Indoor Carbon Dioxide, Fine Particulate Matter and Total Volatile Organic Compounds in Private Healthcare and Elderly Care Facilities

• Published in: Toxics (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 3; p. 136
• Main Authors: Baudet, Alexandre, Baurès, Estelle, Blanchard, Olivier, Le Cann, Pierre, Gangneux, Jean-Pierre, Florentin, Arnaud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12.03.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air quality; Airborne particulates; Calibration; Carbon dioxide; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; dental offices; Disease transmission; Drug stores; Ecology, environment; general practitioner offices; Health; Health care; Health care facilities; Health facilities; Indoor air pollution; Indoor air quality; Indoor environments; Life Sciences; Nursing homes; Offices; Older people; Organic compounds; Outdoor air quality; Pandemics; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Pharmacy; Pollutants; Pollution control; Respiratory diseases; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Statistical analysis; Summer; total volatile organic compounds; Urban areas; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; France; United States > US; general practitioner offices; carbon dioxide; particulate matter; total volatile organic compounds; indoor air quality; dental offices; pharmacies; nursing homes; General practitioner offices; Nursing homes; Dental offices; Total volatile organic compound; Particulate matter; Carbon dioxide; Indoor air quality; Pharmacies
• ISSN: 2305-6304; 2305-6304
• DOI: 10.3390/toxics10030136

Poor indoor air quality can have adverse effects on human health, especially in susceptible populations. The aim of this study was to measure the concentrations of dioxide carbon (CO ), fine particulate matter (PM ) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in situ in private healthcare and elderly care facilities. These pollutants were continuously measured in two rooms of six private healthcare facilities (general practitioner's offices, dental offices and pharmacies) and four elderly care facilities (nursing homes) in two French urban areas during two seasons: summer and winter. The mean CO concentrations ranged from 764 ± 443 ppm in dental offices to 624 ± 198 ppm in elderly care facilities. The mean PM concentrations ranged from 13.4 ± 14.4 µg/m in dental offices to 5.7 ± 4.8 µg/m in general practitioner offices. The mean TVOC concentrations ranged from 700 ± 641 ppb in dental offices to 143 ± 239 ppb in general practitioner offices. Dental offices presented higher levels of indoor air pollutants, associated with the dental activities. Increasing the ventilation of these facilities by opening a window is probably an appropriate method for reducing pollutant concentrations and maintaining good indoor air quality.