Abstract
A previous study showed that classical building-related symptoms (BRS) were related to indoor dust and microbial toxicity via boar sperm motility assay, a sensitive method for measuring mitochondrial toxicity. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed whether teachers' most common work-related non-literature-known BRS (nBRS) were also associated with dust or microbial toxicity. Teachers from 15 schools in Finland completed a questionnaire evaluating 20 nBRS including general, eye, respiratory, hearing, sleep, and mental symptoms. Boar sperm motility assay was used to measure the toxicity of extracts from wiped dust and microbial fallout samples collected from teachers' classrooms. 231 teachers answered a questionnaire and their classroom toxicity data were recorded. A negative binomial mixed model showed that teachers' work-related nBRS were 2.9-fold (95% CI: 1.2-7.3) higher in classrooms with highly toxic dust samples compared to classrooms with non-toxic dust samples (p=0.024). The RR of work-related nBRS was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.1-2.9) for toxic microbial samples (p=0.022). Teachers' BRS appeared to be broader than reported in the literature, and the work-related nBRS were associated with toxic dusts and microbes in classrooms.
Highlights
MethodsAccording to the World Health Organization, healthy indoor air is a human right.[1]. poor indoor air quality is common, and building-related symptoms (BRS) have been reported worldwide for decades in different types of buildings.[2]
The boar sperm motility inhibition assay, a sensitive method for detecting mitochondrial toxicity, is a promising approach to assess the risk of adverse indoor health effects. In toxic classrooms, teachers' building-related symptoms are more diverse than far reported
Teachers had more non-literature-known BRS (nBRS), which were alleviated during school holidays in classrooms with highly toxic samples compared to those in classrooms with less-toxic samples: according to Model 1 the relative ratios (RRs)
Summary
According to the World Health Organization, healthy indoor air is a human right.[1]. poor indoor air quality is common, and building-related symptoms (BRS) have been reported worldwide for decades in different types of buildings.[2]. In schools with high levels of BRS, the inflammatory potential of deposited dust in human lung epithelial cell line A549 assay was statistically significantly higher than in control schools.[6] In offices, the inflammatory potential of the dusts above the floor in lung epithelial cell A549 assay was associated with central nervous system symptoms but not mucosal or skin symptoms.[7] In two moisture-d amaged schools, inflammatory potential of indoor air particles and bioaerosols were examined before and after building renovation[8]; in one school, a clear decrease in both TNF-α and IL-6 levels was observed via the mouse RAW264.7 macrophage assay; in another school no differences in inflammatory potential were observed. The toxicity of actively collected particle samples in the mouse RAW264.7 macrophage test did not differ significantly between moisture-d amaged and control schools.[11]
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