Department of Environmental Health, Coimbra Health School, Polytechnic of Coimbra, Rua 5 de Outubro-São Martinho do Bispo, Apartado 7006, 3046-854 Coimbra, Portugal.
UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit (FP-ENAS), Universidade Fernando Pessoa (UFP), Praça Nove de Abril, 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 17;19(10):6079. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106079.
In addition to outdoor atmospheric contamination, indoor exposure to pollutants is a prime contributor to the overall human exposure, and may condition the expressiveness and severity of respiratory, cardiovascular, and allergic diseases. This situation has worsened due to COVID-19, as people have spent more time indoors to comply with social isolation and mandatory telework. The primary purpose of this study was to assess and compare indoor air quality (IAQ) in a significant sample of dwellings of workers from a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Portugal who were teleworking and their usual workplace. The levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde, particles with equivalent diameters of less than 10 μm, 5 μm, 2.5 μm, 1 μm, 0.5 μm, and 0.3 μm, and ultrafine particles, as well as the level of thermal comfort, were measured at both of the sites assessed. It was found that most of the houses studied, as well as the HEI, had good IAQ, although there were places where the concentrations of some pollutants were above the legal standards. On the other hand, a link was identified between the IAQ and the symptoms and diseases observed in the workers who participated in the study. These results offer the opportunity to make corrective interventions, thereby controlling the sources of pollutants and promoting better ventilation in order to reduce the risk for workers.
除了户外大气污染，室内污染物暴露也是人类暴露的主要因素，可能会影响呼吸道、心血管和过敏疾病的表现和严重程度。由于 COVID-19，这种情况变得更糟，因为人们为了遵守社会隔离和强制性远程办公，更多地待在室内。本研究的主要目的是评估和比较葡萄牙一所高等教育机构（HEI）远程办公的工作人员在其家中和其通常工作场所的室内空气质量（IAQ）。在评估的两个地点测量了二氧化碳、一氧化碳和甲醛、直径小于 10μm、5μm、2.5μm、1μm、0.5μm 和 0.3μm 的颗粒物以及超细颗粒物的水平，以及热舒适度。结果发现，尽管有些地方的一些污染物浓度超过了法定标准，但大多数研究中的房屋以及 HEI 的室内空气质量良好。另一方面，研究人员发现室内空气质量与参与研究的工人出现的症状和疾病之间存在联系。这些结果提供了进行纠正干预的机会，从而控制污染物的来源，并促进更好的通风，以降低工人的风险。
