The effects of an energy efficiency retrofit on indoor air quality

S. E. Frey, H. Destaillats, S. Cohn, S. Ahrentzen, Matthew Fraser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

To investigate the impacts of an energy efficiency retrofit, indoor air quality and resident health were evaluated at a low-income senior housing apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona, before and after a green energy building renovation. Indoor and outdoor air quality sampling was carried out simultaneously with a questionnaire to characterize personal habits and general health of residents. Measured indoor formaldehyde levels before the building retrofit routinely exceeded reference exposure limits, but in the long-term follow-up sampling, indoor formaldehyde decreased for the entire study population by a statistically significant margin. Indoor PM levels were dominated by fine particles and showed a statistically significant decrease in the long-term follow-up sampling within certain resident subpopulations (i.e. residents who report smoking and residents who had lived longer at the apartment complex).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)210-219
Number of pages10
JournalIndoor Air
Volume25
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2015

Keywords

  • Arizona
  • Formaldehyde
  • Particulate matter
  • Phoenix
  • Senior housing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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