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Environments
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Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks
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Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2023) | Viewed by 34509

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Rosanna Mabilia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council, Department of Biology, Agriculture and Food Science, P.le Aldo Moro, 7 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: assessment of indoor air quality; indoor air chemistry; target pollutants and sampling and analysis specifications; sources as emitters and contributors to indoor air pollution; sources emitting pollutants into the indoor air of a space, directly or indirectly; compounds emitted by building materials; new solution to eliminate or reduce the source in indoor air
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The indoor environment represents an important microenvironment in which people spend a large part of their time. Air pollution in indoor environments has been linked to many adverse health effects, including so-called “Sick Building Syndrome”, where symptoms include eyes, nose, throat, skin irritation, headache and tiredness, irritative effects, allergic responses. that trigger asthma episodes, oxidative stress, inflammation and neurogenic effects, pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Indoor air pollutants, which can cause these effects (alone or in combination) that can stimulate human senses or cause tissue changes, include VOCs, aldehydes, aerosols, and PM. Other risk factors include technical causes such as ventilation, humidity, and temperature. In addition to indoor air pollutants known for their adverse health effects, concern about reactive indoor air chemistry has grown over the last few years. Products from indoor chemical reactions (e.g., ozone-terpenes) may contribute to adverse effects on health. It is often difficult to measure these chemicals or species. One or more sources emit pollutants into indoor space, directly or indirectly. Those pollutants may react with each other or with pollutants from other sources, including surface indoor materials, creating new compounds (indoor air chemistry). This Special Issue invites critical reviews and research papers on these issues, as well as chemical reaction mechanisms relevant for indoor environments, sources of IAQ, and IAQ health effects.

Prof. Dr. Rosanna Mabilia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Environments is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Case studies on indoor air
  • Analyses on association between building characteristics and indoor pollutants
  • Impact of indoor pollutants on the health of occupants
  • Modeling system links emissions of key pollutants and major secondary indoor pollutants
  • Recommendations to minimize indoor pollutants in construction industry/building, design maintenance, furniture materials
  • Use and maintenance of HVAC system to improve IAQ
  • Methodology to improve IAQ: source control, improved ventilation, air cleaners
  • IAQ seasonal and spatial variabilities, and evaluation of IAQ in terms of potential adverse health effects based on WHO air quality guidelines

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 591 KiB  
Article
Examining the Effects of Environmental Knowledge and Health Insurance Coverage on Health Status
by Yong Liu, Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar, Mosili Lepheana and Brent R. Carr
Environments 2023, 10(4), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments10040062 - 05 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2632
Abstract
Rural women in developing nations are especially vulnerable to higher health risks due to environmental pollution exposure and are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes. Using data from the 2013 China General Social Survey CGSS2013, this study empirically examined the relationship among [...] Read more.
Rural women in developing nations are especially vulnerable to higher health risks due to environmental pollution exposure and are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes. Using data from the 2013 China General Social Survey CGSS2013, this study empirically examined the relationship among environmental knowledge (EK), pollution, health investment (i.e., holding and purchasing a public health insurance policy, engaging in frequent physical activity, and acquiring commercial insurance), and health status. The sample was composed of 1930 women residing in rural regions in China. Three main research questions are investigated: whether environmental knowledge affects health investment and health status, whether health investments impact health status, and whether the relationship between environmental knowledge and health status is mediated by health investment. Our results showed that the level of EK for women in rural China significantly impacted their self-reported physical and mental health. To account for potential endogeneity due to mutual causality, this study employed television usage and network usage as two instrumental variables (IVs) of EK and used an IV-probit method. Additionally, we estimated a model that replaced health status with the variable Body Mass Index (BMI) to assess the reliability and robustness of our results. The results were consistent, providing evidence of robustness. Additionally, we examined the relationship between health investment (holding and purchasing a public health insurance policy, engaging in frequent physical activity, and acquiring commercial insurance) and health status. Our results indicated that the level of EK had no significant impact on participating in the new rural cooperative medical system. However, the preference for purchasing commercial insurance was positively impacted by EK, though it did not directly affect health status. Conversely, an increase in EK and pollution was associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in physical exercise, which, in turn, improved overall mental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks)
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22 pages, 4655 KiB  
Article
A Pilot Study to Quantify Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Sources Inside and Outside Homes in Urban India in Summer and Winter during Normal Daily Activities
by Christina L. Norris, Ross Edwards, Chinmay Ghoroi, James J. Schauer, Marilyn Black and Michael H. Bergin
Environments 2022, 9(7), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9070075 - 21 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4450
Abstract
Indian cities have some of the poorest air quality globally but volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—many of which adversely affect health—and their indoor sources remain understudied in India. In this pilot study we quantified hundreds of VOCs inside and outside 26 homes in Ahmedabad [...] Read more.
