Swedish Homes Research Articles

Organohalogenated flame retardants and organophosphate esters from home and preschool dust in Sweden: Pollution characteristics, indoor sources and intake assessment

This study analysed settled dust samples in Sweden to assess children's combined exposure to 39 organohalogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and 11 organophosphate esters (OPEs) from homes and preschools. >94 % of the targeted compounds were present in dust, indicating widespread use of HFRs and OPEs in Swedish homes and preschools. Dust ingestion was the primary exposure pathway for most analytes, except BDE-209 and DBDPE, where dermal contact was predominant. Children's estimated intakes of ∑emerging HFRs and ∑legacy HFRs from homes were 1–4 times higher than from preschools, highlighting higher exposure risk for HFRs in homes compared to preschools. In a worst-case scenario, intakes of tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) were 6 and 94 times lower than the reference dose for children in Sweden, indicating a potential concern if exposure from other routes like inhalation and diet is as high. The study also found significant positive correlations between dust concentrations of some PBDEs and emerging HFRs and the total number of foam mattresses and beds/m2, the number of foam-containing sofas/m2, and the number of TVs/m2 in the microenvironment, indicating these products as the main source of those compounds. Additionally, younger preschool building ages were found to be linked to higher ΣOPE concentrations in preschool dust, suggesting higher ΣOPE exposure. The comparison with earlier Swedish studies indicates decreasing dust concentrations for some banned and restricted legacy HFRs and OPEs but increasing trends for several emerging HFRs and several unrestricted OPEs. Therefore, the study concludes that emerging HFRs and OPEs are replacing legacy HFRs in products and building materials in homes and preschools, possibly leading to increased exposure of children.

Optimizing Presence Sensing Lighting for Energy Efficiency and User Behavioral Needs in Small Swedish Homes

ABSTRACT A hybrid workstyle is becoming more common post-COVID-19, and longer occupancy hours at home are increasing household electricity consumption. Small homes are regarded as a potential for improving energy efficiency in the residential sector, and a home consists of mixed-function spaces with dynamic occupancy behaviors. These underpin the opportunity to optimize presence sensing lighting in small homes for energy efficiency and user-behavioral needs. A comprehensive overview of presence sensing approaches, comparing four types of non-wearable sensors connected to home lighting is made. A bibliometric mapping of the reviewed literature visually reinforces a significant research gap that presence sensing studies were not connected to home lighting but inclined toward the commercial and institutional context. Next, a non-exhaustive example of commercially available presence sensing products applicable to residential lighting for small homes is analyzed, and their general characteristics and technologies are synthesized. The literature and product overview identified five significant product knowledge gaps. Incorporating the gathered information leads to the proposal of a conceptual flexible radar-based sensor (prototype design), addressing a wish list with three important criteria to optimize future presence sensing lighting in a mixed-function small home. Future radar sensing studies are expected to develop an anticipatory lighting system that processes real-time multi-user vital signals for smarter localized and personalized lighting options for (small) living environments.

Phthalate levels in prenatal and postnatal bedroom dust in the SELMA study

Phthalates are common in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics and numerous consumer goods in our homes from which they can migrate and adhere to indoor dust particles. It is known that indoor dust exposure contribute to human phthalate intake; however, there is a lack of large studies with a repeated-measure design investigating how phthalate levels in indoor dust may vary over time in people's homes.This study investigated levels of seven phthalates and one alternative plasticiser di-iso-nonyl-cyclohexane-di-carboxylate (DiNCH) in bedroom dust collected prenatally around week 25 during pregnancy and postnatally at six months after birth, from 496 Swedish homes. Prenatal and postnatal phthalate levels were compared using correlation and season-adjusted general linear regression models.Over the nine-month period, levels of six out of seven phthalates were associated as indicated by a positive Pearson correlation (0.18 < r < 0.50, P < .001) and Lin's concordance correlation between matched prenatal and postnatal dust samples. Compared to prenatal levels, the season-adjusted postnatal levels decreased for five phthalates, whilst di-ethyl-hexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-2-propylheptyl phthalate (DPHP) and DiNCH increased.The results suggest that families with higher phthalate levels in bedroom dust during pregnancy are likely to remain among those with higher levels in the infancy period. However, all average phthalate levels changed over this specific nine-month period suggesting that available phthalate sources or their use were altered between the dust collections. Changes in home characteristics, family lifestyle, and phthalate replacement trends may contribute to explain the differences.

