title: Benefit-cost analysis of commercially available activated carbon filters for indoor ozone removal in single-family homes.
abstract: This study involved the development of a model for evaluating the potential costs and benefits of ozone control by activated carbon filtration in single-family homes. The modeling effort included the prediction of indoor ozone with and without activated carbon filtration in the HVAC system. As one application, the model was used to predict benefit-to-cost ratios for single-family homes in 12 American cities in five different climate zones. Health benefits were evaluated using disability-adjusted life-years and included city-specific age demographics for each simulation. Costs of commercially available activated carbon filters included capital cost differences when compared to conventional HVAC filters of similar particle removal efficiency, energy penalties due to additional pressure drop, and regional utility rates. The average indoor ozone removal effectiveness ranged from 4 to 20% across the 12 target cities and was largely limited by HVAC system operation time. For the parameters selected in this study, the mean predicted benefit-to-cost ratios for 1-inch filters were >1.0 in 10 of the 12 cities. The benefits of residential activated carbon filters were greatest in cities with high seasonal ozone and HVAC usage, suggesting the importance of targeting such conditions for activated carbon filter applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Aldred
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Darling
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Corsi
mesh_terms: D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000191:economics; D061808:Air Filters / Q000191:economics*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005374:Filtration / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D010126:Ozone; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Disability-adjusted life-years; Indoor air quality; Modeling; Monte Carlo analysis; Residential buildings