According to the international GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the poor quality of the air they breathe.
The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and breathing health of the guests.
We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases, i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR.
The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly guests’ respiratory discomfort.
"A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products. Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if it is allowed to smoke outside the building.”
The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.
According to the international
GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests
have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the
poor quality of the air they breathe.
The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes
in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly
guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and
breathing health of the guests.
We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine
dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases,
i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a
pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of
carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says
Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for
Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR.
The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various
countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the
pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately
change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly
guests’ respiratory discomfort.
"A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in
residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress
of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic
substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products.
Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if
it is allowed to smoke outside the building.”
The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are
lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in
indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all
elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.
Newsletter
Good air quality increases performance in the office.
According to Harvard researchers, who published the study on Environmental Health Perspective, people who work in well aerated premises, with low CO2 and indoor pollution levels, achieve better scores in cognitive functions compared to people whose offices are less green, with pollution and CO2 levels considered to be standard.
The researchers focused on the impact of room ventilation, chemicals and CO2 on workers’ cognitive functions by exposing 24 workers to different levels of CO2, ventilation and VOC concentrations, commonly emitted in offices. Participants exposed to premises with the best air quality, achieved on average double scores in cognitive performance compared to those who worked in conventional premises.
The researchers also underline the impact of CO2 levels: the average score drops when the CO2 level increases. “These results point to the fact that even modest improvements in the quality of indoor air might have a deep impact on workers’ decision-making performance,” said Joseph Allen of Harvard University, the main author of the study.
According to Harvard
researchers, who published the study on Environmental Health Perspective,
people who work in well aerated premises, with low CO2 and indoor pollution
levels, achieve better scores in cognitive functions compared to people whose
offices are less green, with pollution and CO2 levels considered to be
standard.
The researchers focused on the impact of room ventilation, chemicals and CO2 on
workers’ cognitive functions by exposing 24 workers to different levels of CO2,
ventilation and VOC concentrations, commonly emitted in offices. Participants
exposed to premises with the best air quality, achieved on average double
scores in cognitive performance compared to those who worked in conventional
premises.
The researchers also underline the impact of CO2 levels: the average score
drops when the CO2 level increases. “These results point to the fact that even
modest improvements in the quality of indoor air might have a deep impact on
workers’ decision-making performance,” said Joseph Allen of Harvard University,
the main author of the study.
Newsletter
Sabiana and Expo.
The Azerbaijan pavilion was one of the most admired at the Expo.
The itinerary devised by the designers winds through three glass spheres on several levels, representing three different biospheres. The first represents landscapes, the second Azerbaijan’s nine climatic zones and the third represents traditional cultures and innovation.
The country’s natural, agricultural and productive resources are shown on three levels, connected by escalators. The structure’s air-conditioning was not easy to install, also owing to its spherical shape. Essentially, it was required to find quite a low AHU that still had sufficient air flow and power to cool and heat the premises, which owing to the large glazed surface had a high sensitive thermal load – all that with a noiseless machine.
Sabiana’s OCEAN solved these issues.
The Azerbaijan pavilion was
one of the most admired at the Expo.
The itinerary devised by the designers winds through three glass spheres on
several levels, representing three different biospheres. The first represents
landscapes, the second Azerbaijan’s nine climatic zones and the third
represents traditional cultures and innovation.
The country’s natural, agricultural and productive resources are shown on three
levels, connected by escalators. The structure’s air-conditioning was not easy
to install, also owing to its spherical shape. Essentially, it was required to
find quite a low AHU that still had sufficient air flow and power to cool and
heat the premises, which owing to the large glazed surface had a high sensitive
thermal load – all that with a noiseless machine.
Sabiana’s OCEAN solved these issues.
Newsletter
Upcoming extension until 2016 of energy upgrading bonuses.
The option of extending until December 2016 of the two tax reliefs, expiring on 31 December 2015, is becoming more and more likely.
The Ministers for Economy, Pier Carlo Padoan, and Infrastructure and Transport, Graziano Delrio, agree on extending by one more year the 65% Ecobonus for energy upgrading of buildings and the 50% bonus on renovations.
In all likelihood, the two reliefs will be extended at the same conditions currently in force. In any case, the new rules will be defined in the 2016 Stability law, in the first draft stage at the Ministries.
The option of extending until
December 2016 of the two tax reliefs, expiring on 31 December 2015, is becoming
more and more likely.
The Ministers for Economy, Pier Carlo Padoan, and Infrastructure and Transport,
Graziano Delrio, agree on extending by one more year the 65% Ecobonus for
energy upgrading of buildings and the 50% bonus on renovations.
In all likelihood, the two reliefs will be extended at the same conditions
currently in force. In any case, the new rules will be defined in the 2016
Stability law, in the first draft stage at the Ministries.