Leaving lights on – A conscious choice or wasted light? Use of indoor lighting in Swedish homes

Promoting resource- and energy-efficient home lighting through technology and behaviour change requires an understanding of how residents currently use lighting and what they want from it. However, users' needs and desires relating to lighting in homes are poorly understood, as research is still limited. This paper aims to provide a fuller picture of residents' experiences with their home lighting. Interviews about how residents perceive the character of lighting and luminaires and lighting use suggest that home lighting has nine capabilities: to enable vision; to facilitate visual tasks; to display objects; to send a message; to support a particular atmosphere; to shape the architectural space; to offer a visual aesthetic experience; to maintain or change rhythmicity; and to evoke memories. Secondary data confirmed five of them. The identified capabilities relate to behavioural goals, psychological wellbeing and social needs. We conclude that seemingly wasted light in people's homes, i.e. lights left on in unoccupied rooms, can serve a purpose for the residents, such as avoiding visual or aesthetic discomfort, making the home inviting, benefitting people outside and providing safety. Findings have implications for the further development of new lighting technologies and design, energy-saving campaigns targeting residents and for urban outdoor environments.

Residents’ lamp purchasing behaviour, indoor lighting characteristics and choices in Swedish homes

Indoor lighting is known to affect people’s wellbeing, mood and behaviour. The rapid development of new energy-efficient lamp technologies has enabled new lighting applications in home environments. To investigate the prospects of introducing a personalised light emitting diode (LED)-based home lighting technology, a mixed-methods research study was carried out, applying the goal-framing theory. The results, based on a questionnaire survey ( N = 536), show that purchasing costs of energy-efficient lamps have little effect on consumers’ lamp choices, and that the degree of consumer acceptance of LED lamps has increased in recent years without resulting in increased lighting use. The results confirm that Swedish homes are characterised by many lamps, an average of 39 per home, but there is a significant variation across tenure type. Based on a qualitative analysis of interviews with 12 participants, the conclusion can be drawn that residents seem to know what kind of lighting they want, but they do not necessarily have what they want for a variety of reasons. Besides individual characteristics, situational factors influence residents’ home lighting and visual comfort, such as the indoor built home environment and the availability of lighting products. Consequently, responsibility for residents’ actual home lighting also lies with housing developers, lighting producers and providers.

First PowerCell order for Swedish renewable energy homes initiative

PowerCell Sweden has received an order from Nilsson Energy for a PowerCell PS-5 fuel cell system, which will be installed in an apartment building in Vårgårda in southwestern Sweden, as part of a programme to make renovated homes self-sufficient in renewable energy.

Swedish adolescent girls in special residential treatment: A person-oriented approach to the identification of problem syndromes

The purpose of this series of three cross-sectional studies was to identify typical syndromes of self-reported externalizing and internalizing problems, and examine their overlap, among adolescent girls and young women in Swedish special residential homes for young people (N = 713). The associations with some family background factors were also investigated. Data came from a research register at the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care and concerned structured interviews with all girls admitted to these homes from 1997 to 2001. An advanced clustering procedure was applied and significant syndrome structures were retrieved in both the externalizing and internalizing area. Among the nine externalizing syndromes were a low-problem syndrome and two multiple-problem syndromes, one combining aggressive behavior, alcohol use/abuse and criminality, and the other combining drug abuse with property/drug offenses. Among the seven internalizing syndromes were a low-problem syndrome, an anxiety/depression syndrome and a generalized internalizing syndrome with particularly high rates of physical and sexual abuse. Results supported the theoretical assumption, made within a holistic-interactionistic paradigm, that adjustment problems would co-occur in a limited number of syndromes. When the overlap between externalizing and internalizing syndromes was considered, good adjustment was generalized between the two areas, whereas there appeared to be an increased risk of having an internalizing syndrome among girls with externalizing syndromes related to aggressive behavior. It is of great importance to consider the full problem pattern of girls with externalizing adjustment problems, including internalizing problems and histories of physical and sexual abuse, when considering subgroups in need of different treatment regimes.

