Characterization of indoor air pollution in a portuguese pre-school

The objective of this work was to investigate the levels of some relevant indoor pollutants (total volatile organic compoundsTVOCs, ozoneO3, carbon dioxideCO2, carbon monoxideCO, formaldehydeHCHO, total suspended particulate matterTSP) with emphasis on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a pre-school environment and to assess the risks associated with the exposure to carcinogenic PAHs for 35 years old children. The levels of indoor pollutants were sampled during 15 days at one preschool located in urban zone of Porto, Portugal. Obtained CO and TSP levels were in compliance with the existent Portuguese legislation on indoor air of public building whereas mean concentrations of TVOCs, CO2, and formaldehyde exceeded (up to 4.5 times) the limit values. Total concentration of 18 TSPbound PAHs ranged from 0.40 to 16.0 ng m-3 (mean of 4.75 ng m-3). Estimated values of lifetime lung cancer risks exceeded 40 times the healthbased guideline levels thus demonstrating that longterm exposure to PAHs at the respective levels might cause some adverse health outcomes. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, London