Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page R1
Committee on the Effect of Climate Change on
Indoor Air Quality and Public Health
Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
OCR for page R2
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Govern-
ing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the
councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineer-
ing, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for
the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropri-
ate balance.
This study was supported by a contract between the National Academy of Sciences
and the US Environmental Protection Agency via award No. EP-D-09-071. Any
opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication
are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations
or agencies that provided support for this project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-20941-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-20941-2
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press,
500 Fifth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313
(in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.
For more information about the Institute of Medicine, visit the IOM home page
at: www.iom.edu.
Copyright 2011 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Cover credit: Thermal image of a residence in New Haven. © Tyrone Turner/
National Geographic Society/Corbis.
The serpent has been a symbol of long life, healing, and knowledge among almost
all cultures and religions since the beginning of recorded history. The serpent ad-
opted as a logotype by the Institute of Medicine is a relief carving from ancient
Greece, now held by the Staatliche Museen in Berlin.
Suggested citation: IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor
Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
OCR for page R3
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.”
— Goethe
Advising the Nation. Improving Health.
OCR for page R4
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society
of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to
the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare.
Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Acad-
emy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific
and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy
of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter
of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding en-
gineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members,
sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the
federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineer-
ing programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research,
and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is presi-
dent of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of
Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in
the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Insti-
tute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its
congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own
initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V.
Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sci-
ences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the
Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government.
Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the
Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy
of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the
government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Coun-
cil is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr.
Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of
the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
OCR for page R5
COMMITTEE ON THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
JOHN D. SPENGLER (Chair), Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental
Health and Human Habitation, Department of Environmental Health,
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
JOHN L. ADGATE, Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental and
Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of
Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
ANTONIO J. BUSALACCHI, JR., Director and Professor, Earth System Science
Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
GINGER L. CHEW, Epidemiologist, Division of Emergency and Environmental
Health Services, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
ANDREW HAINES, Professor of Public Health and Primary Care, London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
STEVEN M. HOLLAND, Chief, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases;
Chief, Immunopathogenesis Section, LCID; Tenured Investigator,
Immunopathogenesis Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
VIVIAN E. LOFTNESS, University Professor, School of Architecture, Carnegie
Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
LINDA A. MCCAULEY, Dean, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory
University, Atlanta, Georgia
WILLIAM W. NAZAROFF, Daniel Tellep Distinguished Professor, Vice-Chair
for Academic Affairs, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of California, Berkeley, California
EILEEN STOREY, Surveillance Branch Chief, Division of Respiratory Disease
Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia
Program Staff
DAVID A. BUTLER, Senior Program Officer; Study Director
LAUREN N. SAVAGLIO, Research Associate
TIA S. CARTER, Senior Program Assistant
RACHEL S. BRIKS, Program Assistant
VICTORIA WITTIG, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow
HOPE HARE, Administrative Assistant
NORMAN GROSSBLATT, Senior Editor
ROSE MARIE MARTINEZ, Director, Board on Population Health and Public
Health Practice
v
OCR for page R6
OCR for page R7
Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their
diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures
approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee.
The purpose of the independent review is to provide candid and critical
comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as
sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards
of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review
comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity
of the deliberative process. We thank the following for their review of the
report:
Patricia Butterfield, Dean and Professor, Washington State University,
Spokane
Peyton Eggleston, Professor Emeritus, Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center
Kristine M. Gebbie, Joan Hansen Grabe Dean (acting), Hunter-
Bellevue School of Nursing, Hunter College, City University of
New York; Professor, Flinders University School of Nursing and
Midwifery
Peggy L. Jenkins, Manager, Indoor Exposure Assessment Section,
Research Division, California Air Resources Board
Patrick Kinney, Associate Professor of Public Health, Division of
Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, School of
Public Health
vii
OCR for page R8
viii REVIEWERS
Donald Milton, Professor and Director, Maryland Institute for
Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland
Andrew K. Persily, Leader, Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Group,
Building Environment Division, Building and Fire Research
Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Thomas J. Wilbanks, Corporate Fellow, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive
comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions
or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its
release. The review of the report was overseen by Richard B. Johnston, As-
sociate Dean for Research Development, Professor of Pediatrics, University
of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, and Lynn R. Goldman, Dean, The
George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
Appointed by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine,
they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination
of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures
and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for
the final content of the report rests with the authoring committee and the
institution.
