Impact of energy conservation in buildings on health

Conference · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6002924

Hollowell, C. D. ^[1]; Berk, J. V. ^[1]; Lin, C. ^[1]; Nazaroff, W. W. ^[1]; Traynor, G. W. ^[1]

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1. University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL)

The levels of air contaminants inside buildings are often higher than outdoor ambient levels. Interest in conserving energy has been motivating home-owners and builders to reduce infiltration and ventilation in buildings. However, the resulting decrease of indoor/outdoor air exchange may increase the concentrations of many contaminants having indoor sources. Four indoor contaminants - carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves; formaldehyde from gas stoves, particleboard, plywood, and urea-formaldehyde foam insulation; and radon from various building materials - are currently receiving considerable attention in the context of the potential health risks associated with reduced infiltration and ventilation rates. It is likely that some increased health risk will accompany an increase in indoor-contaminant exposure; hence, it is desirable not to allow these concentrations to rise above human-tolerance levels. There are several possible ways of circumventing increased health risks without compromising energy-conservation considerations.

• Research Organization: University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6002924
• Report Number(s): LBL--9379; CONF-791009--1
• Resource Type: Conference paper
• Conference Information: International conference on energy use management, Los Angeles, CA (United States), 22-26 Oct 1979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
500100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR INFILTRATION
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
ALDEHYDES
BUILDINGS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FORMALDEHYDE
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADON
RARE GASES
VENTILATION SYSTEMS