CLIMATE CHANGE,
THE INDOOR
ENVIRONMENT,
AND HEALTH
Committee on the Effect of Climate Change on
Indoor Air Quality and Public Health
Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate 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.
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Suggested citation: IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.”
—Goethe
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advising the Nation. Improving Health.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
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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 Institute 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.
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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
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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
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, Associate 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.
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 committee 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 convened 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 hardworking 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.
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Contents
Why the Effect of Climate Change on the Indoor Environment and Health Constitutes an Important Issue
The Committee’s Approach to Its Task
Recent National Academy of Sciences Reports Addressing Climate Change
Elements of Climate-Change Research Relevant to Buildings and Public Health
Adverse Exposures Associated with Climate-Change–Induced Alterations in the Indoor Environment
Climate Change and Vulnerable Populations
3 GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE-SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN CLIMATE CHANGE, INDOOR ENVIRONMENT, AND HEALTH ISSUES
Federal Government Agencies and Departments
Government Housing and Health Data Collection
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Indoor Air Quality in Developing Countries
5 DAMPNESS, MOISTURE, AND FLOODING
Climate Change and Indoor Dampness and Flooding
Specific Dampness-Related Contaminants
Climate-Change Adaptation and Mitigation Measures
8 BUILDING VENTILATION, WEATHERIZATION, AND ENERGY USE
Energy-Efficiency Programs for Buildings
Product-Labeling and Building-Certification Programs
Health Issues Related to Weatherization
9 KEY FINDINGS, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND PRIORITY ISSUES FOR ACTION
Overview of the Committee’s Work