Healthy Residential Indoor Air Quality

Abstract

Healthy indoor environments are important components of sustainable housing. Creating such environments means avoiding health hazards from mold and other allergens, combustion pollutants, volatile organic compounds, radon, lead, and asbestos. Ways of doing so include use of water-managed building foundations, site drainage, adequate ventilation, informed selection of equipment for space conditioning and water heating, material choices, and sub-slab ventilation. Lead and asbestos are concerns in rehabilitating older homes and are addressed through well-established best practices. The purpose of this paper is to examine indoor environmental pollutants, their impacts on human health, and methods to avoid and mitigate exposure. The presence of asthma triggers in homes has become an increasingly serious indoor environmental issue and will be covered in more depth.