Croxford, B.J.F.; Hutchinson, E.; Leonardi, G.S.; McKenna, L.; Nicholson, L.; Volans, G.; Wilkinson, P.; (2006) Real time carbon monoxide measurements from 270 UK homes. In: Jetter, J., (ed.) Proceedings of Indoor Environmental Quality: Problems, Research, and Solutions Conference 2006. Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA) and US EPA's Office of Research and Development: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

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Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study carried out in Winter 2004/2005 where a large number of homes were monitored for carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in the main living room for a period of at least one week. The homes were all owner-occupied; all had at least one of the following gas appliances, cooker, water heater, or gas fire; all home owners were in the low income group, considered vulnerable with the occupants generally over 60 and receiving state benefits of some kind. Dwellings were selected from the WarmZone pilot study project in East London which targeted households believed to be likely to have old appliances or heating systems. Carbon monoxide concentrations were monitored by the Bartlett using a novel CO monitor based on technology developed by one of the team, Ben Croxford, in a previous study of external CO levels. Three hundred homes in total were monitored, and valid data was gathered from 270 of these. It was found that of the homes with valid datasets, 50 dwellings (18.0% of the total) had CO concentrations that exceeded World Health Organisation 8-hour average guideline levels for outdoor ambient air (8.6 ppm), of these, 26 (9.4% of the total) exceeded WHO 1 hour levels of 26 ppm, and 10 of these (3.6% of the total) exceeded 30 minute guideline values of 52 ppm. Reports from qualified gas engineers visiting these “exceedance homes” indicate that old, poorly maintained gas fires and gas cookers were found to be the most common source of high CO emissions. Other exceedances could be explained by poor installation and also by user behaviour (e.g. long periods of use of gas appliances without adequate ventilation). Overall 34% of those visited (13/38 or 5% of the 270 home total) had faulty or replaced gas appliances. Faulty gas appliances could therefore be a relatively widespread and potentially dangerous source of CO in many UK homes. A rough estimate based on the results of this survey suggests 39,000 homes could have a “problem” gas appliance. Exposure to higher levels of CO depends on the appliance and usage, but in some cases could be of concern based on known adverse health effects of CO. A replacement appliance programme could be expected to lead to health improvement.

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