Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/191637
Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health KEY FINDINGS, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND PRIORITY ISSUES 241 Poor indoor environmental quality is creating health problems today and impairs the ability of occupants to work and learn. There is an extensive scientific literature on the effects of poor indoor air quality, damp conditions, and excessively high or low temperature on human health. Epidemiologic literature reviewed by the committee indicates that pollution intrusion from the outdoors, emissions from building components furnishings, and appliances, and occupant behaviors introduce a number of potentially harmful contaminants into the indoor environment. Dampness problems in buildings are pervasive, and excessive indoor dampness is a determinant of the presence or source strength of several potentially problematic exposures, notably exposures to mold and other microbial agents and to chemical emissions from damaged building materials and furnishings. Damp indoor environments are associated with a number of respiratory and other health problems in homes, schools, and workplaces. Extreme heat has several well-documented adverse health effects. The elderly, those in frail health, the poor, and those who live in cities are more vulnerable to exposure to temperature extremes and to the effects of exposure. Those populations experience excessive temperatures predominantly in indoor environments. Less information is available on the effects of adverse indoor environmental conditions on the productivity of workers and students. Available studies indicate that inadequate ventilation is responsible for higher absenteeism and lower productivity in offices and schools. Indoor comfort is also important: experiments suggest that work performance and school performance decrease when occupants perceive that a space is too warm or cool or the ventilation rate is too low. There is inadequate evidence to determine whether an association exists between climate-change–induced alterations in the indoor environment and any specific adverse health outcomes. However, available research indicates that climate change may make existing indoor environmental problems worse and introduce new problems by • • • A ltering the frequency or severity of adverse outdoor conditions that affect the indoor environment. C reating outdoor conditions that are more hospitable to pests, infectious agents, and disease vectors that can penetrate the indoor environment. L eading to mitigation or adaptation measures and changes in occupant behavior that cause or exacerbate harmful indoor environmental conditions. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.