Indoor air pollution(IAP) is a key contributor to the global burden of disease mainly in developing countries. The use of solid fuel for cooking and heating is the main source of IAP in developing countries, accountin...Indoor air pollution(IAP) is a key contributor to the global burden of disease mainly in developing countries. The use of solid fuel for cooking and heating is the main source of IAP in developing countries, accounting for an estimated 3.5 million deaths and 4.5% of Disability-Adjusted Life Years in 2010. Other sources of IAP include indoor smoking, infiltration of pollutants from outdoor sources and substances emitted from an array of human utilities and biological materials. Children are among the most vulnerable groups for adverse effects of IAP. The respiratory system is a primary target of air pollutants resulting in a wide range of acute and chronic effects. The spectrum of respiratory adverse effects ranges from mild subclinical changes and mild symptoms to life threatening conditions and even death. However, IAP is a modifiable risk factor having potential mitigating interventions. Possible interventions range from simple be-havior change to structural changes and from shifting of unclean cooking fuel to clean cooking fuel. Shifting from use of solid fuel to clean fuel invariably reduces the household air pollution in developing countries, but such a change is challenging. This review aims to summarize the available information on IAP exposure during childhood and its effects on respiratory health in developing countries. It specifically discusses the common sources of IAP, susceptibility of children to air pollution, mechanisms of action, common respiratory conditions, preventive and mitigating strategies.展开更多
The Spanish NGO “Alianza por la Solidaridad” has installed improved cookstoves in 3000 households during 2012 and 2013 to improve energy efficiency reducing fuelwood consumption and to improve indoor air quality. Th...The Spanish NGO “Alianza por la Solidaridad” has installed improved cookstoves in 3000 households during 2012 and 2013 to improve energy efficiency reducing fuelwood consumption and to improve indoor air quality. The type of cookstoves were Noflaye Jeeg and Noflaye Jaboot and were installed in the Cassamance Natural Subregion covering part of Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The Technical University of Madrid (UPM) has conducted a field study on a sample of these households to assess the effect of improved cookstoves on kitchen air quality. Measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particle matter (PM2.5) were taken for 24-hr period before and after the installation of improved cookstoves. The 24-hr mean CO concentrations were lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for Guinea-Bissau but higher for Senegal and Gambia, even after the installation of improved cookstoves. As for PM2.5 concentrations, 24-hr mean were always higher than these guidelines. However, improved cookstoves produced significant reductions on 24-hr mean CO and PM2.5 concentrations in Senegal and for mean and maximum PM2.5 concentration on Gambia. Although this variability needs to be explained by further research to determine which other factors could affect indoor air pollution, the study provided a better understanding of the problem and envisaged alternatives to be implemented in future phases of the NGO project.展开更多
Complaints on the indoor environment of the residents in recent decades have become a common problem in the Swedish housing. The buildings themselves are said to be the cause of problems, and it is given a vague pictu...Complaints on the indoor environment of the residents in recent decades have become a common problem in the Swedish housing. The buildings themselves are said to be the cause of problems, and it is given a vague picture of both the exposure and the effect of the problems. The symptoms that residents and users state are often common in the population such as headache, fatigue, mucosal disorders and skin problems. It must be considered that the air that people routinely inhale contains impurities of various kinds, both in- and outdoors. An important source of contamination indoors is the microorganisms that are pathogenic, so called agents. Examples of infectious agents are viruses, fungi, bacteria and protozoa. The purpose of this project is to examine whether a physical measurement is possible to obtain for identifying a possible threshold level of air pollution in the indoor environment. In this study, carried out through physical measurements, the results show major deficiencies in the Swedish school environment. If we study the emissions in the important health-related size range of particles larger than 5.0 microns, before and after measures, the environmental benefits are clarified since over 90% of contaminants larger than 5.0 microns have been eliminated.展开更多
Environmental monitoring of airborne formaldehyde (FA) using sensitive methodologies is fundamental to prevent health risks. The objective of this study was to compare three different FA monitoring methods during the ...Environmental monitoring of airborne formaldehyde (FA) using sensitive methodologies is fundamental to prevent health risks. The objective of this study was to compare three different FA monitoring methods during the daily activities of an anatomic pathology laboratory. Daily eight-hour measurements deriving from Radiello® passive diffusive samplers (PDS), NEMo XT continuous optical sensor (COS), and multi-gas 1512 photoacoustic monitor (MPM) were simultaneously compared over a period of 14 working days. Given the different daily distributions of the measurements performed by the three devices, all measurements were time-aligned for comparison purposes. The 95% limit of agreement (LOA) method was applied to estimate the degree of concordance of each device with respect to the others. Formaldehyde arithmetic mean measured using PDS was 32.6 ± 10.4 ppb (range: 19.8 - 62.7). The simultaneous measures performed by COS and MPM were respectively 42.4 ± 44.8 ppb (range: 7.0 - 175.0) and 189.0 ± 163.7 ppb (range: 40.0 - 2895.4). The MPM geometric mean (171.3 ppb) was approximately five times higher than those derived from COS (32.3 ppb) and PDS (31.4 ppb). The results of the LOA method applied to log-transformed FA data showed the same systematic discrepancies between MPM and the other two devices. A good agreement between PDS and COS could lead to a tailored approach according to the individual specificity of these techniques. This tool may be useful for accurately assessing the risk of FA exposure among healthcare workers. However, the limited specificity of the MPM does not support its use as a monitoring method for FA in the workplace.展开更多
