Grantee Research Project Results
2018 Progress Report: Combining Measurements and Models to Predict the Impacts of Climate Change and Weatherization on Indoor Air Quality and Chronic Health Effects in U.S. Residences
EPA Grant Number: R835750Title: Combining Measurements and Models to Predict the Impacts of Climate Change and Weatherization on Indoor Air Quality and Chronic Health Effects in U.S. Residences
Investigators: Stephens, Brent
Institution: Illinois Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2017 (Extended to July 31, 2019)
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2017 through October 31,2018
Project Amount: $499,974
RFA: Indoor Air and Climate Change (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Climate Change , Air
Objective:
The objectives of this research are to use a combination of field measurements and a nationally representative set of dynamic residential indoor air quality models to predict indoor exposures and associated chronic health effects of several priority pollutants of both indoor and outdoor origin across (1) the current U.S. residential building stock; (2) the current U.S. residential building stock under future climate scenarios of 2050 and 2080; and (3) the future U.S. building stock under future climate scenarios of 2050 and 2080 considering a number of climate policy scenarios that lead to widespread application of weatherization retrofits and turnover of the existing building stock to more energy efficient homes.
Progress Summary:
In 2017-2018, we completed the field work portion of the project and continued to develop and apply the modeling portion of the project. Results to date from the field work portion involve applications of pollutant infiltration measurement methods, including measurements conducted (1) in an unoccupied test apartment unit and (2) in 13 single-family residential field sites both before and after weatherization retrofits have occurred (resulting in 11 successful tests), as well as 7 multi-family residential field sites without retrofits. These results provide some of the first known measurements of envelope penetration factors for PM2.5, ultrafine particles, ozone, and nitrogen oxides made in residences operating under normal conditions using newly developed rapid test methods, as well as the first known measurements of how these parameters change after weatherization retrofits have occurred and how they vary between single-family and multifamily units. Infiltration factors (i.e., the indoor/outdoor ratio in the absence of indoor sources) have also been measured for these same pollutants, as well as for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and black carbon (BC). Additionally, we have successfully developed and applied set of nationally representative combined indoor air and building energy models that incorporates a dynamic mass balance model (built in Python) and an off-the-shelf building energy simulation software tool (EnergyPlus). We continue to update the model set to account for predicted changes in the building stock in ~2055 and combined with ambient air quality and weather model outputs from ~2055 to simulate the likely effects of climate change on building energy use and indoor air quality across the U.S. building stock.
Future Activities:
In 2018-2019, the project will be completed after finishing the current and future climate modeling tasks.
Journal Articles on this Report : 5 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 24 publications | 9 publications in selected types | All 9 journal articles |
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Azimi P, Stephens B. A framework for estimating the US mortality burden of fine particulate matter exposure attributable to indoor and outdoor microenvironments. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 2018 |
R835750 (2018) R835750 (Final) |
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Zhao D, Azimi P, Stephens B. Evaluating the long-term health and economic impacts of central residential air filtration for reducing premature mortality associated with indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of outdoor origin. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2015;12(7):8448-8479. |
R835750 (2015) R835750 (2016) R835750 (2018) R835750 (Final) |
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Zhao H, Stephens B. A method to measure the ozone penetration factor in residences under infiltration conditions: application in a multifamily apartment unit. Indoor Air 2016;26(4):571-581. |
R835750 (2015) R835750 (2016) R835750 (2018) R835750 (Final) |
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Zhao H, Stephens B. Using portable particle sizing instrumentation to rapidly measure the penetration of fine and ultrafine particles in unoccupied residences. Indoor Air 2017;27(1):218-229. |
R835750 (2015) R835750 (2016) R835750 (2018) R835750 (Final) |
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Fazli T, Stephens B. Development of a nationally representative set of combined building energy and indoor air quality models for US residences. Building and Environment 2018; 136:192-212; |
R835750 (2018) R835750 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Indoor exposures, ozone, particulate matter, housing, nitrogen dioxide, black carbon, ventilation, infiltration, modelingRelevant Websites:
The Buile Environment Research Group Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.