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The purpose of the study was to examine home conditions, housing satisfactions, and allergen avoidance practices of people with allergic rhinitis, focusing on female patients who lived in an urban area in a hot, humid climate. The Morris and Winter theory of housing adjustment provides a theoretical base for this study. Nine hypotheses were tested to investigate interrelationships among home conditions, housing satisfaction in terms of health issues, allergen avoidance practices, and age. A sample of 41 female allergy patients aged 20 to 77 years completed a screening questionnaire and an in-depth survey questionnaire. The researcher visited their dwellings to conduct home observations and to take photos.Dust mite allergens were reported as the most common allergy triggers. Presence of cockroaches, presence of furry pets outdoors, molds in bathrooms, and molds in kitchens were the most common problematic home conditions. Open shelves, bookcases, drapes, horizontal blinds, and foam rubber pillows were the most common allergy related items found in respondents' bedrooms. Concerning health issues, the majority of the respondents were satisfied with their homes. Allergen avoidance practices were not followed regularly, particularly, using allergen-proof pillowcases and sheets, washing bedding in hot water, wearing a particle mask when vacuuming, using an exhaust fan, an air cleaner, a dehumidifier, and cockroach traps. The respondents who received suggestions from doctors were more likely to follow allergen avoidance practices than those who did not receive suggestions.The result shows a significant negative relationship between problematic home conditions and housing satisfaction in terms of health issues. A significant negative relationship between age and allergen avoidance practices was found. Older sufferers were less likely to use allergen-proof products. They also lived in older homes that were more likely to have allergy related conditions. The most common obstacles that prevented respondents from improving their homes in order to avoid allergens were cost of products, emotional attachment to pets, not having time to improve homes, and procrastination. Based on these findings, design recommendations, home maintenance recommendations, and lifestyle practice recommendations were developed. / Ph. D.

Portable ultrasonic humidifiers add moisture into room air, but they simultaneously add exposure risks of aerosolized metals from drinking water used as fill water. The inhalation exposure from emitted metals can be overlooked, and thus, co-exposure of inhalation and ingestion and co-exposure to multiple inorganic metals is investigated. The objectives of this work are: 1) predict airborne metal concentrations and particle sizes in four realistic room scenarios (33 m3 small or 72 m3 large, with varying ventilation rates from 0.2/hr -1.5/hr), and the investigated metals are arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and manganese; 2) characterize exposure doses and consequent risks for adults and 0.25, 1, 2.5, and 6 yr old children, when using identical drinking water ingested and as fill water, including inhalation of fine, respirable particles generated at the frequency of 8 hrs/day (equals 121.67 days/yr) and daily ingestion, under four realistic room scenarios. The risk assessment includes non-cancer [calculation of average daily dose (ADD) and hazard quotient (HQ)] and cancer risk evaluation; 3) quantify deposition fraction and deposited doses of multiple metals in human adult's and children's respiratory tract, using multi-path particle dosimetry (MPPD) model. Results show airborne-particle-bound metal concentrations increase proportionally with water metals, and a poorly ventilated room causes greater exposure. Ingestion ADDs are 2 magnitudes higher than inhalation ADD, at identical water metal concentrations and daily exposure frequency. However, in the worse-case scenario of 33 m3 small room with low air exchange rate, the consequent inhalation HQs are all greater than 1 for children and adults, except for lead, indicating significant non-cancer risks when exposed to humidifier particles under the worse-case scenario. The cancer risks for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead metals reveal are greater than acceptable one case in a million population (1E-6) produced from inhalation of the humidifier emitted metal-containing particles only. The MPPD model results indicate inhaled metal-containing airborne particles deposit primarily in head and pulmonary regions, and a greater dose (unit in µg/kg body weight/day) deposits in children than adults. Inhalation of ultrasonic humidifier aerosolized metals results in additional, and potentially greater risks (indicated by HQinhalation >1, and greater deposited dose) than ingestion at the same aqueous metal concentration, especially for children. Room conditions (i.e. volume and ventilation) influence risks. Both inhalation and ingestion exposures require consideration for eliminating multiple metal exposures and health-based environmental policy making. Consumers should be aware that they may be degrading their indoor air quality by using ultrasonic humidifiers even when filling with acceptable water quality for drinking. / Doctor of Philosophy / The purpose of this work is to investigate the exposure from use of ultrasonic humidifiers filled with drinking water containing inorganic metals. Typical exposure pathway of drinking water metals is ingestion. However, inhalation of aerosolized metals can cause undesirable health effects towards metal exposure, when fill water of ultrasonic humidifiers is the same drinking water, and the inhalation of aerosolized metals exposure pathway can be overlooked. Emitted airborne particles are composed of soluble metals in drinking water, and are respirable with diameters between 100-200 nm. PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic under 2.5 µm) concentrations increase from approximately 2 µg/m3 to hundreds of µg/m3 in a common-sized room, exceeding the USEPA's regulatory level of 15 µg/m3 for ambient air PM2.5. The resulting air metal concentrations increase with increasing metals in the fill water, and/or lower ventilation rates in a household room. In addition, children receive greater average daily exposure doses than adults (i.e. average daily dose and deposited dose, in unit of µg/kg body weight/day), when assuming daily inhalation exposure of 8 hr/day and daily ingestion exposure. The ingestion doses from various metals are greater than inhalation doses, however, the inhalation risks may be greater for certain metals than ingestion. Even when using acceptable drinking water quality that meets regulations for metals, the indoor air quality is still degraded and can pose adverse health effects. In conclusion, the dissertation work presents a framework to estimate risks developed from multi-media and single or multi-metals exposure. The addition from inhalation of aerosolized metals in drinking water should be considered in an overall risk assessment, especially for the susceptible population of young children. Consumers should be aware that they may be degrading their indoor air quality by using ultrasonic humidifiers even when filling with acceptable water quality for drinking.

