| Title: | Effects of energy retrofits on Indoor Air Quality in multifamily buildings |
| Author(s): | Du L; Leivo V; Prasauskas T; Taubel M; Martuzevicius D; Haverinen-Shaughnessy U; |
| Address: | "Department of Health Security, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland. Department of Civil Engineering, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. Department of Environmental Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1600-0668 (Electronic) 0905-6947 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "We assessed 45 multifamily buildings (240 apartments) from Finland and 20 (96 apartments) from Lithuania, out of which 37 buildings in Finland and 15 buildings in Lithuania underwent energy retrofits. Building characteristics, retrofit activities, and energy consumption data were collected, and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) parameters, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2) ), formaldehyde (CH(2) O), selected volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), radon, and microbial content in settled dust were measured before and after the retrofits. After the retrofits, heating energy consumption decreased by an average of 24% and 49% in Finnish and Lithuanian buildings, respectively. After the retrofits of Finnish buildings, there was a significant increase in BTEX concentrations (estimated mean increase of 2.5 microg/m(3) ), whereas significant reductions were seen in fungal (0.6-log reduction in cells/m(2) /d) and bacterial (0.6-log reduction in gram-positive and 0.9-log reduction in gram-negative bacterial cells/m(2) /d) concentrations. In Lithuanian buildings, radon concentrations were significantly increased (estimated mean increase of 13.8 Bq/m(3) ) after the retrofits. Mechanical ventilation was associated with significantly lower CH(2) O concentrations in Finnish buildings. The results and recommendations presented in this paper can inform building retrofit studies and other programs and policies aimed to improve indoor environment and health" |
| Keywords: | "Air Microbiology Air Pollutants/*analysis Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis/*prevention & control Conservation of Energy Resources/*methods Dust/analysis Environment, Controlled Environmental Monitoring Finland Housing Humans Lithuania *Ventilation/methods;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineDu, Liuliu Leivo, Virpi Prasauskas, Tadas Taubel, Martin Martuzevicius, Dainius Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Ulla eng Comparative Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2019/03/29 Indoor Air. 2019 Jul; 29(4):686-697. doi: 10.1111/ina.12555. Epub 2019 Apr 17" |
