Institute of Mechanical Engineering of Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2012;75(22-23):1423-36. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2012.721177.
Indoor exposure to particulate matter (PM) has received great interest due to the epidemiological evidence of its health impact, particularly in susceptible populations such as children. The present study investigated indoor concentrations of three PM size fractions in 11 naturally ventilated schools with static heating systems, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor PM concentrations. The study was performed in Porto, Portugal, during winter and included school buildings and individual classrooms with walk-through surveys, as well as indoor and outdoor air monitoring. Mean 12-h indoor daytime concentrations PM₁₀, PM(2.5), and PM₁ were 140, 95, and 91 μg/m³, respectively. During the day, PM(2.5) and PM₁ concentrations were lower indoors than outdoors (indoor/outdoor ratios of 0.83 and 0.8, respectively), whereas PM₁₀ showed the opposite trend. Concentrations decreased significantly during the night, 49% for PM₁₀ and 27% for PM(2.5) and PM₁. These findings reflect the significant contribution from the activities of occupants inside classrooms to higher indoor levels of PM₁₀ levels, whereas the fine fraction of PM(2.5) and PM₁ is primarily influenced by outdoor concentrations. This study provides a link between size-specific PM in Portuguese schools with contribution of outdoor versus indoor air. Our results suggest that exposure to PM is high and highlights the need for strategies that provide healthier school environments.
由于其对健康的影响的流行病学证据，室内颗粒物 (PM) 暴露受到了极大的关注，尤其是在儿童等易感人群中。本研究调查了 11 所采用静态加热系统的自然通风学校中三种 PM 粒径的室内浓度，以及室内和室外 PM 浓度之间的关系。该研究在葡萄牙波尔图进行，在冬季进行，包括校舍和带有人工通道的单独教室的调查，以及室内和室外空气监测。平均 12 小时室内白天 PM₁₀、PM(2.5) 和 PM₁ 的浓度分别为 140、95 和 91μg/m³。白天，PM(2.5) 和 PM₁ 的浓度在室内低于室外（室内/室外比值分别为 0.83 和 0.8），而 PM₁₀则呈现相反的趋势。夜间浓度显著下降，PM₁₀下降 49%，PM(2.5) 和 PM₁ 下降 27%。这些发现反映了教室内人员活动对 PM₁₀ 水平升高的显著贡献，而 PM(2.5) 和 PM₁ 的细颗粒主要受室外浓度的影响。本研究将葡萄牙学校中特定粒径的 PM 与室外和室内空气的贡献联系起来。我们的研究结果表明，暴露于 PM 的水平较高，强调了需要采取策略来提供更健康的学校环境。
