165 research outputs found
EPHECT II: Exposure assessment to household consumer products
No full textWithin the framework of the EPHECT project (Emissions, exposure patterns and health effects of consumer products in the EU), irritative and respiratory health effects were assessed in relation to acute and long-term exposure to key and emerging indoor air pollutants emitted during household use of selected consumer products. In this context, inhalation exposure assessment was carried out for six selected 'target' compounds (acrolein, formaldehyde, benzene, naphthalene, d-limonene and α-pinene). This paper presents the methodology and the outcomes from the micro-environmental modelling of the 'target' pollutants following single or multiple use of selected consumer products and the subsequent exposure assessment. The results indicate that emissions from consumer products of benzene and α-pinene were not considered to contribute significantly to the EU indoor background levels, in contrast to some cases of formaldehyde and d-limonene emissions in Eastern Europe (mainly from cleaning products). The group of housekeepers in East Europe appears to experience the highest exposures to acrolein, formaldehyde and benzene, followed by the group of the retired people in North, who experiences the highest exposures to naphthalene and α-pinene. High exposure may be attributed to the scenarios developed within this project, which follow a 'most-representative worst-case scenario' strategy for exposure and health risk assessment. Despite the above limitations, this is the first comprehensive study that provides exposure estimates for 8 population groups across Europe exposed to 6 priority pollutants, as a result of the use of 15 consumer product classes in households, while accounting for regional differences in uses, use scenarios and ventilation conditions of each region
Statistical analysis of ozone concentration: a forecasting and control model in urban areas
No full textOzone concentration in the urban areas of Rome is studied using statistical methods of multivariate and time series analysis. Data of two sites (a green park and a high motor traffic street) are evaluated and O3g concentration daily and seasonal trends are linked to other variables behaviours. Furthermore the relationship between the full set of pollution variables has analyse
An Intervention Study on Indoor Air Pollution Sources in Modern Office Buildings: Results from the Officair Project
No full textSelf-reported health and comfort in 'modern' office buildings : first results from the European OFFICAIR study
No full textIn the European research project OFFICAIR, a procedure was developed to determine associations between characteristics of European offices and health and comfort of office workers, through a checklist and a self-administered questionnaire including environmental, physiological, psychological, and social aspects. This procedure was applied in 167 office buildings in eight European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Finland) during the winter of 2011-2012. About 26 735 survey invitation e-mails were sent, and 7441 office workers were included in the survey. Among respondents who rated an overall comfort less than 4 (23%), 'noise (other than from building systems)', air 'too dry', and temperature 'too variable' were the main complaints selected. An increase of perceived control over indoor climate was positively associated with the perceived indoor environment quality. Almost one-third of office workers suffered from dry eyes and headache in the last 4 weeks. Physical building characteristics were associated with occupants' overall satisfaction (acoustical solutions, mold growth, complaints procedure, cleaning activities) and health (number of occupants, lack of operable windows, presence of carpet and cleaning activities). OFFICAIR project provides a useful database to identify stressors related to indoor environmental quality and office worker's health
Progetto Officair “Studio di dettaglio”: livelli di concentrazione indoor di aldeidi e composti organici volatili in uffici moderni
No full text
THE MUST MODEL EVALUATION EXERCISE: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF MODELLING RESULTS
No full textThe first validation exercise of the COST action 732 lead to a substantial number of simulation results for comparison
with the MUST wind tunnel experiments. Validation metrics for selected simulation results of the flow field and the concentrations
are presented and compared to the state of the art. In addition mean metrics and corresponding scatter limits are computed from the
individual results
The must model evaluation exercise: statistical analysis of modelling results
No full textThe first validation exercise of the COST action 732 lead to a substantial number of simulation results for comparison with the MUST wind tunnel experiments. Validation metrics for selected simulation results of the flow field and the concentrations are presented and compared to the state of the art. In addition mean metrics and corresponding scatter limits are computed from the individual results
How to choose the best simulation for a specific purpose?
No full textThe decision on the fitness for purpose of a simulation should be based on the quantity of interest. However, in general, models are used because there is no complete experimental information available on the quantity of interest, so a direct judgement is not possible. The aim of this article is to put in light this dichotomy, and propose a methodology to decide if a simulation is fit for purpose, based on the experimental data available and an ensemble of simulations. The methodology is illustrated with one example of microscale simulations
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