Indian cities have some of the poorest air quality globally but volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—many of which adversely affect health—and their indoor sources remain understudied in India. In this pilot study we quantified hundreds of VOCs inside and outside 26 homes in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in May 2019 and in January 2020. We sampled in the morning and afternoon/evening to capture temporal variability. Total indoor VOCs were measured at higher concentrations in winter (327.0 ± 224.2 µgm−3) than summer (150.1 ± 121.0 µgm−3) and exceeded those measured outdoors. Using variable reduction techniques, we identified potential sources of compounds (cooking, plastics [with an emphasis on plasticizers], consumer products, siloxanes [as used in the production of consumer products], vehicles). Contributions differed by season and between homes. In May, when temperatures were high, plastics contributed substantially to indoor pollution (mean of 42% contribution to total VOCs) as compared to in January (mean of 4%). Indoor cooking and consumer products contributed on average 29% and 10% to all VOCs indoors in January and 16% and 4% in May. Siloxane sources contributed <4% to any home during either season. Cooking contributed substantially to outdoor VOCs (on average 18% in January and 11% in May) and vehicle-related sources accounted for up to 84% of VOCs in some samples. Overall, results indicate a strong seasonal dependence of indoor VOC concentrations and sources, underscoring the need to better understand factors driving health-harming pollutants inside homes to facilitate exposure reductions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks)
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20 pages, 775 KiB  
Article
Model for Health Risk Assessment in Portuguese Housing Spaces
by Manuel Pinto, M. Ramiro Pastorinho, João Lanzinha and Marisa Monteiro
Environments 2022, 9(6), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9060069 - 06 Jun 2022
Viewed by 3123
Abstract
Currently, people spend most of their time inside their homes. However, poor conditions in terms of comfort and quality of the indoor environment can pose high risks to the inhabitants’ health. Therefore, a good quality environment is essential, since, in addition to the [...] Read more.
Currently, people spend most of their time inside their homes. However, poor conditions in terms of comfort and quality of the indoor environment can pose high risks to the inhabitants’ health. Therefore, a good quality environment is essential, since, in addition to the hazards present in indoor air (e.g., particles, (S)VOCs, CO, radon and tobacco smoke), extreme temperatures, relative humidity levels, pests (e.g., mold, dust mites and bioaerosols), noise, airborne infectious agents (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) and contamination through water and soil can cause physical injuries, respiratory diseases, damage to multiple organ systems as well as harmful effects on the mental health of the occupants. Faced with this requirement, housing evaluation models were studied together with the main types of risk that could affect the health of the inhabitants, with the objective of proposing a new evaluation model for housing health and safety risks, fitted to the occupants, and especially suitable for Portuguese dwellings, although applicable in other geographical contexts. As a result of this analysis, this article proposes a new model for evaluating health and safety risks in housing, applicable in Portugal, supported by an inspection form and, as the main difference from the existing models, parameter measurements, providing complementary data for the evaluation. This model was created based on a set of functional and regulatory requirements that were identified for the healthy use of living spaces. Twenty-eight hazards were identified, and the respective risk factors were assessed using different processes and target demographics, including visual inspection, parameter measurements, occupants’ age and location and age of housing. In order to validate the model and determine its usefulness, it was applied to a set of houses with different construction dates, locations and occupants. This exercise enabled the identification of hazard classes and the calibration and fine tuning of the model application. Finally, proposals for future work are presented in order to create a base of evolution for the model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks)
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31 pages, 6485 KiB  
Article
A New Testing Facility to Investigate the Removal Processes of Indoor Air Contaminants with Different Cleaning Technologies and to Better Assess and Exploit Their Performances
by Piero Ciccioli, Emanuele Pallozzi, Ettore Guerriero, Maria Adelaide Iannelli, Enrica Donati, Laura Lilla, Carmine Rinaldi, Paolo Svaldi, Paolo Ciccioli and Rosanna Mabilia
Environments 2022, 9(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9010003 - 24 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3785
Abstract
Residential air cleaners exploiting different technologies re commonly used today to remove air contaminants from indoor environments. Different methods have been developed in the USA and Europe to test their efficiency. The one used in the USA provides a more comprehensive view of [...] Read more.
