Consistent associations between indoor damp and respiratory symptoms have been demonstrated, 1,2 with indoor mold suggested to play a key role, 3 although the specific underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. 4 In addition to visible mold, the presence of musty and moldy odor has also been associated with respiratory symptoms and rhinitis. [5][6][7] These dampness-related health effects present a major and avoidable cost to individuals' health and to the healthcare system, as demonstrated both in New Zealand 8 and internationally. 9Evidence suggests that even small improvements in housing quality may have significant health benefits, 10-12 but due to the complexity of the causes of indoor dampness, which are multi-factorial and frequently inter-related, it is unclear which specific improvements are most effective. Better understanding of the relative importance of the many contributing factors of indoor dampness is therefore

Over a fifth of New Zealanders find their homes to be too cold and damp. EECA’s Warmer Kiwi Homes (WKH) programme aims to make New Zealand homes warmer, drier, and healthier, while improving their energy efficiency. The programme includes provision of clean heating devices (primarily heat pumps) to household living areas that do not have such heating. We examine impacts that WKH heat pump provision has on household outcomes including comfort and wellbeing, indoor environmental outcomes and electricity use. The evaluation covers 127 households in Auckland/Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch who applied for a heat pump through WKH in 2021. Evaluation methods include two qualitative household surveys, a house survey, indoor environmental quality readings from a monitor in the living area, and electricity use measured using smart meter data. Timing of heat pump installation was effectively randomised by the onset of COVID-19, so enhancing the study’s statistical precision. The qualitative and quantitative data show that houses became more comfortable, warmer and less damp following heat pump installation relative to a house without a heat pump yet installed; CO2 levels also fell. These gains were achieved despite a likely fall in energy use.

Airborne solvent exposures in the collision repair industry were associated with job title, the design and location of exhaust ventilation and emission sources, and time spent on specific tasks, with the highest average and peak exposures shown for non-spray painting tasks. These findings provide a contemporary basis for intervention programmes to reduce airborne solvent exposures in this industry.

ObjectivesWe have recently shown that solvent-exposed collision repair workers (spray painters and panel beaters) in New Zealand are at an increased risk of both self-reported and objectively assessed neurobehavioural effects, indicating a need for more effective exposure controls. This study assessed the association between personal protective equipment (PPE) use and workplace hygiene and symptoms of neurotoxicity in vehicle spray painters.MethodsExposure controls including PPE-use and workplace hygiene practices and symptoms of neurotoxicity were assessed in 267 vehicle repair spray painters. Symptoms were assessed using the EUROQUEST questionnaire.ResultsFrequent respirator and glove use was inversely associated with symptoms of neurotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05 for trend). The strongest protective effect was found for consistent glove use (OR 0.1and 0.2, p<0.01, for reporting ≥10 and≥5 symptoms, respectively). A dose-response trend (p<0.05) was also observed when combining frequency of respirator and glove use, with an overall reduction in risk of 90% (OR 0.1 for reporting ≥10 and≥5 symptoms, p<0.01) for those who consistently used both. Protective effects were most pronounced for psychosomatic (p<0.05 for trend, for combined PPE use), mood (p<0.05) and memory and concentration symptoms combined (p<0.05), with reductions in risk of >80%. Poor hygiene workplace practices, e.g. solvent exposure to multiple body parts were associated with an increased risk of symptoms, but this was not statistically significant. When using a general workplace hygiene score derived from a combination of PPE-use and (good) workplace hygiene an inverse dose-response trend was observed for reporting ≥5 (p<0.01) and ≥10 symptoms (p<0.01).ConclusionsThis study has shown that PPE-use and good workplace hygiene are associated with a strongly reduced risk of symptoms of neurotoxicity in solvent-exposed vehicle spray painters. Glove use was most protective, suggesting dermal exposures may be of particular importance in the development of symptoms.

We evaluate the heat pump component of New Zealand’s Warmer Kiwi Homes (WKH) programme. The programme includes provision of heat pumps in living areas for eligible households (based on neighbourhood or income) that do not have such heating. It also includes installation of retrofitted insulation for houses with insufficient insulation. Staggered installation enables difference-in-difference estimates of impacts. Heat pump outcomes on which we focus include warmth and dryness of the living area, personal comfort and wellbeing, and electricity consumption. We combine the heat pump findings with prior findings related to insulation and heating to provide a set of cost benefit analyses of WKH. We find that household members overwhelmingly report increases in warmth, comfort and satisfaction with their home, and report decreases in condensation, damp and having to restrict heating due to cost. Some increase in life satisfaction is reported. Living areas of treated houses experience increases in temperature which are most pronounced around breakfast and evening times, and when outdoor temperatures are low. Houses also experience reduced humidity. Households that use the heat pump as an air conditioner experience reduced summer temperatures when outdoor temperatures are high. Winter electricity use falls in a house fitted with a heat pump relative to houses without a heat pump; savings are negligible at night and increase through the day, peaking at 5-9pm. No increase in electricity consumption is detected in summer. Benefit cost ratios (BCRs) are calculated using both wellbeing metrics and conventional health and energy components. The wellbeing-based BCR for the heat pump component (which places a high value on living in a warm home) is estimated at 7.49 while the more conventionally calculated (but overly conservative) BCR is 2.15. For the full WKH programme, the corresponding BCRs are calculated as 4.36 and 1.89. Complete details of each element of the evaluation are presented in the Full Report available as Motu Working Paper WP 22-14.