Chemical Composition of Indoor and Outdoor PM2.5 in Three Schools in the City of Rome

Abstract

Abstract:In Italy, children spend up to 30% of their time in school institutions; for this reason, the evaluation of indoor air quality in schools constitutes a necessary step forward in the direction of child health protection. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of PM2.5 collected simultaneously indoor and outdoor in three primary schools in Rome. Seasonal variations between winter and spring/summer were evaluated, as well as the role of the main macro-sources of PM (soil, sea, traffic, secondary inorganics and organics). During winter periods, characterized by strong atmospheric stability, the main contributors were organics and combustion products, which accounted for more than 70% of the total mass both indoor and outdoor. Spring/summer period was characterized by very low outdoor concentrations (12 μg/m 3 on average) and by a more balanced contribution of organic, traffic and secondary inorganic components. Indoor, the contribution of soil-related species from re-suspension of settled dust and secondary inorganic species from outdoor photochemical reactions became significant. Given that several indoor exceedances of the international air quality standards for PM2.5 were recorded during the most polluted days, the infiltration of outdoor air, due to the inadequate construction characteristics of the buildings and the absence of automated air filtration systems, seemed to be the main causes of the high PM concentrations measured indoor.

Assessment of Indoor-Outdoor Particulate Matter Air Pollution: A Review

“…It is, however, important to underline that the good correlation founded in some studies [40] does not necessarily imply a complete correspondence of the obtained concentrations and requires a reliable choice of sampling parameters considering the site-specific boundary conditions. As a final consideration, the available literature showed the wide interest in I/O studies on the assessment of particulate matter chemical components between indoor and outdoor environments, in different contexts, especially schools [34,45,49,61,68,83]. In particular, a broad investigation of PM-bound PAHs is widely reported by recently-published papers [87][88][89][90] and a dedicated review on such topics is under consideration by the authors, given the increasing interest of the scientific community.…”

“…In working environments, PM size distribution, concentrations, and chemical properties are even more site-specific than in residential ones as these depend on the used materials, productive methods, and working typologies. Extensive literature on school environments, partially for assessing children's exposure (i.e., the tendency for health impairments, and the large percentage of daytime spent in those spaces) and as a major working sector for the number of employees, is found [14,[33][34][35].…”

Indoor air quality in schools of a highly polluted south Mediterranean area

“…5 In addition to the specific sources related to indoor activities, indoor air quality (IAQ) has been shown to have a direct association with the quality of outdoor air 6 ; the contribution due to the infiltration of pollutants from outdoor sources has been analyzed in some previous studies, some of which focused on particulate matter (PM). 9,10 Recently, data related to IAQ in schools were collected in different European countries [11][12][13][14] and several studies have shown that children who study and live in industrial areas have a tendency to present increased respiratory symptoms when compared to those living in other areas. 9,10 Recently, data related to IAQ in schools were collected in different European countries [11][12][13][14] and several studies have shown that children who study and live in industrial areas have a tendency to present increased respiratory symptoms when compared to those living in other areas.…”

“…7,8 Particularly in very polluted areas, such as industrial sites or urban areas of developing countries, indoor air may reflect the poor quality of the outdoor atmosphere, and domestic and school environments, where urban populations-and children in particular-typically spend up to 90% of their time, thus requiring special attention. 9,10 Recently, data related to IAQ in schools were collected in different European countries [11][12][13][14] and several studies have shown that children who study and live in industrial areas have a tendency to present increased respiratory symptoms when compared to those living in other areas. 15,16 IAQ problems in school environments are more serious than in other categories of buildings.…”

A chemical dynamic model for the infiltration of outdoor size‐resolved ammonium nitrate aerosols to indoor environments

“…[6][7][8] Therefore, the majority of exposure to fine particulates occurs indoors, 9 and the outdoorto-indoor transportation process of fine particles can greatly affect population exposure. [10][11][12][13] Ammonium nitrate is the main inorganic constituent in outdoor and indoor environments. Previous studies have shown that ammonium nitrate contributed 13% to outdoor total bulk aerosols all year round in Beijing.…”