Assessment of indoor air quality in geriatric environments of southwestern Europe

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate physical-chemical and microbial indicators of indoor air quality in three nursing houses (NHs) located in rural areas of the northeast of Portugal. The parameters were measured during two campaigns (winter and summer), twice a day, and in four distinct spaces for spatial variability assessment: dining room, living room, double bedroom and outdoor of the NHs. Physical-chemical indicators were assessed by using a Graywolf IQ 610 probe. Airborne microbial levels were evaluated by direct impaction to the culture media, and subsequently, the microorganisms were identified molecularly. Mean concentrations of physical-chemical (with the exception of total volatile organic compounds, TVOCs) and microbial indicators did not exceed the legal limits. Overall, in all NHs, the indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) concentration ratios of chemical and biological pollutants were B 1 in the summer, while in the winter were [ 1. Bacillus, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus were the dominant bacterial genera, and Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium were the dominant fungal genera. The diversity of species was higher in summer. The main results suggest that a good air quality prevails in all studied spaces, although conditions less desirable have been identified in winter, indicating the need to deepen the study of air quality in these places, since these are occupied by elderly people who are more susceptible to infections.

An Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi in the Female Dormitory Environment: Level, Impact Factors and Dose Rate

“…The dominant species were Gram-positive microbes. In field studies, Staphylococcus and Micrococcus appeared to be typical species in indoor air [ 21 , 25 ]. The bacteria found in the sampling were species that are commonly detected indoor air, such as Staphylococcus hominis (Gram-positive, the most important in terms of human health effects and the dominant species in universities [ 44 , 45 ]), Micrococcus yunnanensis (Gram-positive, found in the human skin microbiome [ 45 ]) and Microbacterium oleivorans (Gram-positive, identified in human clinical specimens [ 46 ]).…”

“…In the field of aerobiology, airborne microbial pollutants have been found to have negative effects on health and indoor air quality [ 22 , 23 ]. In field studies, the species of Micrococcus , Staphylococcus , Cladosporium , Penicillium and Aspergillus were detected in indoor environments [ 24 , 25 ]. Moreover, microbial hazards are not only closely related to concentration and species, but also to contact time (“exposure”).…”

Indoor Air Quality in Elderly Centers: Pollutants Emission and Health Effects

“…For elderly centers, CO 2 is a popular parameter that has been included in most of the IAQ evaluations conducted. Results from these assessments show that indoor CO 2 concentrations above ASHRAE recommendations have been reported in the majority of the works [9,38,39,58,59], with a limited number of studies finding CO 2 levels below 1000 ppm [7,18]. In general, the authors justified the high concentrations found in their studies with the existence of insufficient ventilation rates and/or high occupancy density [9,18].…”

“…In fact, after a ventilation system renovation in Estonian nursing homes, Mikola et al [59] observed a remarkable reduction in indoor CO 2 levels, which complied with guidelines. Some authors reported the highest levels for bedrooms [9,38] and others for living rooms [39,58], drawing rooms [2], or dining rooms [2,58], with levels typically increasing during the afternoon period in areas where people stay for more time. Moreover, Mendes et al [2] observed differences in the CO 2 levels detected as a function of the existence of window sealants and of the type of sealants used, which will probably influence the infiltration rate of outdoor air and consequently have an effect on CO 2 levels.…”

Indoor air quality assessment in dwellings with different ventilation strategies in Nunavik and impacts on bacterial and fungal microbiota

“…Wide ranges of microbial concentrations and different biodiversity have been reported in indoor environments in previous studies. However, some genera appeared to be typical of indoor air such as Staphylococcus , Bacillus , Micrococcus , Cladosporium , Aspergillus , and Penicillium 1,9,10,11 . Several studies have shown the importance of the ventilation for air purification, improvement of air quality, and respiratory health 2,10,12,13 .…”