OCR for page R9
Acknowledgments
This report could not have been prepared without the guidance and
expertise of numerous persons. Although it is not possible to mention by
name all those who contributed to the committee’s work, the commit-
tee wants to express its gratitude to a number of them for their special
contributions.
Sincere thanks go to all the participants at the public meetings con-
vened on June 7 and July 14, 2010. The intent of the workshops was to
gather information regarding issues related to climate change and public
health. The speakers, who are listed in Appendix A, gave generously of their
time and expertise to help to inform and guide the committee’s work. Many
of them also provided additional information in response to the committee’s
myriad questions.
The committee extends special thanks to the dedicated and hard-
working staff of the Institute of Medicine’s Board on Population Health
and Public Health Practice, who supported and facilitated its work. Board
Director Rose Marie Martinez helped to ensure that this report met the
highest standards of quality.
Finally, the committee members would like to thank the chair, John
D. Spengler, for his outstanding work, leadership, and dedication to this
project.
ix
OCR for page R10
OCR for page R11
Contents
SUMMARY 1
Framework and Organization, 2
Report Synopsis, 3
Results, 7
References, 15
1 INTRODUCTION 17
Why the Effect of Climate Change on the Indoor Environment and
Health Constitutes an Important Issue, 17
Statement of Task, 19
The Committee’s Approach to Its Task, 19
Methodologic Approach, 20
Recent National Academy of Sciences Reports Addressing
Climate Change, 26
Organization of the Report, 29
References, 31
2 BACKGROUND 33
Elements of Climate-Change Research Relevant to
Buildings and Public Health, 33
Adverse Exposures Associated with Climate-Change–Induced
Alterations in the Indoor Environment, 37
Time Spent in the Indoor Environment, 41
xi
OCR for page R12
xii CONTENTS
Climate Change and Vulnerable Populations, 43
Conclusions, 48
References, 48
3 GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE-SECTOR INVOLVEMENT
IN CLIMATE CHANGE, INDOOR ENVIRONMENT, AND
HEALTH ISSUES 53
Federal Government Agencies and Departments, 53
Government Housing and Health Data Collection, 60
State and Local Governments, 67
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 69
Private Sector, 70
Observations, 72
References, 72
4 AIR QUALITY 79
Introduction, 79
Indoor Sources of Pollutants, 80
Outdoor Sources, 98
Indoor Air Quality in Developing Countries, 111
Conclusions, 114
References, 117
5 DAMPNESS, MOISTURE, AND FLOODING 133
Introduction, 133
Climate Change and Indoor Dampness and Flooding, 134
Indoor Dampness, 135
Dampness and Health, 135
Specific Dampness-Related Contaminants, 141
Summary Comments, 146
Conclusions, 147
References, 148
6 INFECTIOUS AGENTS AND PESTS 155
Infectious Agents, 156
Pests, 163
Conclusions, 174
References, 176
7 THERMAL STRESS 185
Introduction, 185
Management of the Indoor Thermal Environment, 185
Effects of Heat Exposure, 188
OCR for page R13
xiii
CONTENTS
Effects of Cold Exposure, 197
Climate-Change Adaptation and Mitigation Measures, 198
Conclusions, 201
References, 202
8 BUILDING VENTILATION, WEATHERIZATION, AND
ENERGY USE 209
Energy Use in Buildings, 209
Building Weatherization, 210
Energy-Efficiency Programs for Buildings, 213
Energy Star, 215
Product-Labeling and Building-Certification Programs, 217
Health Issues Related to Weatherization, 224
Synthesis, 231
Conclusions, 232
References, 232
9 KEY FINDINGS, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND PRIORITY
ISSUES FOR ACTION 239
Overview of the Committee’s Work, 239
Key Findings, 240
Guiding Principles, 243
Priority Issues for Action and Recommendations, 245
References, 254
APPENDIXES
A Public Meeting Agendas 257
B Environmental Protection Agency Contractor Reports on
Climate-Change, Indoor-Environment, and Health Topics 263
C Biographic Sketches of Committee Members and Staff 267
OCR for page R14
