Jacobs J H, Krop E J M, Borras-Santos A, Zock J-P, Taubel M, Hyvarinnen A, Pekkanen J, Doekes G, Heederik D J J
Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Indoor Air. 2014 Apr;24(2):148-57. doi: 10.1111/ina.12064. Epub 2013 Sep 23.
Indoor exposure to microbial agents is known to influence respiratory health. Besides home exposure, exposure in schools can affect respiratory health. In this study, we measured endotoxin in settled dust in primary schools in three European countries from three different geographical regions with different climates. Our aim was to characterize endotoxin levels in primary schools and evaluate associations with potential determinants. Endotoxin levels were repeatedly assessed in 23 schools in Spain (n = 7), the Netherlands (n = 10), and Finland (n = 6) using electrostatic dustfall collectors. In total, 645 measurements were taken in 237 classrooms. Endotoxin levels differed significantly between countries; Dutch schools had the highest levels, while Finnish schools showed the lowest levels. In each country, differences in endotoxin levels were observed between schools and over the sampling periods. Estimates improved after adjustment for sampling period. Factors affecting endotoxin levels in a school differed per country. In general, endotoxin levels were higher in lower grades and in classrooms with higher occupancy. School endotoxin levels may contribute significantly to total endotoxin exposure in children and teachers. As the correlation between the repeated measurements is reasonable, single endotoxin measurements form a reasonable basis for estimating annual endotoxin levels in schools.
已知室内接触微生物制剂会影响呼吸健康。除了家庭接触外，学校环境中的接触也会影响呼吸健康。在本研究中，我们测量了来自三个不同地理区域、气候各异的欧洲国家的小学沉降灰尘中的内毒素。我们的目的是描述小学内毒素水平特征，并评估其与潜在决定因素的关联。使用静电降尘器对西班牙的7所、荷兰的10所和芬兰的6所共23所学校的内毒素水平进行了重复评估。在237间教室共进行了645次测量。各国之间的内毒素水平存在显著差异；荷兰学校的内毒素水平最高，而芬兰学校的水平最低。在每个国家，不同学校之间以及不同采样期间的内毒素水平都存在差异。在对采样期进行调整后，估计值有所改善。影响学校内毒素水平的因素因国家而异。一般来说，低年级和高占用率教室的内毒素水平较高。学校内毒素水平可能对儿童和教师的总内毒素暴露有显著影响。由于重复测量之间的相关性合理，单次内毒素测量可为估算学校年度内毒素水平提供合理依据。
