Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

24 | July/August 2023 News & Trends Continued from previous page quirements for being ready for the times when there is an event with increased disease-causing pathogen transmissions. The standard has a building readiness plan, that docu- ments procedures for assessing exist- ing or new HVAC systems to deter- mine if they are working properly and attributing to the equivalent clean air delivered to spaces. And one more thing: The ASHRAE Guide- line 44 - Protecting Building Occupants from Smoe During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events is now available for its first public re- view through October 2, 2023. The guideline recommends building measures to minimize occupant health impacts from wildfire and prescribed fire smoke events. ASHRAE invites constructive comments. All activity for reviewing and commenting on public review drafts can be accomplished online at https://www.ashrae.org/technical- resources/standards-and-guidelines/public review-drafts?utm_content=&utm_medium = e m a i l & u t m _ n a m e = & u t m _ s o u r c e = govdelivery&utm_term=. for many aspects of air system design, instal- lation, operation, and maintenance. Task Force leader William Bahnfleth, professor of architectural engineering, told Penn State University's magazine that "we've had the data to show how import- ant IAQ is for a long time." "There were ventilation standards for infection control in the 1890s," he said. "Sick building syndrome emerged as a major problem in the 1970s. Research over the past 30 years has documented adverse ef- fects on sleep quality, productivity, and cog- nitive function when IAQ is poor." "Maintaining good IAQ may be as simple as flushing a building with lots of outdoor air, but that is rarely the best solution. All that air must be heated or cooled, humid- ified, or dehumidified to bring it to indoor conditions. That can require a lot of energy. Filtration, other kinds of air cleaning, and air disinfection can complement outdoor air and provide good IAQ more efficiently and at lower overall cost." Important topics addressed in the standard: • Infection Risk Management Mode (IRMM) – Establishes requirements for an infection risk management mode (IRMM), which applies during identified periods of elevated disease transmission risk. Authorities having jurisdiction can determine when the enhanced protections of Standard 241 are required. Resilience (the ability to respond to extreme circumstances outside normal conditions) in indoor air quality control design and operations is introduced. • Requirements for Equivalent Clean Airflow Rate – Sets requirements for equivalent clean airflow rate tar- get per occupant of pathogen free air flow, reducing the risk of infection. • Requirements for Use of Filtration and Air Cleaning Technology – Pro- vides extensive requirements for use of filtration and air cleaning (such as HEPA filters, air ionizers, or lights) to achieve equivalent clean airflow requirements and be cost effective effectively and safely. • Planning and Commissioning – Pro- vides assessment and planning re- A new preliminary study from Children's Mercy Kansas City (CMKC) has demon- strated that weatherization can provide dramatic improvements in health for chil- dren with asthma, according to the Building Performance Institute. The research project came about be- cause of previous research at the CMKC Healthy Homes Program, where hospital staff witnessed positive health outcomes in young asthma patients whose families received home weatherization repairs through the program. Weatherizing living spaces improves IAQ and reduces expo- sure to outdoor air pollutants. A research partnership with Metropol- itan Energy Center (MEC), CMKC and the Center for Economic Information at the University of Missouri Kansas City (CEI) brought additional data for a more com- prehensive picture of potential health im- provements. The team compared frequency and se- verity of healthcare visits before and after the upgrade and found "as much as a 33 percent reduction in the frequency of acute care visits for children with asthma" who resided in homes that received energy ef- ficiency improvements. Environmental Health Scientist Kevin Kennedy, recently retired from CMKC, is senior author on the report. He says that "even if you participate in a program like this weatherization program just to make improvements to your home, and not be- cause you were thinking about a health im- pact, there can also be big improvements in your health, especially if you have a chronic respiratory condition like asthma." Kelly Gilbert, executive director of MEC, said that "this stunning result demands more research to discover which home up- grades have the biggest impact on health, and we look forward to supporting that work in the future." The research team is preparing to de- velop and submit a peer-reviewed academ- ic report with the goal of publication in a research journal later this year. Study: Home Weatherization Can Help Children's Health Kevin Kennedy, MP H, CI EC

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