Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution on Indoor Air Quality in Low-Income Homes during Wildfire Seasons

Prateek M. Shrestha, Jamie L. Humphrey, Elizabeth J. Carlton, John L. Adgate, Kelsey E. Barton, Elisabeth D. Root and Shelly L. Miller
Additional contact information
Prateek M. Shrestha: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Jamie L. Humphrey: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Elizabeth J. Carlton: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
John L. Adgate: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Kelsey E. Barton: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Elisabeth D. Root: Department of Geography and Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, 1036 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Shelly L. Miller: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 19, 1-21

Abstract: Indoor and outdoor number concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were monitored continuously for two to seven days in 28 low-income homes in Denver, Colorado, during the 2016 and 2017 wildfire seasons. In the absence of indoor sources, all outdoor pollutant concentrations were higher than indoors except for CO. Results showed that long-range wildfire plumes elevated median indoor PM 2.5 concentrations by up to 4.6 times higher than outdoors. BC, CO, and NO 2 mass concentrations were higher indoors in homes closer to roadways compared to those further away. Four of the homes with mechanical ventilation systems had 18% higher indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of PM 2.5 and 4% higher I/O ratios of BC compared to other homes. Homes with exhaust stove hoods had PM 2.5 I/O ratios 49% less than the homes with recirculating hoods and 55% less than the homes with no stove hoods installed. Homes with windows open for more than 12 hours a day during sampling had indoor BC 2.4 times higher than homes with windows closed. This study provides evidence that long-range wildfire plumes, road proximity, and occupant behavior have a combined effect on indoor air quality in low-income homes.

Keywords: low-cost sensors; black carbon; PM 2.5; infiltration; energy efficiency; traffic-related air pollution; wildfire smoke (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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