Indoor concentrations of particulate matter 2.5 in a pediatric emergency service.

Catiane Zanin Cabral,Fernanda Chaves Amantéa,Claudia Ramos Rhoden,Alan Da Silveira Fleck,Sérgio Luis Amantéa

doi:10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2020330

Catiane Zanin Cabral, Fernanda Chaves Amantéa + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2020330

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Abstract

Objective:To evaluate air quality in the waiting room of a pediatric emergency service considering the serial concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), and to determine if the number of people present in the room can have an influence on the pollutant concentrations.Methods:Cross-sectional study, carried out in the waiting room of a reference pediatric hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, conducted in a one-year period, in a continuous-time sample including all of the four seasons of the year. The monitoring of PM2.5 was performed using a real-time aerosol monitor (DustTrak II). The number of people in the room was determined every hour and the climatic characteristics per daily mean. The concentration of PM2.5 and the number of people were expressed by mean and standard deviation. The means were compared by Analysis of Variance and Pearson's correlation coefficient.Results:There was a significant increase in the concentration of PM2.5 in the autumn, when compared to other seasons (p<0.001). The pollutant increase, in this season, was accompanied by the higher number of people in the emergency room (p=0.026). The association between PM2.5 and the number of people is confirmed by the positive correlation between these two variables (r=0.738; p<0.001).Conclusions:The pediatric emergency waiting room showed elevated PM2.5 in all seasons. The number of people in the room had a positive correlation with the concentration of the pollutant in the environment.

Highlights

It is observed that the exposure of the population to air pollutants can be higher in closed spaces, in comparison to the outdoors
The results of this study demonstrate that autumn was the season with the highest concentrations of PM2.5 in the waiting room of the pediatric emergency service
We found an association between the concentrations of PM2.5 in the air and the increment in the number of people present in the studied room

Summary

Introduction

It is observed that the exposure of the population to air pollutants can be higher in closed spaces, in comparison to the outdoors. The individual contact with such a pollutant indoors can be a result of the exposure to several sources This type of pollution is usually composed of products brought in by people in their shoes, clothes and utensils; besides, it can be carried through the wind when doors and windows are open.[1,2,3] It has been attracting more interest in the research field, considering that people who are exposed to a polluted indoor environment can be more prone to acquiring diseases.[4]. It can be even more interesting, considering the higher number of professionals involved in patient care and the need for an accompany person (parents and/or relatives) in the hospital environment.[5,6] In this situation of more traffic coming from the external areas, there could be an increase in the presence of microorganisms and particles in the air.[7,8] From the point of view of care, such an exposure in overcrowded hospital rooms has the potential to impact morbidity and, even influence hospital costs.[3]

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