Predictors of indoor air concentrations in smoking and non-smoking residences.

Marie-Eve Héroux,Keith Van Ryswyk,Nicolas L Gilbert,Nina Clark,Kathleen Rispler,Morgan Macneill,Daniel Wang,Mireille Guay,Amanda J Wheeler,Ranjeeta Mallick,Angelos Anastassopoulos,Ian Harrison

doi:10.3390/ijerph7083080

Abstract

Indoor concentrations of air pollutants (benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, elemental carbon and ozone) were measured in residences in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Data were collected in 106 homes in winter and 111 homes in summer of 2007, with 71 homes participating in both seasons. In addition, data for relative humidity, temperature, air exchange rates, housing characteristics and occupants’ activities during sampling were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to construct season-specific models for the air pollutants. Where smoking was a major contributor to indoor concentrations, separate models were constructed for all homes and for those homes with no cigarette smoke exposure. The housing characteristics and occupants’ activities investigated in this study explained between 11% and 53% of the variability in indoor air pollutant concentrations, with ventilation, age of home and attached garage being important predictors for many pollutants.

Highlights

Residential indoor air quality is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of health, being associated with both acute and chronic health outcomes
Where smoking was a major contributor to indoor concentrations, separate models were constructed for all homes and for those homes with no cigarette smoke exposure
As opposed to formaldehyde, our study suggests that acetaldehyde levels in indoor air are more influenced by combustion than off-gassing processes

Summary

Introduction

Residential indoor air quality is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of health, being associated with both acute and chronic health outcomes. Personal exposure to indoor airborne pollutants can be greatly impacted by concentrations found in residential environments [3,6]. Canada is one of the few countries to have adopted guidelines for residential indoor air. In 1987, Health Canada, the Canadian federal department of health, published the Exposure Guidelines for Residential Indoor Air Quality through the Federal-Provincial Advisory Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health [7]. Given the wealth of science that has emerged since this time, these guidelines are currently being reviewed to better protect Canadians from potential health risks in their homes

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Results

Conclusion