This case study documents the entire indoor air quality (IAQ) problem experienced by the students, faculty and staff of Cowgill Hall on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from August 1987 to August 1988, recommends a general IAQ solution process and makes several specific suggestions to prevent the reoccurrence of the problem in Cowgill Hall. Background information on Cowgill Hall and the indoor air quality issue are also provided. This document is addressed to students of architecture, engineering and related disciplines. It emphasizes the growing importance and possible repercussions of their design decisions on the total environment; both in and out of doors. / Master of Science

The efficacy of indoor environment evaluation is, in part, a function of the reliability and validity of the different measures used. This thesis presents results of a study, conducted in a building without known problems, which compares the reliability and validity of sensory comfort components from three well-known survey questionnaires. A review of literature reveals that sensory comfort theory draws upon many disciplines including, hedonics, psychometrics, and olfaction theory. The fundamental domains thermal, air quality, lighting, and acoustics and their dimensions are identified. The conceptual model integrates these theories underlying human response to sensory comfort. The research questions involved in the selection of survey questionnaires are explored by examining sixteen indoor environment survey questionnaires. A meta-evaluation reveals that these questionnaires have three major functions, proactive, reactive, and re-evaluative studies. Finally, the methods used to analyze survey questionnaires for reliability and validity are examined. An analysis of variance shows that the order in which questions were presented did not affect responses. The reliability of the measures tested ranged from poor to good. Examination of content and face validity by expert and untrained judges demonstrates inconsistencies in common or accepted meanings of the measures considered in evaluating the indoor environment. Analysis of construct validity indicates that not all survey questionnaire variables were categorized under their expected dimensions. Contrary to advice found in the literature, this thesis suggests that the practice of combining items from different questionnaires is problematic. Finally, in buildings with known problems we can expect a relatively high degree of reliability and validity. However, the utility of such questionnaires in inventorying and assessing buildings without known problems will prove to be questionable. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning