Home and school environmental assessment and remediation

Assessment of air quality in preschool environments (3-5 years old children) with emphasis on elemental composition of PM10 and PM2.5

This study evaluated concentrations of main air pollutants in a Portuguese preschool (indoors/outdoors) environment, with emphasis on elemental characterization of different PM fractions, and estimated risks for the pupils (aged 3-5 years). With exception to total volatile organic compounds, levels of PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, and formaldehyde were below legislative guidelines. Calcium, sodium, aluminium, and potassium were the most abundant elements in indoor PM (82-84% of the analysed content) resulting mainly from crustal sources. Carcinogenic elements (1-2% of the indoor analysed content) were mostly PM2.5-bound (83-91%). Indoor-to-outdoor ratios of individual elements indicated contributions of indoor origin and from penetration of outdoor emissions indoors; trace metals were associated with ambient anthropogenic emissions (namely traffic). Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from overall preschool exposure were acceptable for children; for adults carcinogenic risks exceeded (4-11 times) the USEPA recommend value of 10(-6), being 8-40 times higher than for children.

Early-life indoor environmental exposures increase the risk of childhood asthma

We aim to explore the relationships between exposure to dampness, pets, and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) early in life and asthma in Taiwanese children, and to discuss their links to early- and late-onset asthma. We conducted a 1:2 matched case-control study from the Taiwan Children Health Study, which was a nationwide study that recruited 12-to-14 year-old school children in 14 communities. The 579 mothers of the participants were interviewed by telephone about their children's environmental exposures before they were 5 years old, including the in-utero period. Childhood asthma was associated with exposure to early life environmental factors, such as cockroaches (OR=2.16; 95% CI, 1.15-4.07), visible mould (OR=1.75; 95% CI, 1.15-2.67), mildewy odors (OR=5.04; 95% CI, 2.42-10.50), carpet (OR=2.36; 95% CI, 1.38-4.05), pets (OR=2.11; 95% CI, 1.20-3.72), and more than one hour of ETS per day (OR=1.93; 95% CI, 1.16-3.23). The ORs for mildewy odors, feather pillows, and ETS during early childhood were greater among children with late-onset asthma. Cockroaches, carpet, pets, and in-utero exposures to ETS affected the timing of early-onset asthma. Exposure to these factors led to dose-responsiveness in the risk of asthma. And the earlier exposures may trigger the earlier onset. Interventions in avoiding these environmental exposures are necessary for early-prevention of childhood asthma.