The INGENIOUS project: towards understanding air pollution in homes

Sarah West; Jennifer Aghaji

doi:10.1039/D4EM00634H

Journal article

The INGENIOUS project: towards understanding air pollution in homes

part of Indoor air quality and Citizen Science

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Journal article

The INGENIOUS project: towards understanding air pollution in homes

INGENIOUS project researchers studied indoor air pollution in over 300 homes in Bradford, UK. Key findings were that homes displayed wide variation in indoor pollutant concentrations, with a strong link to occupant behaviours, including frequency and type of cooking and ventilation practices.

Sarah West, Jennifer Aghaji / Published on 27 January 2025

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Citation

Carslaw, N., Aghaji, J., Budisulistiorini, S. H., Carslaw, D., Chatzidiakou, L., Cheung, R., ... & Yang, T. (2025). The INGENIOUS Project: Towards understanding air pollution in homes. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00634H

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Despite spending most of our lives indoors, we have limited knowledge about indoor air pollutants’ sources, transformations, and fates and our exposure to them. The INGENIOUS project addresses this knowledge gap regarding indoor air pollution by studying over 300 homes in Bradford, UK. The project is developing an indoor emissions inventory, conducting extensive air quality measurements in homes, analyzing the interplay between indoor and outdoor air pollution, and leveraging predictive models to forecast future indoor air quality. Preliminary findings from the project highlight significant variations in indoor pollutant concentrations across homes.

The authors shed light on the sources and effects of indoor pollutants, helping to formulate effective strategies that can reduce exposure and promote public health. The study notes that cooking activities are a substantial source of air pollution, sometimes producing high levels of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. There are seasonal variations in pollutants. During the winter, pollution levels tend to rise, likely because people use indoor heating more and keep their homes less ventilated.

Results of the study show:

There are notable differences in temperature and pollutant levels both within individual homes and among different households. This highlights how important the behaviour of the people living there is for indoor air quality.
Cooking is a major contributor to elevated PM₅levels, often exceeding the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Cooking activities also generated high concentrations of harmful aldehydes and alcohols.
High CO₂ levels are frequently recorded in bedrooms at night.
Additionally, reducing outdoor pollution, especially from traffic, could enhance indoor air quality by enabling better natural ventilation without sacrificing safety.
While outdoor pollution does play a role in indoor air quality, air quality indoors is largely driven by residents’ activities.
Many homes in the study faced fuel poverty, raising concerns about low indoor temperatures, which can lead to health problems due to mould and dampness.
As building policies aim for net-zero emissions, making homes more airtight poses a significant challenge to maintaining good ventilation. We should rethink building standards to ensure these energy-efficient measures do not inadvertently harm indoor air quality.