AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Using Direct Feedback from IAQ Monitors to Change Human Behavior and Reduce Exposure to PM
SANGEETHA KUMAR, Haley Grassi, Jing Qian, Julia Jacobs, Angela Benedict, Andrea R. Ferro, Clarkson University
Abstract Number: 616 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Clarkson University (CU) and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe are piloting a program using direct feedback from indoor air quality (IAQ) monitors as an intervention strategy to reduce exposures to indoor particulate matter (PM) sources. IAQ monitors were placed in the homes of forty residents of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in Akwesasne, NY for two weeks to measure baseline concentrations of PM and 5 other IAQ markers. An intervention was then conducted, which included a home audit and tailored mitigation strategies based on the audit and baseline IAQ data. The monitoring continued for another two weeks. Participants kept activity diaries for the duration of the study to correlate levels of PM with specific activities. Data analysis includes a comparison of pre- and post-intervention levels of IAQ marker concentrations as well as characterization of the IAQ associated with specific sources. The study also found several homes with critical IAQ problems (e.g., leaking stoves) that were corrected. Based on the results of the exit survey instrument, participants valued highly the direct feedback from the monitors as well as the tailored mitigation strategies provided in person by the technician. Significant improvements in IAQ were observed using this intervention strategy.