Matti Jantunen

Indoor time-microenvironment-activity patterns in seven regions of Europe

Personal exposure to environmental substances is largely determined by time–microenvironment–activity patterns while moving across locations or microenvironments. Therefore, time–microenvironment–activity data are particularly useful in modeling exposure. We investigated determinants of workday time–microenvironment–activity patterns of the adult urban population in seven European cities. The EXPOLIS study assessed workday time–microenvironment–activity patterns among a total of 1427 subjects (age 19–60 years) in Helsinki (Finland), Athens (Greece), Basel (Switzerland), Grenoble (France), Milan (Italy), Prague (Czech Republic), and Oxford (UK). Subjects completed time–microenvironment–activity diaries during two working days. We present time spent indoors — at home, at work, and elsewhere, and time exposed to tobacco smoke indoors for all cities. The contribution of sociodemographic factors has been assessed using regression models. More than 90% of the variance in indoor time–microenvironment–activity patterns originated from differences between and within subjects rather than between cities. The most common factors that were associated with indoor time–microenvironment–activity patterns, with similar contributions in all cities, were the specific work status, employment status, whether the participants were living alone, and whether the participants had children at home. Gender and season were associated with indoor time–microenvironment–activity patterns as well but the effects were rather heterogeneous across the seven cities. Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke differed substantially across these cities. The heterogeneity of these factors across cities may reflect city-specific characteristics but selection biases in the sampled local populations may also explain part of the findings. Determinants of time–microenvironment–activity patterns need to be taken into account in exposure assessment, epidemiological analyses, exposure simulations, as well as in the development of preventive strategies that focus on time–microenvironment–activity patterns that ultimately determine exposures.

VOC concentrations measured in personal samples and residential indoor, outdoor and workplace microenvironments in EXPOLIS-Helsinki, Finland

Thirty target volatile organic compounds (VOC) were analyzed in personal 48-h exposure samples and residential indoor, residential outdoor and workplace indoor microenvironment samples as a component of EXPOLIS-Helsinki, Finland. Geometric mean residential indoor concentrations were higher than geometric mean residential outdoor concentrations for all target compounds except hexane, which was detected in 40% of residential outdoor samples and 11% of residential indoor samples, respectively. Geometric mean residential indoor concentrations were significantly higher than personal exposure concentrations, which in turn were significantly higher than workplace concentrations for compounds that had strong residential indoor sources (d-limonene, alpha pinene, 3-carene, hexanal, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 1-butanol). 40% of participants in EXPOLIS-Helsinki reported personal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Participants in Helsinki that were exposed to ETS at any time during the 48-h sampling period had significantly higher personal exposures to benzene, toluene, styrene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene and trimethylbenzene. Geometric mean ETS-free workplace concentrations were higher than ETS-free personal exposure concentrations for styrene, hexane and cyclohexane. Geometric mean personal exposures of participants not exposed to ETS were approximately equivalent to time weighted ETS-free indoor and workplace concentrations, except for octanal and compounds associated with traffic, which showed higher geometric mean personal exposure concentrations than any microenvironment (o-xylene, ethylbenzene,benzene, undecane, nonane, decane, m,p-xylene, and trimethylbenzene). Considerable differences in personal exposure concentrations and residential levels of compounds with mainly indoor sources suggested differences in product types or the frequency of product use between Helsinki, Germany and the United States.

VOC source identification from personal and residential indoor, outdoor and workplace microenvironment samples in EXPOLIS-Helsinki, Finland

Principal component analyses (varimax rotation) were used to identify common sources of 30 target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in residential outdoor, residential indoor and workplace microenvironment and personal 48-h exposure samples, as a component of the EXPOLIS-Helsinki study. Variability in VOC concentrations in residential outdoor microenvironments was dominated by compounds associated with long-range transport of pollutants, followed by traffic emissions, emissions from trees and product emissions. Variability in VOC concentrations in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) free residential indoor environments was dominated by compounds associated with indoor cleaning products, followed by compounds associated with traffic emissions, long-range transport of pollutants and product emissions. Median indoor/outdoor ratios for compounds typically associated with traffic emissions and long-range transport of pollutants exceeded 1, in some cases quite considerably, indicating substantial indoor source contributions. Changes in the median indoor/outdoor ratios during different seasons reflected different seasonal ventilation patterns as increased ventilation led to dilution of those VOC compounds in the indoor environment that had indoor sources. Variability in workplace VOC concentrations was dominated by compounds associated with traffic emissions followed by product emissions, long-range transport and air fresheners. Variability in VOC concentrations in ETS free personal exposure samples was dominated by compounds associated with traffic emissions, followed by long-range transport, cleaning products and product emissions. VOC sources in personal exposure samples reflected the times spent in different microenvironments, and personal exposure samples were not adequately represented by any one microenvironment, demonstrating the need for personal exposure sampling.

