Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4mw6m90qj

Description of the data and file structure

What is in the dataset?

The dataset contains the most relevant information collected about the houses and household, their mechanical equipment, results of the participant survey, results of air leakage and airflow measurements at the homes, pollutant concentrations measured by time-integrated passive samplers inside and outside of the home, usage of cooktop and oven, external door and window open state, and time-series or air pollutants and environmental indicators measured within and outside of the houses.

Files and variables

Infiltration_Airflow

This folder (Infiltration_Airflow.zip) contains time-resolved data of the calculated natural infiltration airflow during the measured week for each test home. The natural infiltration airflow was estimated using the single zone models described in the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook assuming no substantial window or door opening. Briefly, the total natural infiltration airflow is the sum of two independent vectors: stack flow(Qs) and wind flow (Qw). The stack flow is calculated using indoor and outdoor temperature difference and stack coefficient and pressure coefficient from air leakage test (DeltaQ); the wind flow is calculated using outdoor wind speed and coefficient from air leakage test.  There is one csv file for each measured home. There is also a specific readme file in the folder (Natural Infiltration - README) for more details. Missing data resulting from either an invalid flow measurement or unavailability of outdoor weather data were filled with “NA”.

Column naming and explanations:

• WS Windspeed m/s; NOAA (10 m above ground)

• TOUT Outdoor temperature from NOAA  / Fahrenheit

• TIN Indoor temperature from TRH_GRL / Fahrenheit

• T_diff TIN -TOUT  / Converted to Celsius before substraction

• T_n T_diff ⁿ

• Qs cCsT_n

• GU_m.s G*WS

• Qw cCw(s*U) ²ⁿ

• Q sqrt(Qs^2+Qw2) in m³

• QCFM_Inf Q in CFM

There is also a coefficient summary file summarize all the coefficient for each house used for the calculation:

Coefficient and explanations:

• G Windspeed multiplier

• c Flow coefficient;  DeltaQ

• n Pressure exponent; DeltaQ

• Cs Stack cofficient

• Cw Wind coefficient

• S Shelter factor

DeltaQ

This folder (DeltaQ.zip) contains data about the DeltaQ test results for each home. There is one csv file containing the results for all 32 homes. Three homes (518, 536,544) did not get valid results for both pressurization and depressurization tests, the C values were imputed using n=0.65.

The csv file includes the following columns.

• Average_Baseline_Pa: the average baseline pressure difference between the Ductblaster fan (Pa)

• Pressurization_C, Pressurization_n: the flow constant (c, n) estimated from the pressurization test

• Pressurization_Q50: Air leakage presented in air change per hour at 50 pa difference when pressurizing the house envelope (CFM)

• Depressurization_C, Depressurization_n: the flow constant (c, n) estimated from the depressurization test

• Depressurization_Q50: Air tightness presented in air change per hour at 50 pa difference when depressurizing the house envelope (CFM)

• Supply_DuctLeakage_CFM, Return_DuctLeakage_CFM: initial estimated supply and return duct leakage (CFM)

• Supply_DuctPressure: supply duct pressure during the DeltaQ test (Pa)

• Return_DuctPressure: return duct pressure during the DeltaQ test (Pa)

• Pressurization_ACH50: Air tightness presented in air change per hour at 50 pa difference when pressurizing the house envelope 

• Depressurization_ACH50: Air tightness presented in air change per hour at 50 pa difference when depressurizing the house envelope 

• ACH50: Averaged envelope air tightness presented in air change per hour at 50 pa difference by considering both pressurization and depressurization

• Total_DuctLeakage: total duct leakage by summing up both supply and return duct leakage (CFM)

• Review note: researcher review note for each DeltaQ test

Home_characteristics

This folder (Home_Characteristics.zip) contains data about the house, including basic characteristics, air leakage test results, and measured airflow rates of mechanical ventilation equipment. There is one EXCEL file containing TWO spreadsheets:

The home characters spreadsheet includes data for all homes. Each home data were in a column with each measured/estimateda parameter as a row. For the parameter that is not applicable to the test house, the cell is filled with “NA”. For the parameter that was not checked or measured by the field team, the cell is filled with “Not checked” or “Not measured” or “NM”. In some cases, the field team cannot determine the condition after field check, the cell is filled with “Unclear” or “cannot determined”.

