Environmental and ventilation assessment in Child Day Care Centers in Porto: the ENVIRH Project
Ana Mendes1, Daniel Aelenei, Ana Luísa Papoila
1a Environmental Health Department , Portuguese National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge , Porto , Portugal.
Insights
Indoor air quality in child day care centers (CDCC) poses risks. High levels of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and bacteria were found, linked to poor ventilation, potentially impacting children's respiratory health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Indoor Air Quality
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Children in day care centers (CDCC) face higher risks of infectious diseases, allergies, and asthma compared to home-based care.
- Poor ventilation in schools is linked to elevated indoor pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters in child day care centers (CDCC) in Porto, Portugal.
- To compare IAQ with outdoor conditions and evaluate potential health risks for children.
Main Methods:
- Randomly selected nine CDCC, assessing 52 classrooms for chemical, biological, physical, and allergen parameters across spring and winter.
- Conducted outdoor measurements for comparative analysis.
- Utilized Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) indices for thermal comfort assessment.
Main Results:
- Particulate Matter (PM10) levels exceeded national standards in classrooms during both seasons.
- Elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and high total bacteria concentrations (significantly higher than outdoors) were observed.
- Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) peak values in kindergartens were a concern.
- Thermal comfort indices (PMV, PPD) showed seasonal variations, with conditions generally ranging from neutral to slightly cool.
- Low airflow rates correlated with increased CO2, total bacteria, and gram-negative bacteria.
Conclusions:
- Child day care centers exhibit suboptimal indoor air quality, with elevated pollutants and bacteria.
- Poor ventilation is a significant factor contributing to adverse IAQ conditions.
- Findings highlight the need to evaluate and improve building operation practices in CDCC to safeguard children's respiratory health.
Abstract:
Children attending day care centers (CDCC) have been reported to be more prone to infectious diseases when compared with those cared for at home, and are exposed to conditions that may increase the risk of allergies and asthma. Several studies revealed that consequences of poor ventilation conditions include high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and many other indoor pollutants commonly detected in schools. Nine child day care centers were selected randomly to participate in this study. Fifty-two classrooms were assessed for chemical, biological, physical, and allergen parameters in spring and winter seasons in these nine CDCC located in Porto, Portugal. Outdoor measurements were also conducted for comparison. Our results indicated that (i) particulate matter (PM10) median levels were above the national reference levels, both by classroom type and by season; (ii) TVOC kindergarten peak values may raise some concern; (iii) CO2 was present at high median and maximum levels during spring and winter assessment in both nurseries and kindergartens classrooms; (iv) total bacteria concentrations were 57- and 52-fold higher in the nursery and kindergarten than outdoors, respectively, for the spring season; (v) winter and spring median predicted mean vote (PMV) indices were between "neutral" (0) and "slightly cool" (≤ -1) in the thermal sensation scale for comfort situations (-2 to 2) for both types of classrooms; (vi) there were significant differences for both PMV and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) indices by season; and (vii) CO2, total bacteria, and gram-negative bacteria were associated with low airflow rates. These data will help to evaluate the effectiveness of current building operation practices in child day care centers regarding indoor air quality and respiratory health.
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