Midway house-tightening project: a study of indoor air quality

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5912345

Offermann, F J; Girman, J R; Hollowell, C D

A study was conducted of indoor air quality in twelve retrofitted houses of the Midway Substation Residential Community near Vernita, Washington. Measurements of effective leakage areas and average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and radon, were made before and after special house-tightening retrofits. The average reduction in leakage area resulting from these retrofits was 32%. None of the pollutants measured before or after the retrofits, reached levels exceeding existing guidelines. The moderate increases in radon and formaldehyde concentrations observed are consistent with what would be expected from the estimated average decrease in air-exchange rates. Because the pre- and post-retrofit measurements involved only single, relatively short-term samples taken two months apart, uncertainties associated with the variability of source strength and occupant activities affecting ventilation remain and preclude any definitive conclusions.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5912345
• Report Number(s): DOE/BP-63; ON: DE82000997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABUNDANCE
AIR INFILTRATION
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
BUILDINGS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FLOW RATE
FLUIDS
FOAMS
GASES
HOUSES
HUMIDITY
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INFORMATION
LEAKS
MEASURING METHODS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
POLLUTION
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RETROFITTING
UREA-FORMALDEHYDE FOAMS
USA
WASHINGTON
WEATHERIZATION