Using Sensor Data to Identify Factors Affecting Internal Air Quality within 279 Lower Income Households in Cornwall, South West of England

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 7;20(2):1075. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021075.

Abstract

(1) Background: Poor air quality affects health and causes premature death and disease. Outdoor air quality has received significant attention, but there has been less focus on indoor air quality and what drives levels of diverse pollutants in the home, such as particulate matter, and the impact this has on health; (2) Methods: This study conducts analysis of cross-sectional data from the Smartline project. Analyses of data from 279 social housing properties with indoor sensor data were used to assess multiple factors that could impact levels of particulate matter. T-Tests and Anova tests were used to explore associations between elevated PM2.5 and building, household and smoking and vaping characteristics. Binary logistic regression was used to test the association between elevated particulate matter and self-reported health; (3) Results: Of the multiple potential drivers of the particulate matter investigated, smoking and vaping were significantly associated with mean PM2.5. Following multivariate analysis, only smoking remained significantly associated with higher mean concentrations. Properties in which <15 cigarettes/day were smoked were predicted to have PM2.5 concentrations 9.06 µg/m3 higher (95% CI 6.4, 12.82, p ≤ 0.001) than those in which residents were non-smokers and 11.82 µg/m3 higher (95% CI 7.67, 18.19, p ≤ 0.001) where >15 cigarettes were smoked; (4) Conclusions: A total of 25% of social housing properties in this study experienced levels of indoor PM greater than WHO guideline levels for ambient air pollution. Although there are many factors that impact air quality, in this study the main driver was smoking. This highlights the importance of targeting smoking in indoor environments in future smoking cessation and control policy and practice and of understanding how pollutants interact in the home environment. There is also a need for further research into the impact on indoor air quality of vaping, particularly due to the rise in use and uncertainty of its long-term impact.

Keywords: housing; indoor air quality; particulate matter; public health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants* / analysis
  • Air Pollution* / analysis
  • Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Humans
  • Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Particulate Matter

Grants and funding

The Smartline project (05R16P00305) has received £3,740,920 and the Smartline Extension project (05R18P02819) is receiving up to £3,307,703 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014–2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding. With additional funding of £25k from the Southwest Academic Health Science Network and £200k from Cornwall Council.