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A Method to Estimate the Chronic Health Impact of Air Pollutants in U.S. Residences

Journal Article · · Environmental Health Perspectives
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104035· OSTI ID:1627107
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; DOE/OSTI
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division
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Background: Indoor air pollutants (IAPs) cause multiple health impacts. Prioritizing mitigation options that differentially affect individual pollutants and comparing IAPs with other environmental health hazards require a common metric of harm. Objectives: Our objective was to demonstrate a methodology to quantify and compare health impacts from IAPs. The methodology is needed to assess population health impacts of large-scale initiatives—including energy efficiency upgrades and ventilation standards—that affect indoor air quality (IAQ). Methods: Available disease incidence and disease impact models for specific pollutant–disease combinations were synthesized with data on measured concentrations to estimate the chronic heath impact, in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost, due to inhalation of a subset of IAPs in U.S. residences. Model results were compared with independent estimates of DALYs lost due to disease. Results: Particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), acrolein, and formaldehyde accounted for the vast majority of DALY losses caused by IAPs considered in this analysis, with impacts on par or greater than estimates for secondhand tobacco smoke and radon. Confidence intervals of DALYs lost derived from epidemiology-based response functions are tighter than those derived from toxicology-based, interspecies extrapolations. Statistics on disease incidence in the United States indicate that the upper-bound confidence interval for aggregate IAP harm is implausibly high. Conclusions: The approach demonstrated in this study may be used to assess regional and national initiatives that affect IAQ at the population level. Cumulative health impacts from inhalation in U.S. residences of the IAPs assessed in this study are estimated at 400–1,100 DALYs lost annually per 100,000 persons.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Initiative (ETI)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1627107
Journal Information:
Environmental Health Perspectives, Journal Name: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 120; ISSN 0091-6765
Publisher:
National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (25)

A framework for estimating the US mortality burden of fine particulate matter exposure attributable to indoor and outdoor microenvironments journal December 2018
Population Dynamics and Air Pollution: The Impact of Demographics on Health Impact Assessment of Air Pollution journal January 2013
Reducing Health Risks from Indoor Exposures in Rapidly Developing Urban China journal July 2013
Environmental Burden of Disease in Europe: Assessing Nine Risk Factors in Six Countries journal May 2014
Take Care in the Kitchen: Avoiding Cooking-Related Pollutants journal June 2014
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 journal July 2015
Discontinuous and Continuous Indoor Air Quality Monitoring in Homes with Fireplaces or Wood Stoves as Heating System journal December 2015
Quantifying the Health Burden Misclassification from the Use of Different PM2.5 Exposure Tier Models: A Case Study of London journal February 2020
Sulforaphane protects against acrolein-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses: modulation of Nrf-2 and COX-2 expression journal January 2016
Portable photocatalytic air cleaners: efficiencies and by-product generation journal December 2015
TD-GC-FID based approach for monitoring indoor borne styrene and optimization of irradiation conditions for radiopolymerization in consolidated artifacts journal April 2019
Performance based approaches in standards and regulations for smart ventilation in residential buildings: a summary review journal February 2018
Molecular Mechanisms of Acrolein Toxicity: Relevance to Human Disease journal January 2015
The effects of an energy efficiency retrofit on indoor air quality journal July 2014
Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exposure mitigation in US residences: in-home measurements of ventilation control and source control journal November 2014
Outcome-based ventilation: A framework for assessing performance, health, and energy impacts to inform office building ventilation decisions journal May 2018
Quantitative filter forensics with residential HVAC filters to assess indoor concentrations journal February 2019
Investigating measurements of fine particle ( PM 2.5 ) emissions from the cooking of meals and mitigating exposure using a cooker hood journal February 2019
Fine and ultrafine particle removal efficiency of new residential HVAC filters journal June 2019
In situ efficiency of filters in residential central HVAC systems journal December 2019
Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exposure mitigation in US residences: In-home measurements of ventilation control and source control report October 2014
An Extensive Collection of Evaluation Indicators to Assess Occupants’ Health and Comfort in Indoor Environment journal January 2020
Evaluating the Sensitivity of the Mass-Based Particle Removal Calculations for HVAC Filters in ISO 16890 to Assumptions for Aerosol Distributions journal February 2018
Investigation of Indoor Air Quality and the Identification of Influential Factors at Primary Schools in the North of China journal July 2017
TD-GC-FID based approach for monitoring indoor borne styrene and optimization of irradiation conditions for radiopolymerization in consolidated artifacts text January 2019

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Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
DALYs
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Public
Environmental & Occupational Health
Toxicology
criteria pollutants
exposure
impact assessment
indoor air pollutants
indoor air quality
ir toxics