ATLANTA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded funds to several educational institutions to improve understanding of the effects of climate change on indoor air quality, according to a press release.
The grants are part of $8 million in EPA Funds to support the discovery of how climate change affects air quality indoors, noted the release. Florida State University received a $500,000 grant and the Missouri University of Science and Technology received a $1 million grant.
"This research will help us better understand the effects of climate change on indoor air quality," said Tom Burke, deputy assistant administrator for research in EPA’s Office of Research and Development and the agency’s science advisor, in the release.
"Gaining a better understanding of the interaction between air quality, climate, and energy in an indoor environment will help guide the design of buildings and provide knowledge to respond effectively to changes in indoor air quality that will better protect human health," Burke added in the release.
The research project is titled "Indoor Environment and Emergency Response Health Outcomes," stated the release. It will examine links between indoor and outdoor temperature and the built environment as well as between indoor air temperature, humidity and extreme conditions of heat and cold.
Other universities that received grants include:
- University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colo.
- Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ill.
- Harvard College, Boston, Mass.
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
- Portland State University, Portland, Ore.
- University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.
- Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
The research could help vulnerable populations with health issues and create adaption strategies to the projected changes, shared the release.
