Final answer:
Inadequate ventilation can lead to increased indoor pollutants, physiological shunts, and V/Q mismatch, resulting in impaired gas exchange and adversely affecting health.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a ventilation system is inadequate, the air exchange rate is low, leading to an increase in indoor pollutant levels. Issues such as physiological shunt, which can occur due to infection or edema in the lungs, can impair gas exchange by reducing ventilation without affecting perfusion, altering the V/Q ratio. Moreover, if lung compliance decreases due to disorders like fibrosis, or if resistance increases as seen in asthma or emphysema, the altered ventilation and perfusion (V/Q mismatch) can severely impact breathing. This results in a reduction of the surface area available for gas diffusion, which can decrease oxygen levels and increase carbon dioxide levels in the blood, further exacerbating health issues.