Nitrogen dioxide inside and outside 137 homes and implications for ambient air quality standards and health effects research

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00109a008· OSTI ID:5022434

Spengler, J D ^[1]; Duffy, C P; Letz, R; Tibbitts, T W; Ferris, Jr, B G

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1. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Week-long integrated nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/) measurements were made by using diffusion tube samplers inside and outside 137 homes in Portage, WI, over a 1-year period. The annual mean ambient NO/sub 2/ concentrations in this rural community were 10-15 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/. NO/sub 2/ levels inside the kitchens of 112 homes with gas stoves averaged about 50 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ higher, and bedroom levels were about 30 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ higher, than outdoor levels. Ten percent of the gas-cooking homes had annual average kitchen NO/sub 2/ levels higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 100 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/. NO/sub 2/ levels inside kitchens of 25 homes with electric stoves were about two-thirds outdoor levels, while corresponding bedroom levels were one-half outdoor levels. Distinct seasonal patterns (higher indoor levels in winter, lower in summer) consistent with changes in normal air-exchange rates were evident in gas-cooking homes. The large variation of NO/sub 2/ concentrations among homes, likely due to differences in stove use, emission rates, and air-exchange rates, limits the development of prediction models. In addition, this variation would reduce the power of epidemiological studies of respiratory health, which use ambient NO/sub 2/ concentration levels, a simple dichotomous description of stove type and two categories of home cooking fuel to describe exposure.

• OSTI ID: 5022434
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 17:3; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030500 -- Natural Gas-- Health & Safety
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
APPLIANCES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION V
GAS APPLIANCES
HOUSEHOLDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MONITORING
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RURAL AREAS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
STOVES
USA
VARIATIONS
WISCONSIN