NEHA Housing and Built Environment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Sub-slab depressurization (SSD) is the most common active mitigation technique for which indoor environmental hazard?
- Radon gas (Correct answer)
- Volatile organic compounds
- Carbon monoxide
- Mold spores
Correct answer: Radon gas
Sub-slab depressurization reduces indoor radon by creating negative pressure beneath the foundation slab, venting radon-laden soil gas to the outdoors before it enters the home.
Question 2: Which HUD standard defines a 'severely inadequate' housing unit based on plumbing, heating, electrical, and upkeep deficiencies?
- American Housing Survey (AHS) Physical Inadequacy Scale (Correct answer)
- National Housing Quality Standards
- ASHRAE Standard 62.2
- International Residential Code Section R101
Correct answer: American Housing Survey (AHS) Physical Inadequacy Scale
HUD's American Housing Survey uses the Physical Inadequacy Scale to classify units as 'severely inadequate' or 'moderately inadequate' based on plumbing, heating, electrical, and maintenance deficiencies.
Question 3: Carbon monoxide (CO) is dangerous in enclosed spaces primarily because it competes with oxygen for binding to which blood protein?
- Hemoglobin (Correct answer)
- Albumin
- Fibrinogen
- Myoglobin
Correct answer: Hemoglobin
CO binds to hemoglobin with about 240 times greater affinity than oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and impairing oxygen transport to tissues.
Question 4: ASHRAE Standard 62.2 establishes minimum ventilation rates for which type of occupancy?
- Low-rise residential buildings (Correct answer)
- Commercial office buildings
- Industrial facilities
- Healthcare facilities
Correct answer: Low-rise residential buildings
ASHRAE Standard 62.2 specifically addresses ventilation and indoor air quality for low-rise residential buildings, including single-family and multifamily structures up to three stories.
Question 5: A dwelling that lacks complete kitchen facilities (sink, cooking equipment, refrigerator) is classified under HUD as which type of housing deficiency?
- Moderately inadequate (Correct answer)
- Severely inadequate
- Overcrowded
- Substandard but habitable
Correct answer: Moderately inadequate
Under HUD's American Housing Survey, a unit lacking complete kitchen facilities is classified as 'moderately inadequate' because it has one of four major facility deficiency categories.
Question 6: The lead dust clearance standard after renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) work in pre-1978 homes requires floor dust samples to contain no more than how many micrograms of lead per square foot?
- 10 µg/ft² (Correct answer)
- 40 µg/ft²
- 100 µg/ft²
- 5 µg/ft²
Correct answer: 10 µg/ft²
EPA's RRP Rule requires post-renovation floor dust wipe samples to contain no more than 10 µg/ft² of lead to pass clearance testing.
Question 7: What is the primary health concern associated with cockroach infestations in residential housing, beyond direct disease transmission?
- Allergen production triggering asthma (Correct answer)
- Lead contamination of food
- Radon gas accumulation
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
Correct answer: Allergen production triggering asthma
Cockroach frass (feces), cast skins, and saliva contain potent allergens that are a leading trigger of asthma attacks, particularly in children living in infested urban housing.
NEHA Housing and Built Environment 2
Sub-slab depressurization (SSD) is the most common active mitigation technique for which indoor environmental hazard?