Semivolatile organic compounds in French schools: Partitioning between the gas phase, airborne particles and settled dust.

The indoor environmental quality in classrooms can largely affect children's daily exposure to indoor chemicals in schools. To date, there has not been a comprehensive study of the concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in French schools. Therefore, the French Observatory for Indoor Air Quality (OQAI) performed a field study of SVOCs in 308 nurseries and elementary schools between June 2013 and June 2017. The concentrations of 52 SVOCs, including phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), synthetic musks, and pesticides, were measured in air and settled dust (40 SVOCs in both air and dust, 12 in either air or dust). The results showed that phthalates had the highest concentrations among the SVOCs in both the air and dust. Other SVOCs, including tributyl phosphate, fluorene, phenanthrene, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (gamma-HCH, lindane), galaxolide, and tonalide, also showed high concentrations in both the air and dust. Theoretical equations were developed to estimate the SVOC partitioning between the air and settled dust from either the octanol/air partition coefficient or the boiling point of the SVOCs. The regression constants of the equations were determined using the data set of the present study for phthalates and PAHs.

Assessment of indoor air quality for a better preventive conservation of some French museums and monuments.

Indoor air quality in museums and historical buildings is of great concern for curators, since it can be a source of various alterations on artworks. In spite of their importance, very few studies study simultaneously the concentration of main gaseous pollutants, the composition of suspended (PM), and deposited (DPM) particulate matter. The aim of this article is to carry out a first environmental assessment in French museums or monuments. Three sites representative of contrasting environments (urban, marine, semi-rural) have been selected: the Cluny Museum (Paris), the Villa Kérylos (Beaulieu-sur-Mer), and the Château de Fontainebleau. The main results show that the input of terrigenous particles (calcite, clay) due to the surrounding restoration works dominates in Cluny; the external environment (O3, RH, and marine particles) influences the interior atmosphere of the Villa Kérylos and the deliquescence of the deposited salts; against all expectations, anthropogenic particles (mascagnite and soot) are largely dominant in Fontainebleau. They are emitted in winter, when the warm, pulsating air gets dirty as it passes through the old heating ducts. This research shows the importance of particle mixtures in the environmental signature of the sites. These mixtures must be taken into account in order to reproduce indoor atmospheres in simulation chambers to achieve realistic artificial aging. This study also makes it possible to target the sources of pollution on which to act.

Relationships between socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and indoor air quality in French dwellings.

BACKGROUND: To date, few studies have analyzed the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES) and indoor air quality (IAQ). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between socioeconomic and other factors and indoor air pollutant levels in French homes. METHODS: The indoor air concentrations of thirty chemical, biological and physical parameters were measured over one week in a sample of 567 dwellings representative of the French housing stock between September 2003 and December 2005. Information on SES (household structure, educational attainment, income, and occupation), building characteristics, and occupants' habits and activities (smoking, cooking, cleaning, etc.) were collected through administered questionnaires. Separate stepwise linear regression models were fitted to log-transformed concentrations on SES and other factors. Logistic regression was performed on fungal contamination data. RESULTS: Households with lower income were more likely to have higher indoor concentrations of formaldehyde, but lower perchloroethylene indoor concentrations. Formaldehyde indoor concentrations were also associated with newly built buildings. Smoking was associated with increasing acetaldehyde and PM2.5 levels and the risk of a positive fungal contamination index. BTEX levels were also associated with occupant density and having an attached garage. The major predictors for fungal contamination were dampness and absolute humidity. CONCLUSION: These results, obtained from a large sample of dwellings, show for the first time in France the relationships between SES factors and indoor air pollutants, and believe they should be considered alongside occupant activities and building characteristics when study IAQ in homes.

Higher prevalence of breathlessness in elderly exposed to indoor aldehydes and VOCs in a representative sample of French dwellings.

The purpose of this study was to explore respiratory health effects of indoor exposures to aldehydes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in elderly living in a population-based representative sample of French dwellings and to compare them to the rest of the occupants of the dwellings. Twenty VOCs were objectively measured in 490 main dwellings. The respiratory conditions were assessed through a standardized questionnaire in 1012 inhabitants aged over 15 years, 144 of whom were aged over 65 years. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to model the relationship between respiratory health outcomes and air pollutants concentrations using the median value of the distribution to define elevated exposure. Similar levels of indoor air pollutants were found in elderly and others. However, associations between breathlessness and living in dwellings with elevated concentrations of toluene and o-xylene respectively were statistically significant in elderly but not in the rest of the population (adjusted odds ratios (AOR(95% confidence interval) = 3.36(1.13, 9.98) and 2.85(1.06, 7.68) in elderly vs. 0.91(0.59, 1.39) and 0.79( 0.47, 1.34) in the others respectively). A more pronounced effect of n-decane on past year breathlessness was observed in case of poor ventilation in the dwellings. Our results showed a higher risk of breathlessness in elderly exposed to indoor air pollution than in the rest of the exposed population. Further investigations are needed to confirm whether this is related to frailty in elderly.

Determinants of chlorination by-products in indoor swimming pools.

Water and air quality of fifteen swimming pools using chlorine disinfection was measured during eight sampling campaigns in Rennes, France. Concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) and trichloramine (NCl(3)) in air as well as concentrations of parameters, including total organic carbon (TOC), chlorine (free, combined and total), pH, Kjeldhal nitrogen (KN), chloride ions and THMs in water and air temperature, were measured. Water and air samples were collected during 3h in the morning and afternoon, during high and low attendance days, in summer and winter. Data analysis was perfomed by multivariate ordinary least square (OLS) and quantile (QR) regressions, from both data quality and other parameters such as the ratio between the number of visitors and the volume of water available V/W, the proportion of air re-circulated and the number of swimmers during sampling. The geometric means (GM±95% CIs) of the sum of THMs (TTHM) and NCl(3) in air were 74.9±6.7 µg/m(3) and 190±10 µg/m(3), respectively. As expected, concentrations of TTHM in air were correlated to concentrations of TTHM in water. Concentrations of TTHM and NCl(3) in air measured in winter were significantly higher than in summer, depicting that low air exchange rate in winter lead to accumulation of pollutants. NCl(3) (especially at higher quantiles) and TTHM concentrations in air were associated to the number of swimmers. NCl(3) was also linked to air temperature and pH. Moreover TTHM and NCl(3) in air seemed to be affected by additional determinants including the volume of hall and the ratio V/W. In a process of reducing exposure, the OLS regression provides useful information on key parameters influencing concentrations of THMs and NCl(3) in indoor swimming pools. In addition, QR allows identifying factors associated to elevated levels of contamination.