Prof. Nisreen Alwan: Indoor air quality in Lebanon is an important yet often overlooked component of environmental and public health

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Nisreen Alwan, Professor of Environmental Health and Safety at Abu Dhabi University, UAE, shared on Linkedin:

“Indoor air quality in Lebanon is an important yet often overlooked component of environmental and public health. In our study of 495 participants in Lebanon, we examined knowledge, preventive attitudes, household practices, and symptom recognition related to chemical indoor-air pollution.

Our findings reveal an important knowledge–practice gap. The study also identified uncertainty surrounding less visible or less familiar indoor-air hazards, including third-hand smoke, formaldehyde, indoor–outdoor exposure assumptions, and sick-building syndrome. Common household practices such as gas-stove use, air-freshener use, pesticide application, and indoor smoking further highlight the importance of moving beyond awareness alone toward practical, source-specific risk communication and effective exposure-reduction strategies.

These findings reinforce a key message for environmental health: knowing about a hazard does not necessarily translate into safer behavior. Effective public health interventions must therefore bridge the gap between knowledge, attitudes, and everyday household practices.

This study represents a valuable collaborative research effort between Abu Dhabi University, Canadian University Dubai, Lebanese International University, and Modern University for Business and Science. I am grateful to all collaborators who contributed to this work.”