Indoor air quality and the associated health risk in primary school buildings in Central Europe - The InAirQ study.

The indoor air quality (IAQ) was investigated in sixty-four primary school buildings in five Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia). The concentration of volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, PM2.5 mass, carbon dioxide, radon, as well as physical parameters were investigated during the heating period of 2017/2018. Significant differences were identified for the majority of the investigated IAQ parameters across the countries. The median indoor/outdoor ratios varied considerably. A comprehensive evaluation of IAQ in terms of potential health effects and comfort perception was performed. Hazard quotient values were below the threshold value of 1 with one exception. In contrast, 31% of the school buildings were characterized by hazard index values higher than 1. The maximum cumulative ratio approach highlighted that the concern for non-carcinogenic health effects was either low or the health risk was driven by more substances. The median excess lifetime cancer risk values exceeded the acceptable value of 1 × 10-6 in the case of radon and formaldehyde. PM2.5 mass concentration values exceeded the 24 h and annual guideline values set by the World Health Organization in 56 and 85% of the cases, respectively. About 80% of the schools could not manage to comply with the recommended concentration value for carbon dioxide (1000 ppm).

Asthma Exacerbations and Symptom Variability in Children Due to Short-term Ambient Air Pollution Changes in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

AIM: The Ostrava region suffers from high levels of air pollution during winter inversions. We investigated the association between short-term elevations of air pollutant concentrations and worsening of respiratory problems, use of asthma medication and restriction of daily activities in asthmatic patients in Ostrava. METHODS: One-hundred and forty-seven child and adolescent patients (aged 6-18 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of mild to moderate persistent asthma were included in the study. Participants' parents completed diaries covering the period of November 2013 to February 2014; this analysis included 18,228 person-days. Daily smoothed maps of outdoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) were constructed from routine monitoring data, and participants' daily exposures were estimated on the basis of time spent at home and at school. The associations between health outcomes and exposure to air pollutants were estimated using the multiple logistic regression method. RESULTS: The odds ratios (OR) of the combined outcome for wheezing and/or difficulty in breathing, per 10 µg/m³ increase in the mean 24-h exposure were 1.07 (95% confidence interval 1.04-1.11) for PM10, 1.30 (1.18-1.44) for NO2, and 1.37 (1.18-1.59) for SO2. Additional inhaler use (in addition to usual medication) was also more frequent at higher air pollutant concentrations; the odds ratios per 10 µg/m³ increase in the mean 24-h exposure were 1.05 (1.02-1.07) for PM10, 1.19 (1.10-1.30) for NO2, and 1.26 (1.11-1.43) for SO2. Associations were less consistent for other health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest moderately strong associations between air pollutant concentrations and respiratory difficulties among asthmatic children and adolescents. More detailed analyses are required to confirm these preliminary findings.