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Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution on Indoor Air Quality in Low-Income Homes during Wildfire Seasons

Author

Listed:
  • Prateek M. Shrestha

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA)

  • Jamie L. Humphrey

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA)

  • Elizabeth J. Carlton

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

  • John L. Adgate

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

  • Kelsey E. Barton

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

  • Elisabeth D. Root

    (Department of Geography and Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, 1036 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA)

  • Shelly L. Miller

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA)

Abstract

Indoor and outdoor number concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were monitored continuously for two to seven days in 28 low-income homes in Denver, Colorado, during the 2016 and 2017 wildfire seasons. In the absence of indoor sources, all outdoor pollutant concentrations were higher than indoors except for CO. Results showed that long-range wildfire plumes elevated median indoor PM 2.5 concentrations by up to 4.6 times higher than outdoors. BC, CO, and NO 2 mass concentrations were higher indoors in homes closer to roadways compared to those further away. Four of the homes with mechanical ventilation systems had 18% higher indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of PM 2.5 and 4% higher I/O ratios of BC compared to other homes. Homes with exhaust stove hoods had PM 2.5 I/O ratios 49% less than the homes with recirculating hoods and 55% less than the homes with no stove hoods installed. Homes with windows open for more than 12 hours a day during sampling had indoor BC 2.4 times higher than homes with windows closed. This study provides evidence that long-range wildfire plumes, road proximity, and occupant behavior have a combined effect on indoor air quality in low-income homes.

Suggested Citation

  • Prateek M. Shrestha & Jamie L. Humphrey & Elizabeth J. Carlton & John L. Adgate & Kelsey E. Barton & Elisabeth D. Root & Shelly L. Miller, 2019. "Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution on Indoor Air Quality in Low-Income Homes during Wildfire Seasons," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:19:p:3535-:d:269384
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Adamkiewicz, G. & Zota, A.R. & Patricia Fabian, M. & Chahine, T. & Julien, R. & Spengler, J.D. & Levy, J.I., 2011. "Moving environmental justice indoors: Understanding structural influences on residential exposure patterns in low-income communities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(SUPPL. 1), pages 238-245.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mahsa Tashakor & Reza Dahmardeh Behrooz & Seyed Reza Asvad & Dimitris G. Kaskaoutis, 2022. "Tracing of Heavy Metals Embedded in Indoor Dust Particles from the Industrial City of Asaluyeh, South of Iran," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Lawrence A. Palinkas & Jessenia De Leon & Kexin Yu & Erika Salinas & Cecilia Fernandez & Jill Johnston & Md Mostafijur Rahman & Sam J. Silva & Michael Hurlburt & Rob S. McConnell & Erika Garcia, 2023. "Adaptation Resources and Responses to Wildfire Smoke and Other Forms of Air Pollution in Low-Income Urban Settings: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-16, April.
    3. Marshall Burke & Sam Heft-Neal & Jessica Li & Anne Driscoll & Patrick Baylis & Matthieu Stigler & Joakim A. Weill & Jennifer A. Burney & Jeff Wen & Marissa L. Childs & Carlos F. Gould, 2022. "Exposures and behavioural responses to wildfire smoke," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(10), pages 1351-1361, October.
    4. Felix Kwabena Donkor & Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis & Sotirios Argyroudis & Hassan Aboelkhair & Juan Antonio Ballesteros Canovas & Ahmad Bashir & Ginbert Permejo Cuaton & Samo Diatta & Maral Habibi &, 2022. "SDG Final Decade of Action: Resilient Pathways to Build Back Better from High-Impact Low-Probability (HILP) Events," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-14, November.

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