Abstract
Indoor air quality (IAQ) in nursery school is believed to be different from elementary school. Moreover, younger children are more vulnerable to air pollution than higher grade children because they spend more time indoors, and their immune systems and bodies are less mature. The purpose of this study was to compare the concentrations of the monoaromatic volatile benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene m,p-xylene and o-xylene (BTEX) in urban nursery schools located in Gliwice, Poland. The nursery schools were chosen to include areas with different urbanization and traffic density characteristics in order to gather a more diverse picture of exposure risks in the various regions of the city. BTEX were sampled during winter and spring seasons in older and younger children classrooms. The samples were thermally desorbed (TD) and then analyzed with use of gas chromatography (GC). In addition, outdoor measurements were carried out in the playground at each nursery school. BTEX quantification, indoor/outdoor concentration, and correlation coefficients were used to identify pollutant sources. Elevated levels of o-xylene and ethylbenzene were found in all monitored classrooms during the winter season. Outdoor concentrations were lower than indoors for each classroom. Indicators based on health risk assessment for chronic health effects associated with carcinogenic benzene or non-carcinogenic BTEX were proposed to rank sites according to their hazard level.
Highlights
People spend most of their time indoors
Indicators based on health risk assessment for chronic health effects associated with carcinogenic benzene or non-carcinogenic BTEX were proposed to rank sites according to their hazard level
In the nursery schools children may breathe air contaminated with toluene and xylenes by use of glues, paints, rubbers and plastic-modelling cements
Summary
People spend most of their time indoors. There, they are exposed to unknown levels of indoor pollutants. The exposure becomes increasingly important in the case of elder people, children and sick people, because they spend more time indoors than active, healthy adults [1,2]. Many research performed in residential apartments, schools and public buildings point to relation between the concentration of indoor air pollutants and health effects of occupants [5,6,7]. The sources of emission of these pollutants can be traced back to a variety of causes such as the use of high emitting materials for building construction and furnishing, such as carpeting, flexible flooring, paint, plastics and finishing’s equipment, as well as indoor activities related to these materials, the type of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as cleaning products that release chemicals into the air [7,8]. The specific sorptive properties of soft materials is especially relevant in the case of nursery schools, especially in younger children's classrooms, where except for carpets, there are many sorptive toys and additional materials such as bedcovers for the duration of an afternoon nap
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