Indoor air quality and dwelling air tightness in a city dependent on wood fuel as a primary energy source: Temuco, chile. A case study

Most developing countries use firewood as a main energy source, mainly because it is cheaper and more accessible than other fuels. In Chile, wood burning as a means of household cooking and for heating has increased drastically in some southern cities so air pollution has increased correspondingly. Temuco is one of the most polluted cities of Chile due to the use of firewood as a main energy source and was declared a saturated zone by PM10 in 2005. In 2010, the "Plan of Atmospheric Decontamination" enforced some strategies that included the regulation of firewood quality, improvements in thermal efficiency in housing stock through insulation, and a replacement programme of old residential appliances that use firewood. Some evidence suggests that the replacement of the cook stove - The most common wood burning appliance - may be problematic for low income families. Therefore, if building insulation reduces the dwelling permeability and the main sources of indoor emissions are not changed, the indoor air quality might become worse than the current situation. This study highlights through modelling simulations the importance of predicting the exposure of occupants to indoor particulate matter, under different building permeability scenarios and ventilation rates.