Residential air cleaners exploiting different technologies re commonly used today to remove air contaminants from indoor environments. Different methods have been developed in the USA and Europe to test their efficiency. The one used in the USA provides a more comprehensive view of indoor processes, because testing is performed in a large simulation chamber (28.5 m3), using anthropogenic emissions, such as cigarette smoke, to generate pollution. Testing rooms are also important to investigate new removal technologies, or to improve them. Since no such testing facilities exist in Italy, one of 12.4 m3 was built in which cigarette smoke, resuspended dust from agricultural soil and, for the first time, diesel exhaust emissions were used to generate indoor pollution. Performances were tested with two air cleaning systems, exploiting completely different removal technologies. Accurate values of decay rates of indoor pollutants were obtained using a suite of on-line and out-of-line monitors for the measurement of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some inorganic gases. Proton-transfer mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) provided an almost real-time detection of several VOCs and H2S, at trace levels (0.01 ppbv). A method using a common in vitro bioassay was developed to assess the ability of air cleaners to remove indoor toxic substances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks)
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Review

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25 pages, 587 KiB  
Review
Indoor Air Quality in Elderly Centers: Pollutants Emission and Health Effects
by Teresa M. Mata, Fátima Felgueiras, António A. Martins, Helena Monteiro, Maria Pia Ferraz, Gisela M. Oliveira, Marta Fonseca Gabriel and Gabriela Ventura Silva
Environments 2022, 9(7), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9070086 - 06 Jul 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 8188
Abstract
The world population is ageing, in particular in the developed world, with a significant increase in the percentage of people above 60 years old. They represent a segment of the population that is more vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions. Among them, indoor air [...] Read more.
The world population is ageing, in particular in the developed world, with a significant increase in the percentage of people above 60 years old. They represent a segment of the population that is more vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions. Among them, indoor air quality is one of the most relevant, as elders spend comparatively more time indoors than younger generations. Furthermore, the recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed immensely to raising awareness of the importance of breathing air quality for human health and of the fact that indoor air is a vector for airborne infections and poisoning. Hence, this work reviews the state of the art regarding indoor air quality in elderly centers, considering the type of pollutants involved, their emission sources, and their health effects. Moreover, the influence of ventilation on air quality is also addressed. Notwithstanding the potential health problems with the corresponding costs and morbidity effects, only a few studies have considered explicitly indoor air quality and its impacts on elderly health. More studies are, therefore, necessary to objectively identify what are the impacts on the health of elderly people due to the quality of indoor air and how it can be improved, either by reducing the pollutants emission sources or by more adequate ventilation and thermal comfort strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks)
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25 pages, 828 KiB  
Review
Low Level Carbon Dioxide Indoors—A Pollution Indicator or a Pollutant? A Health-Based Perspective
by Scott D. Lowther, Sani Dimitroulopoulou, Kerry Foxall, Clive Shrubsole, Emily Cheek, Britta Gadeberg and Ovnair Sepai
Environments 2021, 8(11), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments8110125 - 16 Nov 2021
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 10735
Abstract
With modern populations in developed countries spending approximately 90% of their time indoors, and with carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations inside being able to accumulate to much greater concentrations than outdoors, it is important to identify the health effects associated with the [...] Read more.
With modern populations in developed countries spending approximately 90% of their time indoors, and with carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations inside being able to accumulate to much greater concentrations than outdoors, it is important to identify the health effects associated with the exposure to low-level CO2 concentrations (<5000 ppm) typically seen in indoor environments in buildings (non-industrial environments). Although other reviews have summarised the effects of CO2 exposure on health, none have considered the individual study designs of investigations and factored that into the level of confidence with which CO2 and health effects can be associated, nor commented on how the reported health effects of exposure correspond to existing guideline concentrations. This investigation aimed to (a) evaluate the reported health effects and physiological responses associated with exposure to less than 5000 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 and (b) to assess the CO2 guideline and limit concentrations in the context of (a). Of the 51 human investigations assessed, many did not account for confounding factors, the prior health of participants or cross-over effects. Although there is some evidence linking CO2 exposures with health outcomes, such as reductions in cognitive performance or sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms, much of the evidence is conflicting. Therefore, given the shortcomings in study designs and conflicting results, it is difficult to say with confidence whether low-level CO2 exposures indoors can be linked to health outcomes. To improve the epidemiological value of future investigations linking CO2 with health, studies should aim to control or measure confounding variables, collect comprehensive accounts of participants’ prior health and avoid cross-over effects. Although it is difficult to link CO2 itself with health effects at exposures less than 5000 ppm, the existing guideline concentrations (usually reported for 8 h, for schools and offices), which suggest that CO2 levels <1000 ppm represent good indoor air quality and <1500 ppm are acceptable for the general population, appear consistent with the current research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality and Health Risks)
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