Exposure of Elderly People to Indoor Air Pollutants in Wanxia Nursing Home

The elderly residing in nursing homes are typically more advanced in age, have more health issues, and spend more time indoors than other elderly people. This study explored the indoor air quality in the Wanxia nursing home, the largest private nursing home in Chengdu, China, based on long-term meas...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hua Zong, Lei Tian, Zhimeng Cao, Minjie Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/9/2135
Description
Summary:The elderly residing in nursing homes are typically more advanced in age, have more health issues, and spend more time indoors than other elderly people. This study explored the indoor air quality in the Wanxia nursing home, the largest private nursing home in Chengdu, China, based on long-term measurement data. Air pollutant sensors measured the level of air pollution in the Wanxia nursing home from March 2021 to February 2022. This study obtained several important results: (1) The indoor air quality index (<i>IAQI</i>) of the Wanxia nursing home was at a low pollution level in spring, summer, and autumn, and at a moderate pollution level in winter. PM concentration played the most important role in determining indoor air quality; (2) During winter, the 24 h mean indoor concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were close to or even exceeded the standard limits. During winter and summer nights, indoor CO<sub>2</sub> levels were very close to or greater than 1000 ppm. During spring and summer nights, the indoor TVOC concentrations exceeded the limit (0.45 mg/m<sup>3</sup>); (3) Apart from HCHO concentrations in autumn, the levels of other indoor air pollutants were significantly influenced by their outdoor levels. In addition, the seasonal indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of CO<sub>2</sub> and TVOCs exceeded 1; and (4) Indoor CO<sub>2</sub> levels were closely related to indoor temperature (<i>Ta</i>) and relative humidity (<i>RH</i>) in each season. PM10 concentration correlated with <i>Ta</i> and <i>RH</i> in summer, while PM2.5 concentration did not correlate with <i>Ta</i> and <i>RH</i> in winter. The indoor TVOC level positively correlated with <i>RH</i>. Lastly, the indoor HCHO level was minimally influenced by changes in <i>Ta</i> and <i>RH</i>. Due to the above results, this study proposes targeted strategies for improving indoor air quality in nursing homes.
ISSN:2075-5309