Chapter 22 Further Reading

Official Health and Safety Guidance

EPA Indoor Air Quality — A Guide for Building Occupants and Owners (epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq) The EPA's comprehensive resource for indoor air quality. Includes fact sheets on specific pollutants (radon, VOCs, combustion byproducts, biological contaminants), guidance on filtration and ventilation, and links to testing resources. Free online access. The most authoritative starting point for any residential IAQ question.

CPSC/EPA Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals A deeper reference written for healthcare providers but accessible to motivated lay readers. Covers the health effects of specific pollutants with more detail than consumer guides. Available as a free PDF from the EPA website. Particularly useful for understanding health effect thresholds — not just "is this bad" but "how bad, at what concentrations."

NFPA 720: Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detection and Warning Equipment The National Fire Protection Association's standard covering CO detector installation requirements. This is what most state and local building codes reference when they require CO detectors. Not necessary reading for most homeowners, but the key requirements are summarized in Section 22.7 of this chapter.

Filter Ratings and Air Quality Standards

ASHRAE Standard 52.2: Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices The standard that defines the MERV rating system. Available from ASHRAE (ashrae.org). Most homeowners don't need the full standard, but understanding that MERV has a specific, standardized definition is useful when evaluating filters and air purification claims.

ASHRAE 62.2: Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings The standard governing residential ventilation rates. Defines how much outside air per square foot per occupant homes should receive. Useful for understanding whether your home is adequately ventilated — relevant if you've been tightening the building envelope (Chapter 9) and are concerned about stale air.

Air Purifiers and the Evidence Base

California Air Resources Board — Air Cleaners in the Home CARB's research and regulatory guidance on residential air cleaning devices. Includes the list of air cleaners certified as not producing harmful ozone, and the banned/restricted devices list. This is the most authoritative source for evaluating specific product claims. Free at arb.ca.gov.

"Portable Air Cleaners for Indoor Air Quality" — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory LBNL research on portable air cleaner performance in real residential settings. More rigorous than manufacturer claims — includes limitations on whole-home effectiveness and realistic particle reduction percentages. Available free through LBNL's Indoor Environment Group publications.

Humidity Management

ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook — Chapter on Psychrometrics Psychrometrics is the science of air-moisture relationships. The ASHRAE Fundamentals chapter is the professional reference for understanding humidity, dew point, and the moisture physics that determine condensation risk in walls and windows. Dense but complete. Chapter 9 on moisture control in this textbook draws on this material.

"Moisture Control in Buildings" — Oak Ridge National Laboratory A practical guide from ORNL covering moisture sources, transport mechanisms, condensation, and control strategies. Highly relevant to the humidity content of Chapter 22 and the insulation content of Chapter 4. Free download from Oak Ridge's building envelope research repository.

Carbon Monoxide Resources

National CO Awareness — CPSC Resources (cpsc.gov/co) The Consumer Product Safety Commission's CO resources, including the latest data on CO poisoning deaths and injuries, product recall information, and detector placement guidance. Updated regularly with current statistics.

"Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning" — Centers for Disease Control (cdc.gov) The CDC's public health guidance on CO prevention. Includes specific guidance for different combustion appliance types, emergency response protocols, and symptom recognition. The symptom information is particularly useful — knowing that early CO exposure causes symptoms easily confused with flu or fatigue is important context.

Radon

EPA Radon Resources (epa.gov/radon) Radon testing guidance, state radon program contacts, and EPA's map of radon zones by county. The "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction" explains mitigation options clearly and helps you evaluate contractor proposals. Chapter 8 of this textbook covers radon testing and mitigation in detail; this EPA resource supplements that chapter.

National Radon Program Services (sosradon.org) Kansas State University's radon test kit service, operated with EPA support. One of the most affordable certified radon test kit sources ($15–$25 including laboratory analysis). A starting point for homeowners who have never tested.