Cats' Internal Exposure to Selected Brominated Flame Retardants and Organochlorines Correlated to House Dust and Cat Food.

Pet cats may be used as a biomarker for assessing exposures to organohalogen compounds (OHCs) adsorbed to household dust in home environments. This study explores two exposure routes of OHCs, ingestion of OHCs (i) via house dust and (ii) via cat food. House dust from 17 Swedish homes and serum from the participating families' pet cats were collected, and cat food was purchased matching the diet reported. Paired samples of cat serum, house dust, and cat food were analyzed for brominated flame retardants/natural products (polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), decabromobiphenyl (BB-209), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP), OH-PBDEs) and organochlorines (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 1,1-bis(4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (4,4'-DDT), 1,1-bis(4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl)-2,2-dichloroethene (4,4'-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachlorophenol (PCP)). Significant correlations were found between serum and dust samples from the living rooms for BDE-47 (p < 0.035), BDE-99 (p < 0.035), and BDE-153 (p < 0.039), from the adult's bedroom for BDE-99 (p < 0.019) and from all rooms for BDE-99 (p < 0.020) and BB-209 (p < 0.048). This is the first time a correlation between cat serum levels and household dust has been established, a finding that supports the hypothesis that dust is a significant exposure route for cats. Serum levels were also significantly correlated with concentrations found in cat food for 6-OH-BDE47 (p < 0.002), 2,4,6-TBP (p < 0.035), and BB-209 (p < 0.007). DBDPE was found in high concentrations in all dust (median 154 pmol/g) and food samples (median 0.7 pmol/g lw) but was below detection in serum samples, suggesting low or no bioavailability for DBDPE in cats.

Is Sweden ready for climate change? -summer indoor temperatures in Swedish care homes

Is Sweden ready for climate change? -summer indoor temperatures in Swedish care homes

”Den lömske Judas!” Om bilden av Judas i Barnens bibel

Barnens bibel (The Children’s Bible) by Anne de Vries is the best-selling children’s Bible in Northern Europe, with a circulation of nearly 900,000 copies in Sweden alone. Written in a language adapted to children it came to dominate the market from the 1960s onwards, not only in Swedish homes and churches but also in schools. This study uses the narratological tools narrator and fokalization to analyze how and in what way the biblical texts on Judas have been adapted to children in Barnens bibel. The study shows how Barnens bibel by changes in narration and fokalization develops a strong antipathy towards Judas, and that the character of Judas has a significantly more important and expanded role in Barnens bibel than he has in the biblical text.

Factors influencing residents’ energy use—A study of energy-related behaviour in 57 Swedish homes

The aim of this work has been to study everyday energy-related behaviour in homes. All residents in 57 Swedish homes, living in three housing areas, have recorded time diaries over a period of four days, during the same time period in each area. The technical differences between the houses are limited, as the building designs within each housing area are the same. On an aggregated level, the diary data has been analysed with and without typical power data of appliances as well as in relation to measured total energy use, indoor temperature and water usage. Cluster analyses have been performed in order to find characteristics of groups of residents with regard to their energy-related behaviour. Some of the findings were that residents report long time use/operating time for activities related to electronic equipment (45% of total reported time). Residents which used energy to a greater extent than others were characterised by performing activities with long operating times, in combination with high, and fairly high, typical power ratings. The majority of residents showed many different energy-related behaviours, which indicates that a number of strategies to influence the behaviours – not just one – will be required.

Sex education and young people in group homes: balancing risks, rights and resilience in sexual health promotion

This paper presents findings from focus group interviews conducted in Swedish government group homes for young people with a history of psychosocial problems, substance misuse and criminal behaviour. Participants were asked to reflect on a newly developed sex education curriculum located within a harm-reduction paradigm prior to its implementation. In addition to appreciating the proposed 10 sessions, young people positively evaluated the proposed dialogical and norm critical teaching style as likely to facilitate productive discussion about sexuality. Findings will contribute to future implementation of the sex education curriculum across a range of institutional settings. Results also highlight the democratic aspects of involving vulnerable young people in matters that directly concern them, and underline the importance of properly contextualised forms of sex education.

