Abstract
Wood-burning pollution is a severe problem in southern Chile, where every winter, people are exposed to unhealthy ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations. Urban air quality is a major concern for health officials, but public awareness campaigns tend to focus on outdoor hazards. Our understanding of how residents are exposed and perceive air pollution risks in their homes remains incomplete. This study explores the ability of participants to perceive indoor air quality. We collected data on 81 households, combining perceptions of air quality with objective measurements of PM2.5. Residents’ evaluations of air quality were systematically compared to inspectors’ evaluations in order to examine the home halo effect. We found that residents tended to overestimate air quality in their homes. We discuss how our data supported the existence of a home halo effect, but also point out the possibility that individuals’ ability to perceive air quality in indoor spaces is limited by other factors.
Highlights
Worldwide, ambient air pollution is estimated to cause 8.9 million premature deaths [1]
Temuco and Padre Las Casas have about 350,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest conurbations in southern Chile. This zone is characterized as having low temperatures during winter months, regularly dropping below 0 ◦C, in addition to windy and rainy periods in between. These climatic conditions generate a strong need for heating among Temuco and Padre Las Casas inhabitants, which is primarily covered by firewood
The main aim of our study was to identify the presence of a possible home halo effect and analyze the extent to which this effect could be biasing the perception of air quality in a sample of residents in urban southern Chile
Summary
Ambient air pollution is estimated to cause 8.9 million premature deaths [1]. PM2.5 can be inhaled, causing serious health problems [2]. Substantial research documents the association between PM2.5 and health, including respiratory diseases [3,4], cardiovascular diseases [5,6], neurocognitive diseases [7], and pregnancy outcomes [8]. Research shows that air pollution may induce other social problems, such as increased suicide rates [9,10,11], school absenteeism [12,13], and reduced work productivity [14,15]. A large body of literature has found that vulnerable communities are disproportionately exposed to potentially hazardous outdoor conditions near their residents, including air quality [17]
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