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Indoor air pollution with benzene, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide in schools in Osijek, Croatia

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Abstract

Exposure to air pollution and poor indoor air quality is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes, especially in schoolchildren. This paper presents results of the pilot study of the formaldehyde, benzene, and nitrogen dioxide measurements in classrooms and at outdoor sites in two schools in Osijek, Croatia, carried out by the Institute of Public Health for the Osijek-Baranya County and WHO. Concentrations of formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide in classrooms (formaldehyde average weekly concentration = 8.48 μg/m3, SD = 2.33; NO2 average weekly concentration = 11.12 μg/m3, SD = 2.49) were below the WHO guideline values for indoor air. The concentration of benzene in indoor air in one school (0.44 μg/m3) was similar to the level of this chemical in ambient air (0.65 μg/m3) while the data for another school (1.63 μg/m3) suggested the presence of indoor sources of benzene. The highest concentration of formaldehyde was observed in a room where mold, dampness, and condensation contamination were visible. School power plants and road traffic affected higher values of indoor air NO2 concentration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Institute of Public Health for the Osijek-Baranya County and WHO.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Public Health for the Osijek-Baranya County, Drinska 8, 31000, Osijek, Croatia

    Dario Brdarić

  2. Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, 31000, Osijek, Croatia

    Dario Brdarić, Matej Šapina & Karolina Kramarić

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8/A, 31000, Osijek, Croatia

    Elvira Kovač-Andrić, Natalija Lutz & Tomislav Perković

  4. Pediatric Clinic, University Hospital Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, 31000, Osijek, Croatia

    Matej Šapina & Karolina Kramarić

  5. Medical Faculty Osijek, University of Osijek, Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10E, 31000, Osijek, Croatia

    Matej Šapina & Karolina Kramarić

  6. World Health Organization, European Centre for Environment and Health, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113, Bonn, Germany

    Andrey Egorov

Authors
  1. Dario Brdarić
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  2. Elvira Kovač-Andrić
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  3. Matej Šapina
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  4. Karolina Kramarić
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  5. Natalija Lutz
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  6. Tomislav Perković
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  7. Andrey Egorov
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Correspondence to Elvira Kovač-Andrić.

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Brdarić, D., Kovač-Andrić, E., Šapina, M. et al. Indoor air pollution with benzene, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide in schools in Osijek, Croatia. Air Qual Atmos Health 12, 963–968 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-019-00715-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-019-00715-7

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