Workshop Proposal (120 Minutes)

Workshop Proposal (120 minutes)

Towards a Better Understanding of Indoor Air Quality and Human Exposure to Pollutants in Infant and Adult Sleep Microenvironments

Facilitator Richard L. CORSI, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA ([email protected])

International Panel of Presenters Brandon E. BOOR, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA ([email protected])

Michal P. SPILAK, Danish Building Research Institute, Department of Construction and Health, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark ([email protected])

Jelle LAVERGE, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ([email protected])

Presenter 4, Affiliation, Location (e-mail address)

Presenter 5, Affiliation, Location (e-mail address)

GOAL: We spend a considerable amount of time sleeping: 12 to 14 hours/day during infancy and about 8 hours/day during adulthood, equating to nearly one-third of our lifetime. As we sleep, we are surrounded by a diverse spectrum of pollutants and pollutant sources that are in intimate contact with our bodies and in very close proximity to our breathing zones. This workshop will: (i.) explore indoor air quality and human exposure to pollutants originating in the microenvironments in which we sleep, (ii.) aim to educate the audience about the unique attributes of the sleep microenvironment, and (iii.) introduce them to the challenging and exciting research opportunities that exist.

KEY ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED: The workshop will begin with five, seven-minute presentations from multiple perspectives that will discuss “what we know” about the sleep microenvironment and answer the following questions with the best available knowledge:

1) What are the sources of gaseous pollutants (e.g. mattresses and pillows), what are the specific pollutants that they release (e.g. VOCs, plasticizers, and flame retardants), and how is the use of specific chemicals in these products influenced by governmental regulations (e.g. US CPSIA, EU REACH)?

2) What are the commonly identified particulate pollutants in mattress and pillow dust (e.g. house dust mite allergens, fungi, bacteria, and particle-bound SVOCs), how do they vary among infant and adult mattresses across different climate regions, what are the typical concentrations at which they exist, why are mattresses and pillows an ideal culture medium, and what are effective removal processes (e.g. vacuuming, washing)?

3) What are some the unique elements of pollutant transport around the human body, including temperature/humidity-dependent volatilization of organic compounds from mattresses, resuspension of settled mattress dust particles due to human movement in bed, and the sleeping thermal plume and breathing zone?

4) Through what pathways are we exposed (e.g. inhalation, dermal, ingestion), what are typical intake fractions of gaseous pollutants and resuspended particles, what factors influence the source-proximity effect, and what are effective control strategies in the bedroom?

5) How will acute and chronic exposures to pollutants originating in our mattress and bedding impact human health, particularly during infancy, and sleep quality?

The workshop will continue with breakout discussion sessions with the audience to identify future research needs and how we can effectively address these needs through international and interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, academics, policy makers, and industry. Post- workshop, the panel presenters will prepare an editorial for Indoor Air highlighting the key findings of the workshop presentations and audience discussion, as well as a white paper for the general public providing practical information and advice for maintaining a healthy sleep microenvironment, which will be distributed through various online media and social networking outlets.

IMPORTANCE OF WORKSHOP TO INDOOR AIR 2014: The sleep microenvironment is a critically important, yet understudied, indoor space. This workshop will help to raise awareness among the ISIAQ community about the importance of this microenvironment on pollutant exposures and human health in the hope of encouraging future outstanding research efforts.