AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
The Indoor Environment Within Green-Renovated Homes
KANISTHA CHATTERJEE, Tiina Reponen, Chris Schaffer, Eric Kettleson, Reshmi Indugula, Sergey A. Grinshpun, Gary Adamkiewicz, Stephen Vesper, University of Cincinnati
Abstract Number: 737 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Green buildings are designed and constructed to have a minimal negative impact on the environment; however the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) inside these buildings has not been attested. We assessed the indoor air in 20 green-renovated and 20 control houses in Cincinnati, OH, USA as part of the Green Housing Study. The assessment of each home included 5-day measurements of temperature, relative humidity and concentration of fine particles. Temperature and relative humidity were collected using HOBO® continuous data loggers (Onset Computer Corporation). Particles ≤ 2.5 micro-meter (PM2.5) were sampled on 37 mm, 2.0 micro-meter pore-size PTFE membrane filters using single-stage Personal Modular Impactors (SKC, Inc.), and their mass concentration was determined. In addition, on the first day of the PM2.5 sampling, real-time number concentrations of ultrafine particles were assessed with a P-Trak condensation nucleus counter (TSI Inc.) operating during 45-60 min. Floor dust collected by vacuuming was analyzed for Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI). Information on the home characteristics was collected using questionnaires that inquired about the type of the building, heating and cooling, furnishings, cleaning regimens, presence of pests and pets, environmental tobacco smoke and reports of dampness. Preliminary data obtained from homes immediately after renovation shows that the geometric mean for the number concentration of fine particles was 27,000 cm$^-3 in green-renovated homes and 40,000 cm$^-3 in control homes (p=0.196). The relative humidity was significantly higher (p=0.03) in green-renovated homes (43.5%) than in the control homes (36.6%). However, the moldiness measured using ERMI, was lower (p=0.06) in renovated homes (4.0) than in control homes (6.7). Sampling the indoor environment at 6 and 12 months after the renovation will determine the development of the indoor air quality within the green-renovated homes over time.