Current state of the science: health effects and indoor environmental quality.

Our understanding of the relationship between human health and the indoor environment continues to evolve. Previous research on health and indoor environments has tended to concentrate on discrete pollutant sources and exposures and on specific disease processes. Recently, efforts have been made to characterize more fully the complex interactions between the health of occupants and the interior spaces they inhabit. In this article we review recent advances in source characterization, exposure assessment, health effects associated with indoor exposures, and intervention research related to indoor environments. Advances in source characterization include a better understanding of how chemicals are transported and processed within spaces and the role that other factors such as lighting and building design may play in determining health. Efforts are under way to improve our ability to measure exposures, but this remains a challenge, particularly for biological agents. Researchers are also examining the effects of multiple exposures as well as the effects of exposures on vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. In addition, a number of investigators are also studying the effects of modifying building design, materials, and operations on occupant health. Identification of research priorities should include input from building designers, operators, and the public health community.

The indoor air quality in finnish homes with mold problems

Abstract A survey about mold problems in Finnish homes was made. Of the 135 reported cases 30 homes were chosen for bioaerosol measurements. Indoor and outdoor air fungal spores and bacteria were sampled in the spring and fall. Corresponding data, gathered from 18 reference homes sampled in the spring, were used as reference material. The range of the fungal spore levels was 10–2300 colony-forming units/m 3 (cfu/m 3 ) in moldy homes and 165–850 cfu/m 3 in the reference homes. The mean indoor/outdoor ratio of fungal spores in moldy homes was 4.2 vs. 0.6 in the reference homes. Mesophilic actinomycetes were found in moldy homes but not in the reference homes. No thermophilic actinomycetes were found in moldy or reference homes. In seven complaint sites the total bacteri levels were exceedingly high, 4500–12200 cfu/m 3 , which probably resulted from poor ventilation.

Environmental burden of disease in Europe : assessing nine risk factors in six countries

Background: Environmental health effects vary considerably with regard to their severity, type of disease, and duration. Integrated measures of population health, such as environmental burden of disease (EBD), are useful for setting priorities in environmental health policies and research. This review is a summary of the full Environmental Burden of Disease in European countries (EBoDE) project report. Objectives: The EBoDE project was set up to provide assessments for nine environmental risk factors relevant in selected European countries (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands). Methods: Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were estimated for benzene, dioxins, secondhand smoke, formaldehyde, lead, traffic noise, ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5), and radon, using primarily World Health Organization data on burden of disease, (inter)national exposure data, and epidemiological or toxicological risk estimates. Results are presented here without discounting or age-weighting. Results: About 3–7% of the annual burden of disease in the participating countries is associated with the included environmental risk factors. Airborne particulate matter (diameter ≤ 2.5 μm; PM2.5) is the leading risk factor associated with 6,000–10,000 DALYs/year and 1 million people. Secondhand smoke, traffic noise (including road, rail, and air traffic noise), and radon had overlapping estimate ranges (600–1,200 DALYs/million people). Some of the EBD estimates, especially for dioxins and formaldehyde, contain substantial uncertainties that could be only partly quantified. However, overall ranking of the estimates seems relatively robust. Conclusions: With current methods and data, environmental burden of disease estimates support meaningful policy evaluation and resource allocation, including identification of susceptible groups and targets for efficient exposure reduction. International exposure monitoring standards would enhance data quality and improve comparability. Citation: Hänninen O, Knol AB, Jantunen M, Lim TA, Conrad A, Rappolder M, Carrer P, Fanetti AC, Kim R, Buekers J, Torfs R, Iavarone I, Classen T, Hornberg C, Mekel OC, EBoDE Working Group. 2014. Environmental burden of disease in Europe: assessing nine risk factors in six countries. Environ Health Perspect 122:439–446; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206154

Fine particle (PM2.5) measurement methodology, quality assurance procedures, and pilot results of the EXPOLIS study.

