban areas with elevated pollution levels.

KW - exposure

KW - health

KW - indoor air quality

KW - pollution

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105024230145

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105024230145#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1111/all.70179

DO - 10.1111/all.70179

M3 - Review article

C2 - 41342236

AN - SCOPUS:105024230145

SN - 0105-4538

VL - 81

SP - 700

EP - 719

JO - Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

JF - Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

IS - 3

ER -

Exposures in Indoor Air Affecting Health

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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Keywords

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