| 1. |
- Hammarström, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Prospective evaluation of a combination of fungal biomarkers for the diagnosis of invasive fungal disease in high-risk haematology patients
- 2018
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Ingår i: Mycoses. - : Wiley. - 0933-7407 .- 1439-0507. ; 61:9, s. 623-632
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We prospectively evaluated a combination of fungal biomarkers in adult haematology patients with focus on their clinical utility at different time points during the course of infection. In total, 135 patients were monitored once to twice weekly for serum (1-3)-ß-d-glucan (BG), galactomannan (GM), bis-methyl-gliotoxin and urinary d-arabinitol/l-arabinitol ratio. In all, 13 cases with proven or probable invasive fungal disease (IFD) were identified. The sensitivity of BG and GM at the time of diagnosis (TOD) was low, but within 2 weeks from the TOD the sensitivity of BG was 92%. BG >800 pg/mL was highly specific for IFD. At a pre-test probability of 12%, both BG and GM had negative predictive values (NPV) >0.9 but low positive predictive values (PPV). In a subgroup analysis of patients with clinically suspected IFD (pre-test probability of 35%), the NPV was lower, but the PPV for BG was 0.86 at cut-off 160 pg/mL. Among IFD patients, 91% had patterns of consecutively positive and increasing BG levels. Bis-methyl-gliotoxin was undetectable in 15 patients with proven, probable and possible IA. To conclude, BG was the superior fungal marker for IFD diagnosis. Quantification above the limit of detection and graphical evaluation of the pattern of dynamics are warranted in the interpretation of BG results.
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| 2. |
- Larsson, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
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Improving the indoor air quality by efficient exposure reduction : The surface emissions trap
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The surface emissions trap (cTrap), a new device for reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from surfaces while allowing evaporation of moisture, was used to improve the indoor air quality of a school building with elevated air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. A clear improvement of the perceived air quality was noticed a few days after a cTrap prototype had been attached on the PVC flooring. In parallel, decreased air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were found as well as a linear increase of the amounts of the same compound adsorbed on the installed cTrap cloth as observed up to 13 months after installation. This study suggests that a surface emissions trap may represent a fast and efficient means of restoring the indoor air quality in a building e.g. after water damage leading to irritating and potentially harmful emissions from building material surfaces indoors.
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| 3. |
- Larsson, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
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Improving the indoor air quality by using a surface emissions trap for exposure reduction
- 2015
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Ingår i: ; , s. 79-82
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A prototype of a surface emissions trap, a new device for reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from surfaces while allowing evaporation of moisture, was used to improve the indoor air quality of a school building with elevated air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. A clear improvement of the perceived air quality was noticed a few days after the trap had been attached on the PVC flooring. In parallel, decreased air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were found as well as a linear increase of the amounts of the same compound adsorbed on the installed trap as observed up to 13 months after installation. This study suggests that a surface emissions trap may represent a fast and efficient means of restoring the indoor air quality in a building e.g. after water damage leading to irritating and potentially harmful emissions from building material surfaces indoors.
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| 4. |
- Larsson, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
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Use of a surface emissions trap for improving the indoor air quality by efficient exposure reduction
- 2015
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Ingår i: Energy Procedia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1876-6102. ; 78, s. 1224-1226
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new product, the surface emissions trap (cTrap), a device developed to stop and bind emissions effectively while having virtually no resistance to water vapor, was installed on a PVC flooring in a school with IAQ complaints. After the installation air concentrations of 2-ethylhexanol decreased rapidly and staff and students reported a considerably improved perceived IAQ. The amounts of 2-ethylhexanol adsorbed on the cTrap cloth 13 months after installation corresponded to only 1.03% of its adsorption capacity. Installing the cTrap may constitute a cost-efficient and effective way of restoring the indoor air quality e.g. following water damage of a building.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Markowicz, Pawel, et al.
(författare)
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A study on particles and some microbial markers in waterpipe tobacco smoke.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1026 .- 0048-9697. ; 499, s. 107-113
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Waterpipe smoking is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Research has shown that cigarette smoke, in addition to hundreds of carcinogenic and otherwise toxic compounds, may also contain compounds of microbiological origin. In the present study we analyzed waterpipe smoke for some microbial compounds. Both of the two markers studied, viz 3-hydroxy fatty acids of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ergosterol of fungal biomass, were found in waterpipe tobacco, in amounts similar as previously found in cigarette tobacco, and in smoke. Waterpipe mainstream smoke contained on average 1800 pmol LPS and 84.4ng ergosterol produced per session. An average concentration of 2.8 pmol/m(3) of LPS was found in second hand smoke during a 1-2-h waterpipe smoking session while ergosterol was not detected; corresponding concentrations from smoking five cigarettes were 22.2 pmol/m(3) of LPS and 87.5ng/m(3) of ergosterol. This is the first time that waterpipe smoking has been shown to create a bioaerosol. In the present study we also found that waterpipe smoking generated several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and high fraction of small (<200nm) particles that may have adverse effects on human health upon inhalation.
