INQUIRE aims to protect citizen health by providing knowledge, tools and actions that substantially improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in European homes. Our mission is to support innovation in policy, regulation and industry by generating and sharing new data and science-based evidence on indoor chemical and biological determinants beyond current IAQ guidelines. This contributes to the European Green Deal and the EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan.
Air pollution is a major determinant of early death risk, causing more than 6 million premature deaths each year globally. While European outdoor air quality standards exist for many pollutants, indoor exposures may be more important for public health. People spend up to 90% of their time indoors, where the concentrations of many pollutants can exceed those outdoors. Yet, knowledge about the range of chemical and biological determinants indoors, their sources and their health risks remain limited. Regulators still lack a comprehensive list of hazardous indoor pollutants, hindering effective measures for healthy buildings.
Evidence shows that indoor environments contain far more and more complex chemical and biological determinants than those defined by WHO IAQ guidelines. Over 350,000 chemicals are registered in global commerce (>100,000 in the EU), many of which are relevant indoors, and new or poorly characterised chemicals enter Europe through imported products and materials. Everyday items—building materials, furniture, electronics, personal care products, cleaning products and toys—release synthetic chemicals indoors, leading to exposure and a wide range of health effects beyond cancer and mortality, including endocrine disruption. Interactions between chemicals and the indoor microbiome may further influence adverse health outcomes. Public concern is high: 84% of Europeans worry about chemical exposures in daily products. To safeguard public health, a better understanding of indoor pollutants, their sources, and effective strategies to reduce them is essential.
INQUIRE is in the process of generating robust, science-based evidence to characterise and prioritise hazardous chemical and biological determinants of household IAQ, along with their sources and exposure drivers. The project focuses on families with infants and young children (<5 years old), who spend substantial time indoors and are especially vulnerable to chemical and biological determinants. By focusing on home environments—the dominant indoor space for young children—INQUIRE aims to identify and evaluate innovative actions for citizens, and industry (product/material producers and constructions) to reduce harmful exposures via safer products, materials and mitigation strategies. The outputs will support a more comprehensive European approach to improving IAQ and healthier indoor environments.
