Home Heating MORE THAN JUST STAYING WARM

Transcription

1 Home Heating MORE THAN JUST STAYING WARM

2 Types of Home Heating Fuel Sources Propane (LP) Natural Gas Fuel Oil Wood Coal Kerosene Pellets Outdoor wood boilers Electric

3 Combustion CH4 + O2 CO2 + H2O Less Oxygen CH4 + O2 CO +H2O CO is a poison Even less Oxygen CH4 + O2 C + H2O C is also called soot and damages the lungs

4 Combustion Appliance Maintenance Maintain each heating season Furnaces Gas water heaters While there check gas stoves, gas fireplaces Use care when operating combustion appliances indoors Make sure burner is properly adjusted and has good ventilation Ensure condensate pump works, unblocked

5 Backdrafting - Spillage Appliance is not vented properly Spills or back drafts into living area Most common test utilizes a mirror as byproducts of combustion contain water vapor that will fog mirror Create worst-case conditions Negative pressure Close all exterior doors and windows Activate all the exhaust fans Turn on clothes dryers Turn on ignite fireplaces

6 Silent Killer - Carbon Monoxide (CO) You CAN T See it Smell it, or Taste it But it can KILL in minutes! Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned

7 CO Levels (General Guidelines) 0-9 ppm No health risk ppm Problems with long term exposure 8 hrs chronic symptoms of headaches, nausea, tired MOST DETECTOR ALARMS GO OFF ppm Exposure hrs Flu like symptoms, headache, nausea ppm Exposure - 1 hr Dizziness, fatigue, vomiting ppm Minutes of exposure can cause unconsciousness, brain damage, DEATH

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10 How CO attacks Red blood cells prefer CO to oxygen If there is enough CO in the air, CO replaces oxygen in the blood This blocks oxygen from getting into the body, damaging tissues and potentially causing death

11 Common Sources of CO Blocked flue, chimney, vent pipes Rusted/cracked furnace heat exchanger Idling engine in attached garage Backdrafting, spillage Maladjusted fuel-fired space heater Unvented use of BBQ/charcoal indoors Gas stoves and ranges, water heaters Outdoor use combustion exhaust near vent/window

12 Not Just CO Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) Colorless, tasteless, with sharp odor Deep lung irritant Eye, nose, respiratory and throat irritation Shortness of breath, narrow airways in asthmatics More respiratory illness (cold/flus) Lung damage/disease with long exposure

13 Particulate Matter (PM) Eye, nose, throat, lung irritation Bronchitis, allergies, asthma, respiratory and ear infections, cardiovascular conditions Sooting from appliances Ghosting on walls/ceiling Candles can create problems Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) What is adhered to particle?

14 Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Change blood ph levels Increase respiration rate Decrease ability to perform strenuous exercise Postulated increases for long term exposure: Respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders

15 Water Vapor Major product of combustion Must vent or pump to exterior Not a pollutant but can cause moisture issues

16 Wood Stoves

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18 Navajo Coal Combustion and Respiratory Health High rates of respiratory illness Weather patterns include inversions Coal burning power plants Poorly maintained stoves Coal burned in stoves not designed for coal High levels of PM2.5 measured in homes Repairs to existing stoves could improve IAQ Perceptions can lead to incorrect conclusions

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20 Wood Burning Stoves and Respiratory Illness Children in homes with wood stoves used for cooking have a 5-fold increase in hospitalizations High PM readings found in homes with children needing hospitalizations Encouraged improvements in stoves and home ventilation systems

21 Wood Stove Interventions Wood stove changeouts (ambient and indoor) Filtration units (indoor) Best-burn practices (ambient and indoor) Wood banks (ambient)

22 How does a wood stove changeout impact indoor air quality? Old stove g smoke/hr EPA-certified stove 2-5 g smoke/hr

23 Nez Perce Wood Stove Changeout PM 2.5 Mass Results PM2.5 Concentration (ug/m 3 ) Home Avg PM2.5 Pre (ug/m3) Avg PM2.5 Post (ug/m3) ~278% PM 2.5 increase Pre-changeout avg PM 2.5 : 43.1 μg/m 3 Post-changeout avg PM 2.5 : μg/m 3

24 Importance of Training PM2.5 Concentration (ug/m 3 ) Home 2 Home 6 Home 11 Home Pre Post 1 Post 2 Sampling Event PM 2.5 Mass (µg/m 3 ) Measured in Homes Following Outreach/Education. Ward, T.J., Boulafentis, J., Simpson, J., Hester, C., Moliga, T., Warden, K., and Noonan, C.W., Results of the Nez Perce woodstove changeout program, Science of the Total Environment, 409,

25 Wood Stove Changeouts Effective in reducing ambient PM 2.5 Expensive (~$ $4500) Learning curve Results can be variable for indoor air

26 Filtration Units

27 Preliminary Results of Research 59% Reduction

28 Best-burn Practices (Temperature) Education coupled with the use of inexpensive tools Burn at proper temperatures (thermometer º F is optimal

29 Best-burn Practices (Moisture) Burn dry, seasoned wood (moisture meter) <20% moisture is optimal

30 Best-burn Practices Don t burn trash, etc. Stove maintenance (ash cleaning, clean out chimneys, etc). EPA Burn Wise Program

31 Summary Change Outs Wood stoves are a significant source of PM 2.5 in both ambient and indoor environments Wood stove change-outs can be effective in reducing ambient wintertime PM 2.5 results are more variable indoors Change-outs are expensive Training and education on new stoves essential

32 Summary Filtration Units Filtration units are consistently effective in improving indoor air in homes with wood stoves Improves indoor air quality by ~60%, but does nothing for outdoors Electricity costs are a concern and units can be noisy Units require ongoing maintenance

33 Summary Best-burn Practices Best-burn practices are inexpensive and sustainable strategies Education, outreach, and training are critical

34 Summary Other Considerations Each intervention should be culturally and regionally appropriate Interventions need to be sustainable. Can we replace wood stoves? Weatherization can reduce need for heat

35 ITEP Resources Online Training itep.scholarlms.com/courses/ In Person Training www7.nau.edu/itep/main/training/training_air Recorded webinars and videos Additional Resources Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities Live Webinars and Technical Assistance 35

36 Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Mansel A. Nelson, Senior Program Coordinator Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities Northern Arizona University (NAU) nau.edu/iaqtc/ Voice FAX PO Box 5768, Flagstaff, AZ