This study aimed to provide a comprehensive characterisation of the indoor air quality during the sleeping period of 10 couples at Lisbon dwellings, using a multi-pollutant approach, and to understand how the compliance with legislation and guidelines was to assure a good indoor air quality. The assessment of indoor air quality was conducted in the cold season using real time monitors during the sleeping period for comfort parameters (temperature and relative humidity) and air pollutants (carbon dioxide e CO 2 , carbon monoxide e CO, formaldehyde e CH 2 O, total volatile organic compounds e VOCs, and particulate matter e PM 2.5 and PM 10), together with active sampling of bioaerosols (fungi and bacteria) before and after the sleeping period. Lower compliance (less than 50% of the cases) with the Portuguese legislation was found for temperature, CO 2 (3440 ± 1610 mg m À3), VOCs (1.79 ± 0.99 mg m À3) and both bioaerosol types. In 70% of the cases, PM 2.5 (15.3 ± 9.1 mg m À3) exceeded the WHO guideline of 10 mg m À3. All bedrooms presented air change rates above the recommended minimum value of 0.7 h À1 , highlighting that a good indoor air quality during sleep is not guaranteed.

No abstract

No abstract

Background: Spirometry is the single most important test for the evaluation of respiratory function. The results are interpreted by comparing measured data with predicted values previously obtained from a reference population. Reference equations for spirometry have been discussed previously. The aim of this study was to compare reference values based on National Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey (NHANES III), European Community of Steel and Coal (ECSC), and Global Lung Initiative (GLI) equations in an elderly sample population. Methods: Subjects from the Geriatric Study on Health Effects of Air Quality in elder care centres who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Spirometry was performed according to international guidelines. The forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, and FEV 1 /FVC ratio were reported as percentages of the predicted value, and the lower limit of normality was calculated. Results: Out of 260 elderly patients, 69.6% were women; the mean age was 83.0 ± 6.46 years with an age range of 65-95 years. The lowest %FVC and %FEV 1 values were obtained using the GLI reference equations. However, when NHANES III equations were used, the FEV 1 /FVC ratio was higher than ratios obtained from GLI and ECSC equations. The prevalence of airway obstruction was highest using ECSC equations, while GLI equations demonstrated more restrictive defects. Conclusions: The present study showed meaningful differences in the reference values, and consequently, in the results obtained using NHANES III, ECSC, and GLI reference equations. The spirometry interpretation was also influenced by the reference equations used.