Medición de la intensidad en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en Escandinavia

One characteristic of the processes related to technological innovation in the Scandinavian countries is the high participation level of public and private agents. The objective of this strategy is to assimilate knowledge and to spread it out in the best possible way. Thus, in this article we identify the profile of ICT users; we try to establish how important they are for these countries, their good use of these technologies and how they impact on their communication processes. The results derived from the research prove that: 1) Swedish and Danish homes are a reference when it comes to the utilization of ICTs, 2) Finnish companies lead the way in the adoption of ICTs, followed by Danish and Swedish companies; 3) When it comes to provision and implementation of public services on a technological platform, the leading countries are Denmark, Finland and Sweden; and 4) When it comes to the utilization of ICTs in infrastructures, the EU leadership is headed by Sweden and Denmark, far ahead from the other Member States.

Clean-up method for determination of established and emerging brominated flame retardants in dust

A clean-up method was developed to enable the determination of tri-decabrominated diphenyl ethers, isomer-specific hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), (2-ethylhexyl)tetrabromobenzoate (TBB), and bis(2-ethylhexyl)tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) in the same dust sample extract using reasonable amounts of solvents and without dividing the sample. After extraction, the sample was separated on a silica column into three fractions that were subsequently cleaned up individually. The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and DBDPE were eluted in Fraction I, TBB, TBPH, and BTBPE in Fraction II, and HBCDs in Fraction III. Fractions I and II were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and Fraction III using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The method gave good recoveries (60-120%), precise results using (13) C-labelled internal standards and was accurate when comparing results to certified values (PBDEs in NIST SRM 2585). The method was applied to dust samples from the Stockholm (Sweden) area. All the emerging brominated flame retardants (BFRs) studied, except BTBPE, were present in all the samples in quantifiable concentrations, often higher than the PBDEs. BTBPE was quantified in only one sample. It is evident that emerging BFRs are present in Swedish homes, and these compounds should be included in the BFR analyses of indoor environments.

Comparisons of polybrominated diphenyl ether and hexabromocyclododecane concentrations in dust collected with two sampling methods and matched breast milk samples

Household dust from 19 Swedish homes was collected using two different sampling methods: from the occupant's own home vacuum cleaner after insertion of a new bag and using a researcher-collected method where settled house dust was collected from surfaces above floor level. The samples were analyzed for 16 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners and total hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). Significant correlations (r = 0.60-0.65, Spearman r = 0.47-0.54, P < 0.05) were found between matched dust samples collected with the two sampling methods for ∑OctaBDE and ∑DecaBDE but not for ∑PentaBDE or HBCD. Statistically significantly higher concentrations of all PBDE congeners were found in the researcher-collected dust than in the home vacuum cleaner bag dust (VCBD). For HBCD, however, the concentrations were significantly higher in the home VCBD samples. Analysis of the bags themselves indicated no or very low levels of PBDEs and HBCD. This indicates that there may be specific HBCD sources to the floor and/or that it may be present in the vacuum cleaners themselves. The BDE-47 concentrations in matched pairs of VCBD and breast milk samples were significantly correlated (r = 0.514, P = 0.029), indicating that one possible exposure route for this congener may be via dust ingestion. The statistically significant correlations found for several individual polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, ∑OctaBDE and ∑DecaBDE between the two dust sampling methods in this study indicate that the same indoor sources contaminate both types of dust or that common processes govern the distribution of these compounds in the indoor environment. Therefore, either method is adequate for screening ∑OctaBDE and ∑DecaBDE in dust. The high variability seen between dust samples confirms results seen in other studies. For hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), divergent results in the two dust types indicate differences in contamination sources to the floor than to above-floor surfaces. Thus, it is still unclear which dust sampling method is most relevant for HBCD as well as for ∑PentaBDE in dust and, further, which is most relevant for determining human exposure to PBDEs and HBCD.

Levels of endotoxin in 390 Swedish homes: determinants and the risk for respiratory symptoms in children

Endotoxins are microbiological agents which ubiquitously exist in an indoor environment, and are believed to be causal agents for a number of diseases. This study investigated the indoor levels and determinants of endotoxins and their impact on asthma and allergy diseases among Swedish pre-school children. House dust samples from 390 homes of 198 case children with asthma and allergy and 202 healthy control children were collected in the Dampness Building and Health (DBH) study. House dust endotoxin levels in the child's bedroom and living rooms ranged from 479–188,000 EU/g dust and from 138–942,000 EU/g dust, respectively. Pet-keeping and agricultural activities were significantly associated with the higher endotoxin concentration levels in indoor dust. Endotoxins in theindoor environment did not associate to asthma and allergy diseases in the children. However, we found an association between endotoxins and the presence of disease symptoms in the sub-group of families without indoor pets.

