UCLA

As most individuals within the United States spend the majority of their time indoors at home, residential indoor air quality is an important area for mitigating exposure to toxic air pollutants. This is especially important for low-income communities who are more likely to live in polluted areas with poor housing quality and lack the resources to obtain and maintain effective mechanical and exhaust ventilation within the home. The main research objective is to provide guidelines backed by current research and modeling to determine optimal window-opening behavior for reducing overall exposure to pollutants in different residential scenarios. Available literature was used to inform the majority of scenarios in which there are predominantly indoor-only, outdoor-only, or minimal indoor and outdoor sources. However, for a complex scenario in which there are both elevated levels of indoor and outdoor pollutants and where natural ventilation or exhaust-only ventilation are the only options, the Contaminant Transport Analysis Method (CONTAM) indoor air quality model program was used to determine pollutant exposure levels under three different window-opening strategies (windows closed, windows open, and windows open temporarily). Results indicate that strategic ventilation (temporarily opening windows during and shortly after indoor source pollutant generation) can be a low-cost option for low-income residential buildings without working exhaust fans. However, the use of well-maintained and efficient exhaust fans should be prioritized while cooking. Using electric appliances can also reduce indoor pollutants and offer more flexibility in ventilation options.