Improving Indoor Air Quality for Cancer Prevention

Americans average about 90% of their time indoors, whether in homes, workplaces, schools, restaurants, gyms, places of worship, or elsewhere. With all that time indoors, it’s vital that the air in those buildings is safe to breathe. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building America program recently released two reports demonstrating that whole-house ventilation systems, when properly operated, can lower concentrations of indoor air pollutants—including ones that cause cancer.

Spending time in spaces with poor ventilation can have real consequences because you could inhale airborne substances that harm health. Radon, for example, is a naturally occurring gas that is generated when uranium breaks down in soil, rock, and water. You can neither see nor smell radon. It is also radioactive. When it’s inhaled, it can damage the cells lining the lungs, leading to diseases including cancer.

Everyday cooking activities can also lead to poor air quality. Frying and grilling can release small particles into the air that may also damage lungs.

The ventilation studies done through the Building America program, which is run through DOE’s Building Technologies Office, investigated indoor air quality in homes constructed from 2013 to 2020. One study focused on U.S. states in the southeast, the other on the Marine climate of Oregon and the Cold-Dry climate of Colorado.

The homes evaluated in the studies included whole-house mechanical ventilation systems, which use a host of ducts and fans to circulate air throughout an entire home. DOE wanted to see whether residents were using the systems properly and how the systems affected indoor air quality. The researchers measured levels of radon, carbon dioxide, small particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), small particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde can all cause lung problems when inhaled. Small particulate matter may also cause heart disease. Inhaling formaldehyde for long periods of time also increases cancer risk.

The scientists conducting the Building America studies found that a majority of people did not know how to operate their home ventilation systems, and half of the systems were not properly labeled. When ventilation systems were operated properly, concentrations of pollutants, including radon, were lower.

The studies concluded that whole-house ventilation systems should be installed in all new homes. These systems should:

• Be installed by contractors trained to do so.
• Be verified that they work properly after installation.
• Operate continuously or intermittently to meet required or desired ventilation rates.
• Have sensors that trigger additional ventilation in response to varying conditions.

Additionally, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has been working on various improvements in kitchen exhaust. Those efforts include raising awareness on the use of kitchen ventilation systems, developing test methods for products, and promoting inclusion of kitchen ventilation in building codes.

BTO has several other programs and initiatives underway to improve indoor air quality:

• DOE’s Efficient and Healthy Schools program, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and the EPA, engages K-12 schools to improve energy performance and indoor air quality. 
• DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program supports the use of the EPA’s Indoor AirPlus certification, a voluntary partnership and labeling program that helps new home builders improve the quality of indoor air by requiring construction practices and product specifications that minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants.

For more information on how to improve ventilation in new and existing structures, visit the Building America Solution Center.