Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experimental Section
2.1. Site Description and Study Population
Monitored Sites | Description |
---|---|
University A | Located in a suburban area |
Surrounded by residences and industries | |
Use of a blackboard and chalk | |
Built in the 70s | |
Presence of vegetation nearby | |
University B | Located in a suburban area |
Surrounded by residences and buildings | |
Use of a blackboard and chalk | |
Built in 2000 | |
No presence of vegetation nearby | |
University C | Located in a suburban area |
Surrounded by residences and buildings | |
Use of blackboard with chalk | |
Built in the 70s | |
No presence of vegetation nearby | |
University D | Located in a central area |
Surrounded by residences and buildings | |
Use of a blackboard and chalk | |
Built in the 70s | |
Presence of vegetation nearby | |
University E | Located in a suburban area |
Surrounded by residences and buildings | |
Use of a blackboard and chalk | |
Built in the 90s | |
No presence of vegetation nearby |
2.2. Environmental and Occupancy Parameters
2.3. Statistics
3. Results
Pollutant/Parameter | NV | AC | Brazilian Recommended Values |
---|---|---|---|
Room temperature (°C) | 28.87 ± 0.57 | 25.87 ± 0.65 * | 23–26 (in summer) |
Relative air humidity (%) | 65.00 ± 2.13 | 56.21 ± 1.70 * | 40–65 (in summer) |
Wind speed (m/s) | 0.14 ± 0.01 | 0.09 ± 0.01 * | ≤0.25 |
CO2 (ppm) | 520.12 ± 37.25 | 1433.62 ± 252.80 * | ≤1000 |
Airborne dust (μg/m3) | 215.12 ± 68.20 | 659.22 ± 102.80 * | ≤80 |
Viable fungi (cfu/m3) | 1001.30 ± 125.16 | 367.00 ± 88.13 * | ≤750 |
I/O | 1.08 ± 0.21 | 0.45 ± 0.09 * | ≥1.5 |
Type | Naturally Ventilated (n = 444) | Air-conditioned (n = 358) |
---|---|---|
Specific symptoms | ||
Eye irritation (%) | 26.0 | 24.0 |
Nasal irritation (%) | 28.0 | 32.0 |
Throat irritation (%) | 22.0 | 16.0 |
General symptoms | ||
Headache (%) | 18.0 | 20.0 |
Difficulties to concentrate (%) | 23.0 | 25.0 |
Fatigue (%) | 28.0 | 26.0 |
Lethargy (%) | 23.0 | 17.0 |
Absenteeism (%) | 12.0 | 9.0 |
Symptoms of SBS | Fungi | CO2 | AD | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NV | AC | NV | AC | NV | AC | |
Specific symptoms | ||||||
Eye irritation | 0.21 | 0.34 | 0.11 | 0.59 # | 0.12 | 0.24 |
Nasal irritation | 0.33 | 0.36 | 0.20 | 0.52 † | 0.10 | 0.18 |
Throat irritation | 0.21 | 0.43 | 0.27 | 0.56 † | 0.15 | 0.47† |
General symptoms | ||||||
Headache | 0.56 * | 0.36 | 0.11 | 0.57 * | 0.17 | 0.08 |
Difficulties in concentration | 0.61 * | 0.23 | 0.13 | 0.61 * | 0.20 | 0.07 |
Fatigue | 0.71 | 0.32 | 0.22 | 0.68 * | 0.18 | 0.11 |
Lethargy | 0.59 | 0.15 | 0.19 | 0.68 | 0.48 | 0.49 |
ASHRAE Scale | NV | AC |
---|---|---|
n = 444 | n = 358 | |
–3 cold | 0.0% | 1.0% |
–2 cool | 0.0% | 4.0% |
–1 slightly cool | 3.0% | 25.0% |
0 neutral | 40.0% | 55.0% |
+1 slightly warm | 21.0% | 7.0% |
+2 warm | 29.0% | 8.0% |
+3 hot | 7.0% | 0.0% |
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Jurado, S.R.; Bankoff, A.D.P.; Sanchez, A. Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11, 7081-7093. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110707081
Jurado SR, Bankoff ADP, Sanchez A. Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2014; 11(7):7081-7093. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110707081
Chicago/Turabian StyleJurado, Sonia R., Antônia D. P. Bankoff, and Andrea Sanchez. 2014. "Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11, no. 7: 7081-7093. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110707081
APA StyleJurado, S. R., Bankoff, A. D. P., & Sanchez, A. (2014). Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(7), 7081-7093. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110707081