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Cited by 410Indoor Air Quality and Microbial ExposureBuilding Energy and Comfort OptimizationClimate Change and Health Impacts

The relationship between indoor and outdoor temperature, apparent temperature, relative humidity, and absolute humidity

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Nguyen, J. L., Schwartz, J., Dockery, D. W.·2014·Indoor Air
DOI 10.1111/ina.12052PMC PMC3791146
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Abstract

Many studies report an association between outdoor ambient weather and health. Outdoor conditions may be a poor indicator of personal exposure because people spend most of their time indoors. Few studies have examined how indoor conditions relate to outdoor ambient weather. The average indoor temperature, apparent temperature, relative humidity (RH), and absolute humidity (AH) measured in 16 homes in Greater Boston, Massachusetts, from May 2011 to April 2012 was compared to measurements taken at Boston Logan airport. The relationship between indoor and outdoor temperatures is nonlinear. At warmer outdoor temperatures, there is a strong correlation between indoor and outdoor temperature (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.91, slope, β = 0.41), but at cooler temperatures, the association is weak (r = 0.40, β = 0.04). Results were similar for outdoor apparent temperature. The relationships were linear for RH and AH. The correlation for RH was modest (r = 0.55, β = 0.39). Absolute humidity exhibited the strongest indoor-to-outdoor correlation (r = 0.96, β = 0.69). Indoor and outdoor temperatures correlate well only at warmer outdoor temperatures. Outdoor RH is a poor indicator of indoor RH, while indoor AH has a strong correlation with outdoor AH year-round.

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  • Data loggers were installed 1.5 m high on walls having no windows and/or minimal vents, and kept away from heat, cold, moist, and dry sources, including the kitchen, heater, lights, fan, and water cooler, as suggested by Nguyen et al. and Smargiassi et al.

    “Data loggers were installed 1.5 m high on walls having no windows and/or minimal vents. The loggers were also kept away from heat, cold, moist, and dry sources, including the kitchen, heater, lights, fan, and water cooler, as suggested by Nguyen et al. [30] and Smargiassi et al. [8].”

    From Thermal Discomfort Levels, Building Design Concepts, and Some Heat Mitigation Strategies in Low-Income Communities of a South Asian City (2021) · cites this paper as Nguyen et al. [30]

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Authors
Nguyen, J. L., Schwartz, J., & Dockery, D. W.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Nguyen, J. L.
ORCID
Venue
Indoor Air
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2013-06-18
Volume
24
Issue
1
Pages
103-112
ISSN
0905-6947 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1111/ina.12052
PMC
PMC3791146
OpenAlex
W2172099855
Cited by
410
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 2
FWCI
9.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 805 d)
Locations
  • Indoor Air (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (R21AG040027)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ES000002., R21ES020695, P30ES000002, R01ES015172, T32ES007069, R21ES020194)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
Keywords
apparent temperature, relative humidity, absolute humidity, indoor air quality, personal exposure
MeSH terms
Boston, Environmental Monitoring, Housing, Humans, Humidity, Longitudinal Studies, Seasons, Temperature, Weather, Linear Models

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