Parameter description spreadsheet explains parameters in the homes characters spreadsheet one by one with the same order as the home characters spreadsheet (Column B). And the input abbreviations and general notes (Column C). If a cell in Column C was left blank, it means that there is nothing special to note for data input for the parameter in the row.

IAQ_Activity_Monitoring

This folder (IAQ_Activity_Monitoring.zip) contains time-resolved indoor and outdoor air quality data, including PM2.5 as measured by MetOne photometry (PM), Radon (Rn), indoor PM (PM1, PM25, PM10) concentrations measured by an IQair Air Visual Pro (AVP) low-cost sensor, carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde (FRM), temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH) in different rooms. Data also included T and RH measured at the supply air register, attic and basement (AS, ATT, BS). 

This folder also contains time series data of cooktop burners and oven monitored using iButton temperature sensors (IBU), other cooking devices monitored using AC power logger (PTR), whole house mechanical ventilation system, kitchen range hood and bathroom fan on/off monitored using either an anemometer (ANM) or a motor sensor (MTR), and open/close status of doors and windows monitored with state sensors (STA). There is one csv file of 1-minute time-series data for each measured week; two-week homes are marked as -ON and -OFF.

A specific read me file (IAQ_Activity_Monitoring_ReadMe) was included in the folder for data header definitions and data issues.

Most instruments had internal logging and special software to download data from the field instruments and convert the data files to csv format. One-minute resolution time-series data files were created for each house using a python script that pulled data from multiple csv files, aligned data by time, executed unit conversions, and interpolate data that were measured at different time resolutions. Visual review was conducted on the compiled files to check for translation or writing errors, indications of instrument malfunction, mislabeled units or unit conversion errors, mislabeled location, and time stamp errors. Missing data resulting from either instrument failure or invalid readings identified by researchers were filled with “NA” in each csv file.

IAQ_Sample

This folder (IAQ_Sample.zip) contains the results of time-integrated air quality samples, including passive measurements of formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides, and PM2.5 gravimetric filter measurements. There are three csv files containing each type of measurement.

Ogawa samplers 

The passive Ogawa samplers were collected from test homes with gas cooking appliances. The csv file contains the exposure information, laboratory extract results from Ogawa samplers and the final calculated NO₂, NO and NO_x concentration in ppb and µg/m³. The spreadsheet contains the following columns.

Sampled home ID and Exposure information:

• Week: Measured week for each home, 1– for one week homes, week1 and week2 for two-week homes and on/off indicate the WHMV system status during that week

• Deployment Location: The samplers deployment location in each test homes. IN1–central location (living room); IN1D–Duplicates in the central location; OUT–outdoors; BLANK–field blank 

• Start Time & Date and Stop Time & Date: the start and end times of the sampler deployment, recorded by the field team

• Elapsed Time (days) and Elapsed Time (min): the elapsed time calculated from start and end times in days and minutes

Environmental Data during exposure:

• Avg. RH% and Avg. Temp C: average relative humidity and indoor temperature during the exposure time in % and Celsius.

• PT: Water vapor pressure at exposure, calculated based on average indoor temperature (mm Hg)

• P: Water vapor coefficient calculated based on PT

• AlphaNO₂ and AlphaNO: NO₂ and NO adjust constants calculated based on Temperature, RH and PT.

