Economics and the energy crisis of the early 1970s, are two of the major players leading to the indoor air pollution (IAP) problems we face today. Economic changes have translated into the reduced demand for outdoor labourers, with the concomitant increased need for office personnel and other indoor workers. Since 1945 we have seen a marked increase in the development and we of synthetic building materials, each of which have been shown to emit a variety of toxic and non-toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC's). Furthermore, the energy crisis catalyzed the push for changes to building design and structure. These changes resulted in today's 'tight' buildings which allow only a very limited communication between indoor and outdoor environments via highly controlled heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This reduction of fresh outdoor air supply, allows indoor contaminants to become concentrated and thus leads to the IAP concerns that we face today.