Research Projects

New California homes are now required to have mechanical ventilation systems, many of which do not filter the incoming polluted air. The increase in the number of new homes built near major roadways may elevate the public’s indoor exposure to high levels of ambient particulates, especially ultrafine particles (UFPs); and ozone continues to be a major pollutant in urban areas. Employing high efficiency filtration in homes can be a very effective mitigation tool in reducing such exposure. The objective of this study is to measure the effectiveness and energy use of combinations of mechanical ventilation and filtration systems in order to identify compatible low-energy systems that are most effective at reducing indoor exposures to indoor, and incoming outdoor, pollutants. Specifically, the investigators plan to: 1) identify and evaluate up to 15 current and new systems, and select seven of the most promising systems to be compared to one reference or baseline system; 2) identify and prepare a test home near a major roadway with high ambient ozone and PM2.5 levels in which the experimental measurements will be conducted; and 3) evaluate the in-situ performance of system combinations operating over a period, including several weekdays and one weekend day, during a warm, spring/summer season and a cool, fall/winter season. The results of this study will identify combinations of mechanical ventilation and filtration systems that are both health-protective and energy-efficient that can be specified for new homes and homes of people with severe asthma or other respiratory conditions.