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Assessment of Indoor Air Pollution in Homes with Infants

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  • Anna Ruth Pickett

    (School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Michelle L. Bell

    (School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

Abstract

Infants spend most of their indoor time at home; however, residential air quality is poorly understood. We investigated the air quality of infants’ homes in the New England area of the U.S. Participants ( N = 53) were parents of infants (0–6 months) who completed telephone surveys to identify potential pollutant sources in their residence. Carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤0.5 µm (PM 0.5 ), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were measured in 10 homes over 4–7 days, and levels were compared with health-based guidelines. Pollutant levels varied substantially across homes and within homes with overall levels for some homes up to 20 times higher than for other homes. Average levels were 0.85 ppm, 663.2 ppm, 18.7 µg/m 3 , and 1626 µg/m 3 for CO, CO 2 , PM 0.5 , and TVOCs, respectively. CO 2 , TVOCs, and PM 0.5 levels exceeded health-based indoor air quality guidelines. Survey results suggest that nursery renovations and related potential pollutant sources may be associated with differences in urbanicity, income, and presence of older children with respiratory ailments, which could potentially confound health studies. While there are no standards for indoor residential air quality, our findings suggest that additional research is needed to assess indoor pollution exposure for infants, which may be a vulnerable population.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Ruth Pickett & Michelle L. Bell, 2011. "Assessment of Indoor Air Pollution in Homes with Infants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:8:y:2011:i:12:p:4502-4520:d:15082
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kirk R. Smith, 2003. "Indoor Air Pollution," World Bank Publications - Reports 9723, The World Bank Group.
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    1. Aayush Khadka & David Canning, 2021. "Understanding the Pathways from Prenatal and Post-Birth PM 2.5 Exposure to Infant Death: An Observational Analysis Using US Vital Records (2011–2013)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Amber M. Yeoman & Marvin Shaw & Martyn Ward & Lyndsay Ives & Stephen J. Andrews & Alastair C. Lewis, 2023. "Gas Phase Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds Arising from the Application of Sunscreens," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Sotiris Vardoulakis & Evanthia Giagloglou & Susanne Steinle & Alice Davis & Anne Sleeuwenhoek & Karen S. Galea & Ken Dixon & Joanne O. Crawford, 2020. "Indoor Exposure to Selected Air Pollutants in the Home Environment: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Silvia Vilčeková & Ilija Zoran Apostoloski & Ľudmila Mečiarová & Eva Krídlová Burdová & Jozef Kiseľák, 2017. "Investigation of Indoor Air Quality in Houses of Macedonia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, January.
    5. Raquel Rodrigues dos Santos & João Gregório & Liliana Castanheira & Ana S. Fernandes, 2020. "Exploring Volatile Organic Compound Exposure and Its Association with Wheezing in Children under 36 Months: A Cross-Sectional Study in South Lisbon, Portugal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-12, September.

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