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Indoor heat exposure in Baltimore: does outdoor temperature matter?
D W Waugh1, Z He2, B Zaitchik2
1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, Baltimore, MD, USA. waugh@jhu.edu.
International Journal of Biometeorology
|October 22, 2020
Summary
Outdoor temperatures do not accurately reflect indoor heat exposure in homes. Air conditioning (AC) availability significantly impacts indoor temperatures, highlighting the need to consider AC status in heat-related health studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Urban Climatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Population heat exposure is often estimated using outdoor monitoring stations.
- This method can lead to exposure misclassification due to spatial temperature variations and indoor-outdoor time differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare indoor home temperatures with outdoor temperatures in Baltimore city.
- To assess the accuracy of outdoor monitoring stations in representing indoor heat exposure for low-income households.
Main Methods:
- Measured summertime temperatures inside 145 low-income homes in Baltimore.
- Compared indoor temperatures with data from a National Weather Service outdoor monitoring station.
- Analyzed the influence of air conditioning (AC) availability on indoor temperatures.
Main Results:
- Indoor temperatures varied widely, from 10°C lower to 10°C higher than outdoor temperatures.
- A weak association was found between indoor and outdoor temperatures across all homes.
- Air conditioning availability was a major factor: homes with central AC were cooler, while those without AC were warmer.
Conclusions:
- Outdoor temperatures are poor predictors of indoor heat exposure in urban residences.
- Air conditioning status is crucial for accurately assessing indoor heat exposure.
- Future epidemiological studies should incorporate data on AC availability to improve heat exposure assessment.
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