EPA to Host Webinar on Wildland Fire Smoke, IAQ in Public Buildings

An EPA webinar to be held on May 21 will focus on wildland fire smoke infiltration and mitigation and indoor air quality in commercial and nonresidential buildings where people may gather during smoke events. The webinar is part of two series hosted by the agency’s Office of Research Development (ORD): the EPA Tools and Resources Series and the Air, Climate, and Energy Research Series. Presenters Amara Holder and Sarah Coefield of EPA’s ORD will provide an overview of the research conducted in recent years to examine the effects of wildfire smoke on IAQ in public buildings. Researchers compared concentrations of indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and aimed to develop strategies to help reduce indoor pollutants in public buildings during smoke episodes. The research, which began in 2019, is called the Wildfire Advancing Science Partnerships for Indoor Reductions of Smoke Exposures (ASPIRE) Study. According to the EPA webinar description, the ASPIRE Study is intended to provide insights regarding smoke infiltration and mitigation indoors, particularly in buildings such as libraries, fitness centers, and schools.

“A common public health message is for people to go indoors when outdoor PM levels are elevated,” EPA says. “While PM infiltration in single family homes has been relatively well studied, less is known about how much comes indoors in commercial and nonresidential buildings.”

Agency researchers partnered with a health department in Missoula, Montana, with the Hoopa Valley Tribe in California, and with other community partners such as the U.S. Forest Service to study the effectiveness of both air filtration systems during smoke events and portable air cleaners in reducing concentrations of PM_2.5. Research related to the ASPIRE Study includes safety testing of do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaners, which EPA says are often “made by attaching an air filter to a box fan with tape or a bungee cord,” and a laboratory study evaluating the effectiveness of different types of portable air cleaners, from DIY air cleaners to commercial products.

Individuals who are interested in attending the webinar may register via Zoom. More information about the ASPIRE Study is available on EPA’s website.