Leader: Alves Célia
Coauthor(s): Teresa Nunes, Estela Vicente, Isabella Charres, Himanshi Rohra, Margarita Evtyugina, Mário Tomé
Disciplines
Chimie physique et analytique
Sciences informatiques et informatique
Biologie environnementale, écologie et évolution
Keywords
SCHOOLS
PARTICULATE MATTER
SOURCES
TOXICITY
MITIGATION
Abstract
Over 70% of a pupil’s school life is spent inside a classroom, and indoor air quality (IAQ) has a significant impact on students’ attendance, learning potential and health. Childhood exposure to air pollution, especially particulate matter, can result in cardiorespiratory diseases that persist into adulthood. STOP complements a previous OHM-E/2022 project, taking advantage of samples of inhalable particles (PM10) collected in 2022/22 in several rooms and outside the school closest to the Estarreja industrial complex. Cutting-edge analytical techniques will be used to obtain the detailed organic and inorganic composition of PM10. Additionally, samples will be subjected to an ecotoxicity screening bioassay, followed by determination of the oxidative potential (OP) by two complementary acellular assays. The application of the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model to the PM10 chemical composition dataset will enable to identify sources and to quantify their contributions to the particulate matter levels. The PMF will also be run with the OP values and ecotoxicity data as input data to assess which sources or compounds contribute most to oxidative stress and toxic effects on biota. A multizone IAQ and ventilation model will also be employed. After validation with the measurements, the model will be applied to estimate pollutant and exposure levels for a vast range of building operating options and weather scenarios, contributing to inform solutions to chronic indoor environmental problems. At the end of the project, a set of guidelines and good practices will be proposed for effective IAQ management and behavioural changes towards a healthy school environment.
Participants
Alves Célia, Nunes Teresa, Evtyugina Margarita, Charres Isabella, Rohra Himanshi, Vicente Estela, Tomé Mário
See the project