IC Data from lab extraction and analysis:

• NO₂ pad-Nitrite Conc: Raw NO₂ pad concentration from IC extraction (ug/mL)

• NO_x pad-Nitrite Conc: Raw NO_x pad concentration from IC extraction (ug/mL)

• NO₂ pad-Nitrite Conc. Blank Corrected: NO₂ pad concentration from IC extraction corrected by the field blank (ug/mL)

• NO_x pad-Nitrite Conc. Blank Corrected: NOx pad concentration from IC extraction corrected by the field blank (ug/mL)

Final calculated NO2/NO/NOx concentration:

• NO2/NO/NOx Blank Corrected: NO₂/NO/NO_x mass loaded on the pad, calculated from previous two columns (ng)

• NO₂/NO/NO_x: measured air NO₂/NO/NO_x concentration in ppb of each sample (ppb)

Notes: Notes from field team and researchers during the deployment and analysis. The cell is left blank if everything looks normal.

UMEx samplers 

The UMEx passive samplers were collected from all test homes. The CSV file contains the exposure information and extract results for UMEx samplers. Samples were exposed for the full duration of sampling at test houses indoors and outdoors with field blanks deployed in a few homes. The exposure duration and extracts analysis results were listed. The final formaldehyde concentrations were calculated, as shown in the unit of parts per billion. The spreadsheet contains the following columns.

Sampled home ID and Exposure information:

• Week: Measured week for each home, 1– for one week homes, week1 and week2 for two-week homes and on/off indicate the WHMV system status during that week

• Deployment Location: The samplers deployment location in each test homes. IN1–central location (living room); IN1D–Duplicates in the central location; OUT–outdoors; BLANK–field blank 

• Start Time & Date and Stop Time & Date: the start and end times of the sampler deployment, recorded by the field team

• Elapsed Time (days) and Elapsed Time (min): the elapsed time calculated from start and end times in days and minutes

• Volume: total volume of air passing through the sampler during the exposure time (L)

• Extraction Date: the date that the sample was analyzed in the laboratory

Lab analysis and results:

• Formaldehyde (ng): Total Formaldehyde mass loaded on the sampler during exposure time (ng)

• Blank (ng): Formaldehyde mass loaded on the field blank sample. If no field sample was deployed for this home, a study average value of 195 ng was used.

• Formaldehyde (ug/m³): Calculated Formaldehyde air concentration in each home in ug/m³

• Formaldehyde (ppb): Calculated Formaldehyde air concentration in each home in ppb

Notes: Notes from field team and researchers during the deployment and analysis. The cell is left blank if everything looks normal.

PEM samples

The PEM sampler collected gravimetric PM2.5 mass on a PTFE filter through a pump that continuously ran indoors (IN) and outdoors (OUT) at each test home. The gravimetric PM2.5 concentration was calculated using total volume of the air passing through the filter during the elapsed time and the mass load, as shown in the unit of microgram per cubic meter. Invalid measurements due to instrumentation or analysis were filled with “NA”. The spreadsheet contains the following columns.

Sampled home ID and Exposure information:

• Week: Measured week for each home, 1– for one week homes, week1 and week2 for two-week homes and on/off indicate the WHMV system status during that week. cross-cal# means the sample was used in a lab space for instrument cross calibration.

• Deployment Location: The samplers deployment location in each test homes. IN1–central location (living room); IN1D–Duplicates in the central location; OUT–outdoors; BLANK–field blank 

• Start Time & Date and Stop Time & Date: the start and end times of the sampler deployment, recorded by the field team

• Elapsed Time (days) and Elapsed Time (min): the elapsed time calculated from start and end times in days and minutes

• Avg, Flow (LPM): The average flow rate of the pump extracting air for the PEM sampler (LPM) measured at Pre-deployment and post-deployment.

• Volume: total volume of air passing through the sampler during the exposure time (L)

Lab analysis and results:

• Mass Loading (ug): The mass load of PM2.5 on the filter, which was calculated based on the pre- and post weight of the PTFE filters. 

• Conc (ug/m³) No Blank used: The calculated PM2.5 concentration for each sample, with no field blank subtracted from the value (ug/m³).

