You are here:
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Study entitled The Effect of Climate Change on Indoor Air Quality and Public Health.
Impact/Purpose:
To evaluate the state of scientific understanding of the effects of climate change on indoor air quality and public health.
Description:
The Institute of Medicine of the NAS is conducting a study to evaluate the state of scientific understanding of the effects of climate change on indoor air quality and public health. General topics may include the likely impacts of climate change in the U.S. on the indoor environment, how these impacts may influence human exposure to chemical and biological agents and environmental stressors, possible public health consequences arising from these exposures, and priority issues for research and action. The Committee constituted to accomplish these tasks will perform a literature review and seek additional information through a public workshop. Among specific topics being considered are the following: buildings, including the determinants of indoor air quality, adaptation and mitigation strategies, green architecture, and the property casualty insurance industry’s views on climate change and the built environment; occupant health, including vulnerable populations for climate change -related effects, thermal stress, infectious disease transmission, and allergen exposure; and research and data collection related to climate change, indoor environment, and public health issues being conducted in the federal government. Its efforts will culminate in the release of a report explicating its research approach and containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations on the topics addressed.