CH-24-C044 - Assessing the Impact of Poor-Performing Homes on Indoor Air Quality Pre- and Post-Energy Retrofits in Low-Income Populations

Exposure to air pollutants, including harmful gases and particulate matter, can have serious implications on human health. As people in the United States of America (USA) and Canada spend more than two-thirds of their time at home, it is crucial to investigate the presence of these pollutants in residences and their impact on occupant health. Low-income populations in Canada and the USA often live in homes with building performance issues such as poorly designed building enclosures, low airtightness, and inefficient or even absent heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These communities are also more likely to live in regions with high concentrations of outdoor air pollutants which further increases the contribution of outdoor air pollutants indoors, especially in homes with leaky enclosures and inadequate ventilation systems. Furthermore, these populations are more likely to live in energy poverty which may limit their HVAC system use for heating, cooling, and mechanical ventilation. However, there are limited studies on how poor-performing homes impact indoor air quality in low-income households across Canada and the USA. To address this knowledge gap, a scoping literature review is conducted to assess how poor-performing homes affect the concentrations of harmful indoor pollutants such as VOCs, particulate matter, and mold in homes before and after energy efficiency retrofits. Through the review, the authors explored the definition of poorperforming homes by evaluating building characteristics including the age of the building, type and quality of building enclosure, HVAC systems, and the availability of natural and controlled ventilation. The authors further synthesized the indoor environmental and air quality in these homes and evaluated the extent to which poor-performing homes contribute to indoor pollutant concentrations and occupant health. Finally, the authors examined the influence of energy poverty in poor-performing homes on indoor air quality.