title: The effects of an energy efficiency retrofit on indoor air quality.
abstract: To investigate the impacts of an energy efficiency retrofit, indoor air quality and resident health were evaluated at a low-income senior housing apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona, before and after a green energy building renovation. Indoor and outdoor air quality sampling was carried out simultaneously with a questionnaire to characterize personal habits and general health of residents. Measured indoor formaldehyde levels before the building retrofit routinely exceeded reference exposure limits, but in the long-term follow-up sampling, indoor formaldehyde decreased for the entire study population by a statistically significant margin. Indoor PM levels were dominated by fine particles and showed a statistically significant decrease in the long-term follow-up sampling within certain resident subpopulations (i.e. residents who report smoking and residents who had lived longer at the apartment complex).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Destaillats
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahrentzen
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000032:analysis*; D006304:Health Status; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: Arizona; Formaldehyde; Particulate matter; Phoenix; Senior housing