US EPA

5077874 

Journal Article 

Effects of energy retrofits on indoor air quality in multifamily buildings 

Du, L; Leivo, V; Prasauskas, T; Täubel, M; Martuzevicius, D; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U 

2019 

Yes 

Indoor Air
ISSN: 0905-6947
EISSN: 1600-0668 

29 

4 

686-697 

English 

30921480 

10.1111/ina.12555 

WOS:000471273100015 

We assessed 45 multifamily buildings (240 apartments) from Finland and 20 from (96 apartments) Lithuania, out of which 37 buildings in Finland and 15 buildings in Lithuania underwent energy retrofits. Building characteristics, retrofit activities, and energy consumption data were collected, and indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), formaldehyde (CH2 O), selected volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes (BTEX)), radon, and microbial content in settled dust were measured before and after the retrofits. After the retrofits, heating energy consumption decreased by an average of 24% and 49% in Finnish and Lithuanian buildings, respectively. After the retrofits of Finnish buildings, there was a significant increase in BTEX concentrations (estimated mean increase 2.5 μg m-3 ), whereas significant reductions were seen in fungal (0.6-log reduction in cells/m2 /d) and bacterial (0.6-log reduction in gram-positive and 0.9-log reduction in gram-negative bacterial cells/m2 /d) concentrations. In Lithuanian buildings, radon concentrations were significantly increased (estimated mean increase 13.8 Bq m-3 ) after the retrofits. Mechanical ventilation was associated with significantly lower CH2 O concentrations in Finnish buildings. The results and recommendations presented in this paper can inform building retrofit studies and other programs and policies aimed to improve indoor environment and health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. 

bacteria; chemical exposure; fungi; microbial exposure; radon; residential building