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| 7. |
- Markowicz, Pawel
(författare)
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Determination and control of some pollutants in indoor environments
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Unsatisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) may result from polluting emissions that are spread from building materials such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and/or microbial components or from various kinds of human activity such as smoking. Different methods are available to limit the exposure to unwanted pollutants and improve human wellbeing and health. One goal of this thesis was to determine two microbial markers (3-hydroxy fatty acids of bacterial lipopolysaccharide and ergosterol of fungal biomass) in waterpipe smoke. A second goal was to study the influence of relative humidity (RH) on room air concentrations of VOCs. A third goal was to study the performance of a new device called the surface emissions trap (cTrap) in controlling indoor pollutants. Smoking waterpipe was found to generate a bioaerosol rich in microbial components, policyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and small size particles. Rapidly increasing RH was found to influence air concentrations of VOCs emitted from building materials as studied both in a climate chamber and in a room with dampness-related floor emissions. The cTrap cloth was found to be efficient in reducing emissions of VOCs, stopping mycotoxins, and improving the perceived IAQ in a damp school building. The device was proved to be efficient in reducing and trapping moisture-driven floor emissions. Preliminary results also showed that the cloth may be used in reducing smoking generated VOCs and particles which may migrate between rooms within a building.
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| 8. |
- Markowicz, Pawel, et al.
(författare)
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Improving the indoor air quality by using a surface emissions trap
- 2015
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1352-2310. ; 106, s. 376-381
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The surface emissions trap, an adsorption cloth developed for reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from surfaces while allowing evaporation of moisture, was used to improve the indoor air quality of a school building with elevated air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. An improvement of the perceived air quality was noticed a few days after the device had been attached on the PVC flooring. In parallel, decreased air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were found as well as a linear increase of the amounts of the same compound adsorbed on the installed cloth as observed up to 13 months after installation. Laboratory studies revealed that the performance of the device is not affected by differences in RH (35-85%), temperature (30-40 degrees C) or by accelerated aging simulating up to 10 years product lifetime, and, from a blinded exposure test, that the device efficiently blocks chemical odors. This study suggests that the device may represent a fast and efficient means of restoring the indoor air quality in a building e.g. after water damage leading to irritating and potentially harmful emissions from building material surfaces indoors. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Markowicz, Pawel, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of relative humidity on VOC concentrations in indoor air.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1614-7499 .- 0944-1344. ; 22:8, s. 5772-5779
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be emitted from surfaces indoors leading to compromised air quality. This study scrutinized the influence of relative humidity (RH) on VOC concentrations in a building that had been subjected to water damage. While air samplings in a damp room at low RH (21-22 %) only revealed minor amounts of 2-ethylhexanol (3 μg/m(3)) and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate (TXIB, 8 μg/m(3)), measurements performed after a rapid increase of RH (to 58-75 %) revealed an increase in VOC concentrations which was 3-fold for 2-ethylhexanol and 2-fold for TXIB. Similar VOC emission patterns were found in laboratory analyses of moisture-affected and laboratory-contaminated building materials. This study demonstrates the importance of monitoring RH when sampling indoor air for VOCs in order to avoid misleading conclusions from the analytical results.
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| 10. |
- Markowicz, Pawel, et al.
(författare)
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The surface emissions trap: A new approach in indoor air purification.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Microbiological Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-8359 .- 0167-7012. ; 91:2, s. 290-294
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new device for stopping or reducing potentially irritating or harmful emissions from surfaces indoors is described. The device is a surface emissions trap prototype and consists of an adsorbent sheet with a semipermeable barrier surrounded by two thin nonwoven layers. The trap may be applied directly at the source of the emissions e.g. at moisture-affected floors and walls, surfaces contaminated by chemical spills etc. This results in an immediate stop or reduction of the emitting pollutants. The trap has a very low water vapor resistance thus allowing drying of wet surfaces. In laboratory experiments typically 98% reduction of air concentrations of volatile organic compounds and a virtually total reduction of mold particle-associated mycotoxins was observed. The surface emissions trap may represent a convenient and efficient way of restoring indoor environments polluted by microbial and other moisture-associated emissions.
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