Volatile organic compounds and particulate matter in child care facilities in the District of Columbia: Results from a pilot study

Quirós-Alcalá, Lesliam; Wilson, Sacoby; Witherspoon, Nsedu Obot; Murray, Rianna; Pérodin, Joanne; Trousdale, Kristie; Raspanti, Greg A.; Sapkota, Amir

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2015.12.005

Cited by 40 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Recent studies indicate that ECE environments may contain environmental contaminants hazardous to children's health, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) . VOCs are ubiquitous in indoor environments, with sources including building materials and furnishings, consumer products (cleaning and art supplies), personal care products, and outdoor infiltration from traffic and industrial emissions .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several international studies have examined hazardous VOC levels in childcare facilities including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes . Only one study has reported VOC levels in U.S. facilities . As part of a broader study of environmental contaminants in 40 California ECE facilities, we measured indoor and outdoor air concentrations of VOCs .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[13][14][15] Only one study has reported VOC levels in U.S. facilities. 4 As part of a broader study of environmental contaminants in 40 California ECE facilities, we measured indoor and outdoor air concentrations of VOCs. 16 In this study, we report indoor and outdoor levels of 38 VOCs, including 15 compounds with predominantly mobile sources and 23 with non-mobile sources, and evaluate potential determinants of exposure.…”

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confidence: 99%

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VOC exposures in California early childhood education environments

et al. 2016

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Little information exists about exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in early childhood education (ECE) environments. We measured 38 VOCs in single-day air samples collected in 2010-2011 from 34 ECE facilities serving California children and evaluated potential health risks. We also examined unknown peaks in the GC/MS chromatographs for indoor samples and identified 119 of these compounds using mass spectral libraries. VOCs found in cleaning and personal care products had the highest indoor concentrations (d-limonene and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane [D5] medians: 33.1 and 51.4 μg/m³, respectively). If reflective of long-term averages, child exposures to benzene, chloroform, ethylbenzene, and naphthalene exceeded age-adjusted "safe harbor levels" based on California's Proposition 65 guidelines (10 lifetime cancer risk) in 71%, 38%, 56%, and 97% of facilities, respectively. For VOCs without health benchmarks, we used information from toxicological databases and quantitative structure-activity relationship models to assess potential health concerns and identified 12 VOCs that warrant additional evaluation, including a number of terpenes and fragrance compounds. While VOC levels in ECE facilities resemble those in school and home environments, mitigation strategies are warranted to reduce exposures. More research is needed to identify sources and health risks of many VOCs and to support outreach to improve air quality in ECE facilities.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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VOC exposures in California early childhood education environments

et al. 2016

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“…Canha, et al [26], Branco, et al [19], Mainka and Zajusz-Zubek [27], Fuoco, et al [57] and Nunes, et al [22] have also identified the high number of occupants as a contributing factor to increase the re-suspension of particles in indoor air. Furthermore, Quirós-Alcalá, et al [7] identified indoor ventilation and building characteristics as the main causes for the PM concentrations observed (max = 128 and 207 µg/m 3 for PM 2.5 and PM 10 , respectively). In the second campaign results from JI1_A were not considered, due to an atypical situation: the presence of about 60 people in the room during the morning—children, their parents and school’s staff—and the absence of people during the afternoon).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among indoor environments, nursery and primary schools need a special attention because children spend more time there than in any other indoor environment besides home. Moreover, several studies have recognized a relationship between indoor air quality (IAQ) and adverse health effects on children, namely respiratory illness and poor cognitive performance [5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Low-Cost Mitigation Measures Implemented to Improve Air Quality in Nursery and Primary Schools

Sá

Branco

Alvim-Ferraz

et al. 2017

IJERPH

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Indoor air pollution mitigation measures are highly important due to the associated health impacts, especially on children, a risk group that spends significant time indoors. Thus, the main goal of the work here reported was the evaluation of mitigation measures implemented in nursery and primary schools to improve air quality. Continuous measurements of CO2, CO, NO2, O3, CH2O, total volatile organic compounds (VOC), PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and radon, as well as temperature and relative humidity were performed in two campaigns, before and after the implementation of low-cost mitigation measures. Evaluation of those mitigation measures was performed through the comparison of the concentrations measured in both campaigns. Exceedances to the values set by the national legislation and World Health Organization (WHO) were found for PM2.5, PM10, CO2 and CH2O during both indoor air quality campaigns. Temperature and relative humidity values were also above the ranges recommended by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). In general, pollutant concentrations measured after the implementation of low-cost mitigation measures were significantly lower, mainly for CO2. However, mitigation measures were not always sufficient to decrease the pollutants’ concentrations till values considered safe to protect human health.

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The Indoor Environment in Schools, Kindergartens and Day Care Centres

Takaoka

Norbäck

2019

Current Topics in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

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Volatile organic compounds and particulate matter in child care facilities in the District of Columbia: Results from a pilot study

Cited by 40 publications

References 49 publications

VOC exposures in California early childhood education environments

VOC exposures in California early childhood education environments

Evaluation of Low-Cost Mitigation Measures Implemented to Improve Air Quality in Nursery and Primary Schools

The Indoor Environment in Schools, Kindergartens and Day Care Centres

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