5.

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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - Checking for Complete Combustion

Authors: Thomas H. Greiner

Fossil fuels contain carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). During complete combustion carbon and hydrogen combine with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). During incomplete combustion part of the carbon is not completely oxidized producing soot or carbon monoxide (CO). Incomplete combustion uses fuel inefficiently and the carbon monoxide produced is a health hazard. A properly designed, adjusted, and maintained gas flame produces only small amounts of carbon monoxide, with 400 pa

35.

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Durability by design - A guide for residential builders and designers

Authors: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Insects are not just nuisances, some are also a serious threat to building durability. The following types of insects are known to damage wooden materials in homes and in other structures: Termites, Carpenter Ants, Wood-boring Beetles, and Carpenter Bees. While all of the above insects can pose a threat to wood-framed homes, termites are the most prevalent and damaging insect. Therefore, most of this chapter addresses issues and practices related to the control and prevention of termite infest

61.

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Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?

Authors: United States Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Environments Division

Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have the air ducts in your home cleaned. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in its entirety as it provides important information on the subject. Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of di

64.

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Home Is Where the Harm Is: Inadequate Housing as a Public Health Crisis

Authors: Samiya A. Bashir

For many breadwinners of low-income families, going home at the end of a long workday can be a challenge, but it is a challenge they look forward to from the moment they arrive at work. The battle might begin with stepping off site into a city block filled with diesel exhaust. Perhaps a hard worker straps into a car for a fight with congested traffic on the long commute home, constantly alert to each potential danger the modern roadways present. Or maybe this breadwinner walks through the exha

65.

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A multihazard, multistrategy approach to home remediation: results of a pilot study

Authors: Susan klitzman, Jack Caravanos, Candice Belanoff and Laura Rothenberg

Many residential hazards are disproportionately concentrated in older, urban dwellings and share common underlying causes, such as uncorrected moisture problems and inadequate maintenance and cleaning. Comprehensive and affordable approaches to remediation are needed, but the feasibility and efficacy of such approaches has not been well documented. To address this gap, a multihazard, multimethod intervention, addressing deteriorated lead-based paint and lead dust, vermin, mold, and safety hazard

76.

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The Influence of House Characteristics in a Canadian Community on Microbiological Contamination

Authors: Mark D. Lawton, Robert E. Dales and Jim White

Fifty-nine houses in the small Canadian community of Wallaceburg, 39 with high levels of biologically active contaminants and 20 with low levels, were subjected to detailed field inspections: testing to determine house-operating parameters; monitoring of indoor environmental conditions; and simulating to predict the condensation formation potential under winter conditions. It was found that low air leakage and natural ventilation were not associated with higher levels of mold growth, as measured

140.

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Housing and Health: Time Again for Public Health Action

Authors: James Krieger and Donna L. Higgins

Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health. Addressing housing issues offers public health practitioners an opportunity to address an important social determinant of health. Public health has long been involved in housing issues. In the 19th century, health officials targeted poor sanitation, crowding, and inadequate ventilation to reduce infectious diseases as well as fire

181.

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Deteriorated Housing Contributes to High Cockroach Allergen Levels in Inner-City Households

Authors: Virginia A. Rauh, Ginger L. Chew, and Robin S. Garfinkel

The high prevalence of childhood asthma in low-income, inner-city populations is not fully understood but has been at least partly attributed to the disproportionate exposures associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. The contribution of indoor allergens to asthma is well documented, but links between socioeconomic disadvantage and indoor allergen levels are not clear. We investigated levels of cockroach allergens (Bla g 2) in a sample of 132 Dominican or African American low-income households

202.

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Microfungal Contamination of Damp Buildings--Examples of Risk Constructions and Risk Materials

Authors: Suzanne Gravesen, Peter A. Nielsen, Randi Iversen, and Kristian Fog Nielsen

To elucidate problems with microfungal infestation in indoor environments, a multidisciplinary collaborative pilot study, supported by a grant from the Danish Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was performed on 72 mold-infected building materials from 23 buildings. Water leakage through roofs, rising damp, and defective plumbing installations were the main reasons for water damage with subsequent infestation of molds. From a score system assessing the bioavailability of the building material

251.

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Mold and Moisture Prevention: A Guide for Residents in Indian Country

Authors: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Mold is a fungus, along with mushrooms and yeasts. Outdoors, mold is an important part of nature, because it breaks down dead trees and fallen leaves. But mold growing indoors should be avoided, because it can damage belongings, carpets, sofas, and mattresses. Mold can weaken floors and walls, making a house unsafe. Mold can ruin clothes and shoes in damp closets. All houses have some mold in them, but if your house is moldy, this is a sign of that it has a problem with dampness or water. Wh

258.

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Association of Housing Disrepair Indicators with Cockroach and Rodent Infestations in a Cohort of Pregnant Latina Women and Their Children

Authors: Asa Bradman, Jonathan Chevrier, Ira Tager, et al.

Health burdens associated with poor housing and indoor pest infestations are likely to affect young children in particular, who spend most of their time indoors at home. We completed environmental assessments in 644 homes of pregnant Latina women and their children living in the Salinas Valley, California. High residential densities were common, with 39% of homes housing > 1.5 persons per room. Housing disrepair was also common: 58% of homes had peeling paint, 43% had mold, 25% had water damage

261.

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Health and Productivity Gains from Better Indoor Environments and Their Implications for the U.S. Department of Energy

Authors: William J. Fisk

A substantial portion of the U.S. population suffers frequently from communicable respiratory illnesses, allergy and asthma symptoms, and sick building syndrome symptoms. We now have increasingly strong evidence that changes in building design, operation, and maintenance can significantly reduce these illnesses. Decreasing the prevalence or severity of these health effects would lead to lower health care costs, reduced sick leave, and shorter periods of illness-impaired work performance, resu

262.

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Housing and Health: Time Again for Public Health Action

Authors: James Krieger, Donna L. Higgins

Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health. Addressing housing issues offers public health practitioners an opportunity to address an important social determinant of health. Public health has long been involved in housing issues. In the 19th century, health officials targeted poor sanitation, crowding, and inadequate ventilation to reduce infectious diseases as well as fire h

268.

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Health impact assessment of housing improvements: incorporating research evidence

Authors: H Thomson, M Petticrew, M Douglas

Background: Health impact assessment (HIA) has been widely recommended for future social policies and investment, such as housing improvement. However, concerns have been raised about the utility and predictive value of an HIA. Use of existing research data would add more weight to forecasts by an HIA. Methods, results, and conclusions: A recent systematic review of housing intervention studies found a lack of research. The authors recommended that a broader evidence base would be needed to supp

282.

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Damp Indoor Spaces and Health

Authors: Noreen M. Clark, Harriet M. Ammann, et al.

A damp spot appears in a ceiling after an intense rainstorm; a hose loosens from a washing machine, spilling gallons of water onto a basement floor; weeks after a moldy odor is detected, a plumber finds a slow leak behind a wall. There are over 119 million housing units in the United States and nearly 4.7 million commercial buildings (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003), and almost all of them experience leaks, flooding, or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some time. Excessive indoor dampnes