California residential air exchange rates and residence volumes.

UNLABELLED: Air exchange rate data from two residential indoor air quality studies are presented. In the first investigation, over 500 residences in Southern California were sampled for three one-week periods from 1984 to 1985. Those data provided seasonal information for a broad range of residential characteristics in a large metropolitan area. In the second study, a probability sample of nearly 300 residences were sampled for a two-day period during the winter of 1991-1992 throughout the state of California. Air exchange rate is summarized by season, geographic area, and appliance type. Residence volumes are presented by cooking and heating appliance. The data approximately followed lognormal distributions. IMPLICATIONS: Indoor air quality and human exposure models often require estimates of air exchange rate and residence volumes. Application of those models to California residences can be improved by using the data distributions provided in this manuscript. Data distributions presented for heating and cooking appliances are useful for modeling the impact of indoor sources specific for those appliance types. Measured air exchange rate is also useful for modeling energy use for heating and cooling in residences.