“Touching up” Communal Space of a Residential Home Setting: A Comparative Study of Tools for Assessing Changes in the Interior Architectural Space

This study focuses on the interior remodeling of two Swedish residential homes for dependent seniors. A regular maintenance operation was turned into a color intervention project, and the residents stayed during the process. The aim of the study was to assess the changes in terms of supportiveness for elderly individuals with cognitive or functional impairments. The settings were evaluated prior to and after remodeling. Architecture profession method and the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey of Nursing Homes instrument were used. The conclusion is that a supportive architecture was not achieved, due to a restraining focus on color instead of the relation between aging, color, and homeliness. On the other hand, the architecture profession method and the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey of Nursing Homes instrument proved to be useful complementary tools for assessing interior changes in architectural space.

“Solar water” heats Swedish homes

“Solar water” heats Swedish homes

How valid are parents' questionnaire responses regarding building characteristics, mouldy odour, and signs of moisture problems in Swedish homes?

Questionnaires are a cheap means of studying large populations but the information obtained from them is seldom validated. Earlier studies have reported both high and low levels of agreements between inspectors' observations and occupants' reports regarding home environmental factors that included moisture problems. The aim of this study was to validate information received from a questionnaire survey regarding building characteristics, mouldy odour, and signs of moisture problems in 390 Swedish homes. In a case control study on the association between home environmental factors and asthma/allergy among children, 390 homes were visited by trained inspectors for ocular inspection of visible moisture damage and perceptions of mouldy odour. Their observations were then compared with questionnaire reports collected 18-24 months earlier from the families. A high level of agreement was found between the inspectors' observations and the occupants' questionnaire reports on technical parameters. This included type of house, type of ventilation system, and foundation, particularly in single-family houses. There was low agreement regarding vinyl or linoleum floor coverings and indications of dampness and mouldy odour. However, the stronger the mouldy odour experienced by the inspector, the higher the level of agreement. The questionnaire was a quite reliable source regarding technical parameters of the home but not for dampness problems. The questionnaire was better for predicting buildings without problems than detecting problems of mouldy odour and visible indications of moisture. To increase the validity of future questionnaires, simple drawings or information on critical spots for dampness could be used.

Determinants of house dust endotoxin in three European countries ? the AIRALLERG study

The comparison of endotoxin levels between study populations and countries is limited as a result of differences in sampling, extraction, and storage procedures. The objective of this study is to assess the levels and determinants of endotoxin in mattress and living room floor dust samples from three European countries, namely, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, using a standardized sampling, storage, and analysis protocol. The mattress and living room floor dust was collected from the homes of 1065 German, Dutch, and Swedish (pre-)school children. All the samples were collected in the cool season and analyzed for endotoxin in a central laboratory. The determinants were assessed by a standardized questionnaire. The endotoxin concentrations in mattress and living room floor dust were found to be the highest in German homes and lowest in the Swedish ones. Differences between the geometric means were small (factor 1.1-1.7). Most of the associations between endotoxin concentrations and potential determinants were not statistically significant and heterogeneous across countries. However, keeping pets and having more than four persons living in the home were consistently associated with up to 1.7-fold higher endotoxin concentrations in mattress and floor dust. Furthermore, having carpets or rugs, and opening the windows frequently was associated with up to 3.4-fold and 1.3-fold higher endotoxin concentrations in living room floor dust, respectively. The proportion of variance explained by the questionnaire variables was generally low. In conclusion, the data on housing characteristics did not accurately predict the endotoxin concentrations in house dust, and could only partly explain the differences between countries. The differences between the endotoxin concentrations in German, Dutch, and Swedish homes are small. House dust endotoxin concentrations are associated with a number of housing factors, such as pet-ownership, floor cover, number of persons living in the home, and ventilation. The variability of the endotoxin levels between homes and countries can only be partly explained by these factors.