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- Influence of indoor air quality on sleep quality of university students in LisbonPublication . Ramos, João; Belo, Joana; Silva, Dário; Diogo, Carlos; Almeida, Susana Marta; Canha, NunoSleep is a crucial aspect of human daily life since it allows us to recover from physical and psychological fatigue and its lack can bring several consequences to human health. People spend around one-third of their life sleeping but, despite that, their exposure to pollutants during sleep is often neglected. Specifically, students typically change their habits after entering university, due to the freedom that they are allowed at this stage of their lives. These habits often include their sleep patterns, which not only affects their health but their academic performance as well. This study aimed to assess the indoor air quality (IAQ) that university students are exposed to in their sleeping environment and how it affects their sleep quality. Firstly, an online survey, based on standardized questionnaires, was conducted on a sample of 1040 individuals to characterize sleep habits and, ultimately, to provide an overview of the sleep quality of the Portuguese population. Students were one of the population groups that showed worse results: only 31% had good sleep quality and only 62% showed good sleep health. Afterward, a study to assess sleep quality (by actigraphy and standardized questionnaires) and IAQ (by a monitoring unit based on low-cost sensors) during the sleeping period of two consecutive nights of 13 students in Lisbon university dorms was conducted. Mean levels of CO2 and VOCs above the established legislation were found during sleep, indicating that ventilation conditions were not sufficient to keep an acceptable IAQ. The temperature was also out of the acceptable comfort range during 44% of the sleeping time. The perceived sleep quality of students was found to be negatively associated with the number of awakenings and the mean levels of carbon dioxide and relative humidity during the sleeping period. These results confirm previous findings where some IAQ parameters may influence the sleep quality of the individuals, highlighting the importance to focus on the IAQ of sleeping environments as a strategy to improve the sleep quality of individuals.
- Assessment of children’s potential exposure to bioburden in indoor environmentsPublication . Viegas, Carla; Almeida, Beatriz; Dias, Marta; Aranha Caetano, Liliana; Carolino, Elisabete; Gomes, Anita Q.; Faria, Tiago; Martins, Vânia; Almeida, Susana MartaExposure to particles and bioaerosols has been associated with the increase in health effects in children. The objective of this study was to assess the indoor exposure to bioburden in the indoor microenvironments more frequented by children. Air particulate matter (PM) and settled dust were sampled in 33 dwellings and four schools with a medium volume sampler and with a passive method using electrostatic dust collectors (EDC), respectively. Settled dust collected by EDC was analyzed by culture-based methods (including azole resistance profile) and using qPCR. Results showed that the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in classrooms (31.15 μg/m3 and 57.83 μg/m3, respectively) were higher than in homes (15.26 μg/m3 and 18.95 μg/m3, respectively) and highly exceeded the limit values established by the Portuguese legislation for indoor air quality. The fungal species most commonly found in bedrooms was Penicillium sp. (91.79%), whereas, in living rooms, it was Rhizopus sp. (37.95%). Aspergillus sections with toxigenic potential were found in bedrooms and living rooms and were able to grow on VOR. Although not correlated with PM, EDC provided information regarding the bioburden. Future studies, applying EDC coupled with PM assessment, should be implemented to allow for a long-term integrated sample of organic dust.