Investigation of indoor air quality determinants in a field study using three different data streams

Thomas, Nirmala M.; Calderon, L.; Senick, Jennifer; Sorensen-Allacci, Mary Ann; Plotnik, Deborah; Guo, Mengyang; Yu, Yi; Gong, Jie; Andrews, Clinton J.; Mainelis, Gediminas

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.03.022

Cited by 23 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 116 publications

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“…Bioaerosol measurements were performed in Building 1 (B1), Building 2 (B2), and Building 3 (B3) (Table 1) between 2011 and 2015, according to the timeline shown in Figure 1. Our study invited all residents from the three buildings to participate via brochures and communications from the building management, and the recruitment is described in more detail in earlier publications 52‐57 . B1 is an Energy Star certified residential building with an urban rooftop garden and a total of 128 apartments in two wings with six and seven floors.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our study invited all residents from the three buildings to participate via brochures and communications from the building management, and the recruitment is described in more detail in earlier publications. [52][53][54][55][56][57] B1 is an Energy Star certified residential building with an urban rooftop garden and a total of 128 apartments in two wings with six and seven floors. B1 has hot water baseboard heating supplied by a centralized boiler and natural air ventilation, predominantly using open windows.…”

Section: Study Buildings and Measurement Timelinementioning

confidence: 99%

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Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

et al. 2020

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Bioaerosol concentrations in residential buildings located in the Northeastern US have not been widely studied. Here, in 2011‐2015, we studied the presence and seasonal variability of culturable fungi and bacteria in three multi‐family apartment buildings and correlated the bioaerosol concentrations with building ventilation system types and environmental parameters. A total of 409 indoor and 86 outdoor samples were taken. Eighty‐five percent of investigated apartments had indoor‐outdoor (I/O) ratios of culturable fungi below 1, suggesting minimal indoor sources of fungi. In contrast, 56% of the apartments had I/O ratios for culturable bacteria above 1, indicating the prominence of indoor sources of bacteria. Culturable fungi I/O ratios in apartments serviced by central heating, ventilation, and air‐conditioning (HVAC) system were lower than those in apartments with window AC. The type of ventilation system did not have a significant effect on the presence of indoor culturable bacteria. A significant positive association was determined between indoor dew point (DP) levels and indoor culturable fungi (P < .001) and bacteria (P < .001), regardless of ventilation type. Also, residents in apartments with central HVAC did not experience extreme DP values. We conclude that building ventilation systems, seasonality, and indoor sources are major factors affecting indoor bioaerosol levels in residential buildings.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Buildings and Measurement Timelinementioning

confidence: 99%

Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

et al. 2020

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“…In the reviewed studies, additional behavioral interventions to improve IAQ, such as changes in cleaning activities, decreased use of candles or incense, and increased ventilation if having pets, were less frequently identified. One study found that certain cleaning practices (vacuuming, dusting, or sweeping) resulted in higher indoor PM 2.5-10 levels, 54 and three studies 16,32,36 showed links of higher indoor particle counts and PM 2.5 and the use of candles/incense. Lastly, Doll et al 20 found correlations of pet presence with higher particle levels inside homes.…”

Section: Find Ing S and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[10][11][12] While the trade-off between energy efficiency and IAQ remains a design and operational challenge, the relevance of additional characteristics and factors affecting IAQ (eg, outdoor conditions, ambient pollutant properties and concentrations, as well as indoor occupant behaviors) have received increasing focus. [13][14][15][16] As a result, field studies have become more abundant in an attempt to parse the relative influence of various IAQ factors and to improve IAQ in real-world settings.…”

Section: Factors Affecting Iaqmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Known behaviors that are significant for IAQ include smoking, use of incense and candles, and cooking combined with poor ventilation. 16,[30][31][32][33] At times, these behaviors are predicated on the presence (or lack) of building and site affordances, as in the case of building ventilation. Other behaviors may be determined by a broader social context.…”

Section: Influence Of Occupant Behaviors On Iaqmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Residential indoor air quality interventions through a social‐ecological systems lens: A systematic review

et al. 2021

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Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important consideration for health and well-being as people spend most of their time indoors. Multi-disciplinary interest in IAQ is growing, resulting in more empirical research, especially in affordable housing settings, given disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations. Conceptually, there is little coherency among these case studies; they traverse diverse spatial scales, indoor and outdoor environments, and populations, making it difficult to implement research findings in any given setting. We employ a social-ecological systems (SES) framework to review and categorize existing interventions and other literature findings to elucidate relationships among spatially and otherwise diverse IAQ factors. This perspective is highly attentive to the role of agency, highlighting individual, household, and organizational behaviors and constraints in managing IAQ. When combined with scientific knowledge about the effectiveness of IAQ interventions, this approach favors actionable strategies for reducing the presence of indoor pollutants and personal exposures.

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Indoor Air Quality, Ultrafine Particles in Offices and Services of Coimbra Health School

Moreira¹,

Ferreira²,

Figueiredo³

et al. 2021

Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2021)

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Investigation of indoor air quality determinants in a field study using three different data streams

Cited by 23 publications

References 116 publications

Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

Residential indoor air quality interventions through a social‐ecological systems lens: A systematic review

Indoor Air Quality, Ultrafine Particles in Offices and Services of Coimbra Health School

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