Rosofsky A, Levy J, Zanobetti A, Janulewicz P, Fabian MP. (2018). The impact of air exchange rate on ambient air pollution exposure and inequalities across all residential parcels in Massachusetts. JESEE.
A paper by the MAP-EHD team was accepted for publication in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology titled “The impact of air exchange rate on ambient air pollution exposure and inequalities across all resident parcels in Massachusetts.” Outdoor air can get indoors in multiple different ways, including infiltration through cracks in walls and poorly sealed windows and doors, through natural ventilation (i.e. through open windows), and through mechanical ventilation (i.e. through air conditioners). Air exchange rate (AER) is a measure used to determine how easily outdoor air pollutants can get into buildings. The aim of this study was to estimate AER for homes in Massachusetts based on publicly available data on housing characteristics. The authors used the estimated AER along with outdoor PM2.5 concentrations to determine which homes may experience the greatest ambient air pollution exposures. They found that houses that were located in neighborhoods with higher proportions of Hispanics, had an annual income of less than $20,000, and had individuals with less than a high school degree were more likely to live in leaky homes in areas with higher ambient PM2.5 concentrations. Check back for a link to the full article.