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- Indoor air quality assessment in grocery storesPublication . Baptista, Teresa; Almeida-Silva, M.; Silva, Dário; Diogo, Carlos; Canha, NunoIndoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a public and occupational health concern, as we are exposed to air pollutants daily given that we spend a great amount of our time in indoor environments. IAQ can be affected by numerous factors, from outdoor pollutants that get indoors through ventilation to building materials, furnishings, and activities carried by the building occupants. Exposure to air pollutants has been linked to a panoply of adverse effects on our health, well-being, and performance. The aim of this study was to assess the IAQ in grocery stores (GSs) in the municipality of Cascais in the Lisbon metropolitan area (Portugal) to characterize the workers’ occupational exposure to air pollutants. The study was conducted in 13 small “family” grocery stores. The IAQ monitoring campaign was conducted using low-cost sensor technologies and focused on several parameters, namely: carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), temperature (T), relative humidity (RH). Overall, the IAQ of the studied GSs complied with Portuguese legislation, except for PM2.5, where 23% of GSs presented levels above the established limit value. The mean inhaled dose of workers during a workday was estimated to be 157.7 ± 57.2 μg for PM2.5 and 165.8 ± 56.0 μg for PM10. The IAQ assessment allowed the identification of the best strategies to improve worker experience in indoor workplace environments.
- Ensino a distância com recurso a MOOC para a capacitação ambientalPublication . Miranda, Sandra; Almeida-Silva, M.; Sarreira, Pedro; Camus, Cristina Inês; Monteiro, Ana; David, Alexandra; Manteigas, Vítor; Abreu, RenatoO contínuo desenvolvimento das tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC) reorganizaram o modo como vivemos, comunicamos e aprendemos. Para as instituições de ensino superior, as TIC potenciaram o crescimento das modalidades do ensino a distância e a abertura de novos ambientes de aprendizagem, com recurso à educação digital. Como exemplo, os MOOC ganharam protagonismo a partir do movimento da educação aberta, do software livre e da disponibilização de conteúdos abertos e representam ainda uma inovação educativa, que combina e difunde os recursos tecnológicos. O Politécnico de Lisboa, naquela que foi uma iniciativa pioneira, conjunta e multidisciplinar, mobilizou quatro das suas unidades orgânicas (ESCS, ESELx, ESTeSL e ISEL), como o apoio do EaD@IPL – Grupo de Ensino a Distâncias do Politécnico de Lisboa, para a criação do MOOC “Sustentabilidade Ambiental: Mobilizar, Observar e Operacionalizar”, alojado na plataforma NAU – Ensino e Formação Online para Grandes Audiências”.
- Cytotoxicity assessment of nanoplastics and plasticizers exposure in in vitro lung cell culture systems: a systematic reviewPublication . Clérigo, Fabiana; Ferreira, Sandra; Ladeira, Carina; Marques-Ramos, Ana; Almeida-Silva, M.; Mendes, L. A.Emerging contaminants such as nanoplastics (NPs), as well as manufacturing by-products such as plasticizers, have gained global attention and concern due to their limited biodegradability and their potential impact on human health, in particular the effects on respiratory tissue. In parallel, in vitro cell culture techniques are key to the assessment and characterization of toxic effects and cellular mechanisms in different types of tissues and should provide relevant information to understand the hazardous potential of these emergent contaminants. This systematic review presents the main results of the current knowledge of the effects of NPs and plasticizers on lung cells, as assessed with the use of in vitro cell culture techniques. From the selected studies (n = 10), following the PRISMA approach, it was observed that cell viability was the most frequently assessed endpoint and that most studies focused on epithelial cells and exposures to polystyrene (PS). It was observed that exposure to NPs or plasticizers induces cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, regardless of the size of the NPs. Furthermore, there is evidence that the characteristics of NPs can affect the toxic response by promoting the association with other organic compounds. As such, further in vitro studies focusing on the combination of NPs with plasticizers will be essential for the understanding of the mechanisms of NPs toxicity.