• Notes: Notes from field team and researchers during the deployment and analysis. The cell is left blank if everything looks normal.

Occupant_Activity

This folder (Occupant_Activity.zip) contains tabulated information provided by study participants from their daily activity logs. The PDF file is an example of the format of activity log used in the field study. A researcher manually transcribed the handwritten logs into a CSV file for each measured week in each home. There are a total of 32 CSV files named by home_ID + total days of record in the folder. 

The activity logs were in hourly blocks, the blocks were filled with “X” or number of hours that an activity happened in this hour. If nothing happened in this hour, the block was left blank, without any “NA” filled. If other activities that were not listed in the logs happened, occupants were asked to fill in “other_event” rows and indicate in the “note”. The customized codes are summarized in ICRT_activity_logs_code.csv.

Occupant_Survey

This folder (Occupant_Survey.zip) contains survey results about the occupants, their general activities related to ventilation and IAQ satisfaction, completed by study participants. There is one csv file containing data transcribed by a researcher. In the csv file, each row represents the response from a home. Each column represents a survey question. The pdf file contains questions of the occupant surveys. 

In some homes, the occupants did not complete the survey, the survey questions that were left blank were filled with “-99”. For the survey questions that are not available for the test house and household, the results are filled with “NA”. Human identification information have been masked.

WHMV_Config

This section (WHMV_Config.zip) provides detailed information about the Whole-House Mechanical Ventilation (WHMV) systems in each study home. The data were extracted from the Home_Characteristics spreadsheet, reviewed by researchers and field teams, and supplemented with additional information as needed. If discrepancies exist between the HomeCharacteristics table and the spreadsheets in this section, the information presented here should be considered authoritative. The folder has one excel file and one txt readme file contains some analysis notes.

The accompanying Excel file contains two worksheets:

Week 1 (AS-IS WHMV): documents the WHMV system condition observed when researchers first arrived at each home.

Week 2 (≥100% 62.2–2010): documents the WHMV condition in homes that underwent a second week of monitoring, during which multiple bathroom fans were operated continuously by the researcher to meet the WHMV requirements of ASHRAE 62.2–2010 and 62.2–2013.

Columns explanation:

• Ventilation Type (Field config): the WHMV type initially configured by the field team.

• Ventilation Type (Revised): the WHMV type revised, homes with bathroom fans that had a rated sound level <1 sones were considered as potential WHMV equipment to meet 62.2. Those homes were re-listed as EXH.

• Control Type: WHMV control type.

• Label At Controller: Label condition and whether it met 62.2 labeling requirements.

• WHMV operating on arrival: Whether WHMV was operating at the field team’s first arrival.

• 62.2-2010 min airflow (CFM): 62.2-2010 continuous ventilation minimum required airflow for each house.

• WHMV airflow (cfm) as found: the measured WHMV airflow at the field team’s first arrival.

• WHMV runtime (min/hr) as found: the WHMV runtime at the field team’s first arrival.

• Calculated WHMV airflow (cfm): effective WHMV airflow calculated from airflow and runtime

• Ratio: AS-FOUND ventilation rate 62.2-2010: ratio of WHMV airflow to 62.2-2010 requirement, shown in percentage.

• WHMV indoor/outdoor exhaust/intake location: WHMV exhaust and intake locations

• 2-week study: whether the house was undergone for a 2nd week study

Human subjects data

This study was reviewed and approved by the Central Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the U.S. Department of Energy. All participants provided written informed consent, which included permission to publish their de-identified data in the public domain for research and educational use. To protect participant privacy, all personally identifiable information (PII)—including names, addresses, precise geolocation, and contact information—has been removed or anonymized. Each home was assigned a randomly generated study ID that does not correspond to any internal or field-collected identifier. Time stamps were generalized as needed to prevent potential re-identification, and no free-text responses or media content are included. The dataset has been reviewed to ensure that the risk of re-identification is minimal, in compliance with established data protection standards.​​