文摘Indoor air pollution(IAP) is a key contributor to the global burden of disease mainly in developing countries. The use of solid fuel for cooking and heating is the main source of IAP in developing countries, accounting for an estimated 3.5 million deaths and 4.5% of Disability-Adjusted Life Years in 2010. Other sources of IAP include indoor smoking, infiltration of pollutants from outdoor sources and substances emitted from an array of human utilities and biological materials. Children are among the most vulnerable groups for adverse effects of IAP. The respiratory system is a primary target of air pollutants resulting in a wide range of acute and chronic effects. The spectrum of respiratory adverse effects ranges from mild subclinical changes and mild symptoms to life threatening conditions and even death. However, IAP is a modifiable risk factor having potential mitigating interventions. Possible interventions range from simple be-havior change to structural changes and from shifting of unclean cooking fuel to clean cooking fuel. Shifting from use of solid fuel to clean fuel invariably reduces the household air pollution in developing countries, but such a change is challenging. This review aims to summarize the available information on IAP exposure during childhood and its effects on respiratory health in developing countries. It specifically discusses the common sources of IAP, susceptibility of children to air pollution, mechanisms of action, common respiratory conditions, preventive and mitigating strategies.
文摘The Spanish NGO “Alianza por la Solidaridad” has installed improved cookstoves in 3000 households during 2012 and 2013 to improve energy efficiency reducing fuelwood consumption and to improve indoor air quality. The type of cookstoves were Noflaye Jeeg and Noflaye Jaboot and were installed in the Cassamance Natural Subregion covering part of Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The Technical University of Madrid (UPM) has conducted a field study on a sample of these households to assess the effect of improved cookstoves on kitchen air quality. Measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particle matter (PM2.5) were taken for 24-hr period before and after the installation of improved cookstoves. The 24-hr mean CO concentrations were lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for Guinea-Bissau but higher for Senegal and Gambia, even after the installation of improved cookstoves. As for PM2.5 concentrations, 24-hr mean were always higher than these guidelines. However, improved cookstoves produced significant reductions on 24-hr mean CO and PM2.5 concentrations in Senegal and for mean and maximum PM2.5 concentration on Gambia. Although this variability needs to be explained by further research to determine which other factors could affect indoor air pollution, the study provided a better understanding of the problem and envisaged alternatives to be implemented in future phases of the NGO project.
文摘Complaints on the indoor environment of the residents in recent decades have become a common problem in the Swedish housing. The buildings themselves are said to be the cause of problems, and it is given a vague picture of both the exposure and the effect of the problems. The symptoms that residents and users state are often common in the population such as headache, fatigue, mucosal disorders and skin problems. It must be considered that the air that people routinely inhale contains impurities of various kinds, both in- and outdoors. An important source of contamination indoors is the microorganisms that are pathogenic, so called agents. Examples of infectious agents are viruses, fungi, bacteria and protozoa. The purpose of this project is to examine whether a physical measurement is possible to obtain for identifying a possible threshold level of air pollution in the indoor environment. In this study, carried out through physical measurements, the results show major deficiencies in the Swedish school environment. If we study the emissions in the important health-related size range of particles larger than 5.0 microns, before and after measures, the environmental benefits are clarified since over 90% of contaminants larger than 5.0 microns have been eliminated.
文摘Environmental monitoring of airborne formaldehyde (FA) using sensitive methodologies is fundamental to prevent health risks. The objective of this study was to compare three different FA monitoring methods during the daily activities of an anatomic pathology laboratory. Daily eight-hour measurements deriving from Radiello® passive diffusive samplers (PDS), NEMo XT continuous optical sensor (COS), and multi-gas 1512 photoacoustic monitor (MPM) were simultaneously compared over a period of 14 working days. Given the different daily distributions of the measurements performed by the three devices, all measurements were time-aligned for comparison purposes. The 95% limit of agreement (LOA) method was applied to estimate the degree of concordance of each device with respect to the others. Formaldehyde arithmetic mean measured using PDS was 32.6 ± 10.4 ppb (range: 19.8 - 62.7). The simultaneous measures performed by COS and MPM were respectively 42.4 ± 44.8 ppb (range: 7.0 - 175.0) and 189.0 ± 163.7 ppb (range: 40.0 - 2895.4). The MPM geometric mean (171.3 ppb) was approximately five times higher than those derived from COS (32.3 ppb) and PDS (31.4 ppb). The results of the LOA method applied to log-transformed FA data showed the same systematic discrepancies between MPM and the other two devices. A good agreement between PDS and COS could lead to a tailored approach according to the individual specificity of these techniques. This tool may be useful for accurately assessing the risk of FA exposure among healthcare workers. However, the limited specificity of the MPM does not support its use as a monitoring method for FA in the workplace.