EXPOLIS is a European multicenter (Athens, Basel, Grenoble, Helsinki, Milan, and Prague) air pollution exposure study. It is the first international, population-based, large-scale study, where personal exposures to PM2 5 aerosol particles (together with volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide) are being monitored. EXPOLIS is performed in six different centers across Europe, the sampled aerosol concentrations vary greatly, and the mi-croenvironmental samples are not collected with the same equipment as the personal samples. Therefore careful equipment selection, methods development and testing, and thorough quality assurance and quality control (QA & QC) procedures are essential for producing reliable and comparable PM2.5 data. This paper introduces the equipment, the laboratory test results, the pilot results, the standard operating procedures, and the QA & QC procedures of EXPOLIS. Test results show good comparability and repeatability between personal and microenvironmen-tal monitors for PM2.5 at different concentration levels measured across Europe in EXPOLIS centers.

Wintertime PM10 and black smoke concentrations across Europe: results from the peace study

In the framework of the PEACE study, measurements of particles less than 10 μm (PM10) and black smoke (BS) in ambient air have been made at 28 sites in ten countries in Europe. For about two months in the winter of 1993/94 24-h average measurements were conducted. Each center studied both an urban and a more rural site. The difference of particle concentrations across countries appeared to be considerably larger than the difference between the urban and rural location within countries. The median PM10 concentration ranged from 11 μgm−3 at three rural Scandinavian sites to 92 μg m−3 in Athens, Greece. The median BS concentration ranged from 3 μg m−3 in Umea, Sweden to 99 μg m−3 in Athens, Greece. The most striking difference across countries was the low particle concentration found at the eight Scandinavian locations. PM10 and BS concentrations in the urban area were on average 22% and 43% higher than the corresponding rural area concentrations, respectively. The correlation between the particle concentration measured at the urban and the more rural site exceeded 0.70 at almost all sites. PM10 concentrations from all Western and Central European locations were significantly correlated. No or a low correlation was found between these locations and the South-European and Scandinavian locations. PM 10 and BS measured at the same site were highly correlated at most sites. However, the median PM 10/BS ratio ranged from 0.67 to 3.67 across sites. PM10/BS ratios were close to unity for Athens, the Central European sites and Oslo. There was a tendency of lower PM10/BS ratios in the urban area, consistent with the contribution of (diesel) motor vehicle emissions.

Personal Exposure Levels and Microenvironmental Concentrations of Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland

ABSTRACT Personal 48-hr exposures to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde of 15 randomly selected participants were measured during the summer/autumn of 1997 using Sep-Pak DNPH-Silica cartridges as a part of the EXPOLIS study in Helsinki, Finland. In addition to personal exposures, simultaneous measurements of microenvironmental concentrations were conducted at each participants residence (indoor and outdoor) and workplace. Mean personal exposure levels were 21.4 ppb for formaldehyde and 7.9 ppb for ac-etaldehyde. Personal exposures were systematically lower than indoor residential concentrations for both compounds, and ambient air concentrations were lower than both indoor residential concentrations and personal exposure levels. Mean workplace concentrations of both compounds were lower than mean indoor residential concentrations. Correlation between personal exposures and indoor residential concentrations was statistically significant for both compounds. This indicated that indoor residential concentrations of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are a better estimate of personal exposures than are concentrations in ambient air. In addition, a time-weighted exposure model did not improve the estimation of personal exposures above that obtained using indoor residential concentrations as a surrogate for personal exposures. Correlation between formaldehyde and acetal-dehyde was statistically significant in outdoor microen-vironments, suggesting that both compounds have similar sources and sinks in ambient urban air.

Laboratory studies on the relationship between fungal growth and atmospheric temperature and humidity

Abstract The effect of air temperature (4–30°C) and relative humidity (RH 11–96%) on the growth of two common fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium sp. was studied in the laboratory. A short period of favorable conditions was sufficient to start fungal growth. Temperature was not a limiting factor for fungal growth on building materials, because fungi grew at even below 10°C. The relative humidity of air had no direct influence on the growth of fungi. Fungi may grow at very low levels of air humidity if water is available on the surface. Thus, repeated or persistent moisture condensation or water leakage is sufficient for fungal germination and growth on building materials.