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| 2. |
- Elfman, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of Horse Allergen around a Stable
- 2008
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Ingår i: International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. - : S. Karger AG. - 1018-2438 .- 1423-0097. ; 145:4, s. 269-276
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Integrating horse stables with built-up areas may lead to conflicts. Dispersion of horse allergen may become a health risk for allergic people. The aim was to measure the dispersion of horse allergen around a stable, considering wind speed and direction and vegetation. The disturbance of staff at a workplace nearby a stable was investigated. Methods: Air sampling was performed around a stable (32 horses) at distances of 50-500 m in all directions. Sampling was done with a pump and an IOM sampler. Samples were collected at 50 points during all seasons. Horse allergen levels were determined using ELISA. Disturbance by horses was studied with a questionnaire handed to the employees in an office near the stable. Results: The median horse allergen level at the stable entrance was 316 U/m3, in the horse fields 40 U/m3 and in the whole source area 16 U/m3, which declined to <2 U/m3 at about 50 m from the source area. Downwind of the prevailing winds low levels of horse allergen (2-4 U/m3) could sometimes be detected at up to 500 m. The staff, including those allergic to horses, managed to tolerate horses close to the workplace. Conclusions: At low winds horse allergen spread in ambient air about 50 m from the stable and horse fields. At higher winds low allergen levels were sometimes found in open areas up to 500 m from the source area. These levels were similar to those found in the office after moving away from the stable area. The employees did not report more symptoms of allergy or asthma while working close to the stable compared to after the move.
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| 3. |
- Eriksson, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
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Förslag till Program för miljödata om byggd miljö
- 2010
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Utgångspunkten i förslaget till uppföljningsprogram för den byggda miljön är behovetav uppföljning av miljöaspekter, särskilt inom områdena människors hälsa, kulturmiljö,bebyggelsens kvalitet och lokalisering samt resurshushållning, både inom miljömålssystemetsom för andra behov.Dagens övervaknings- och uppföljningssystem är inte uppbyggda för att omfatta den byggdamiljön och behöver kompletteras med en mer systematisk uppföljning av denna. Detfinns ett stort behov av utveckling av miljödata om byggd miljö.Det föreslagna programmet syftar till att samlat och kontinuerligt följa och kommuniceramiljötillståndet för den byggda miljön och att ha en organisatorisk samlande rollför relevant miljödata för den byggda miljön. Programmets uppgift ska vara att beskrivatillståndet och dess förändringar, men inte att värdera betydelsen av dessa.Programmet har en utvecklingsbar struktur och föreslås inledningsvis ha fokus på trettonolika områden för uppföljning där det är särskilt intressant att följa förändringar itillståndet:Bebyggelsens sammansättningByggnaders tillståndLokaliseringTäthetAllmänt tillgängliga områdenBarriärerEnergiServiceTransporterResurshushållningVatten och avloppLuftLjudTillståndet i miljön ska kommuniceras genom indikatorer. Uppföljningsområdena äridag olika väl försedda med existerande data och indikatorer. Programmet ska i störstamöjliga utsträckning använda data och indikatorer som redan används i andra sammanhang.I rapporten lämnas idéförslag på indikatorer samt aspekter som är angelägnaatt följa. I det fortsatta arbetet ska dessa bedömas avseende relevans, kvalitet och validitet.Data i programmet avses finnas tillgängligt via ett webbaserat söksystem samt sammanställasi återkommande rapporter. I denna rapport föreslås att arbete med att utvecklaprogrammet ska fortsätta med målsättningen att systemet för uppföljning skakunna leverera sina första data under 2011.Avsikten är att programmet ska genomföras i samverkan mellan Boverket, Riksantikvarieämbetetoch Socialstyrelsen.
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| 4. |
- Hagenbjörk-Gustafsson, Annika, 1956-
(författare)
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Validation of diffusive samplers for nitrogen oxides and applications in various environments
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to validate diffusive samplers for measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The Willems badge was validated for NO2 measurements both in laboratory tests and in field tests (Paper I-II). The sampling rate was 40.0 mL/min for ambient air concentrations and 46.0 mL/min for higher concentrations. No effects of different factors on sampling rate were found except for a reduced sampling rate at low wind velocity. The results of the laboratory validation were confirmed in field tests in ambient air and with personal sampling. The correlation between diffusive samplers and the reference monitor was good for ambient measurements. In conclusion, the Willems badge performs well at wind velocities down to 0.3 m/s, and this makes it suitable for personal sampling but less suitable for measurements in indoor air where the wind velocity is lower. Paper III reports about the field validation of the Ogawa diffusive samplers. Absolute humidity and temperature were found to have the strongest effect on sampling rate with lower uptake rates at low absolute humidity or temperature. The sampling rates above 0 °C were 8.6 mL/min for NO2 and 9.9 mL/min for NOx. NO2 and NOx concentrations that were determined using the manufacturer’s protocol were either underestimated or overestimated. The agreement between concentrations measured by the Ogawa sampler and the reference monitor was improved when field-determined sampling rates were used to calculate concentrations. Paper IV is based on a study with the aim of assessing the exposure of the Swedish general population to NO2 and some carcinogenic substances. The surveys were performed in one of five Swedish cities every year. In each survey, personal measurements of NO2 and some carcinogenic substances were conducted on 40 randomly selected individuals. In the study presented in this thesis, the NO2 part of the study is in focus and results were available for eight surveys conducted across the five cities. The estimated arithmetic mean concentration for the general Swedish population was 14.1 μg/m3. The exposure level for NO2 was higher for smokers compared with non-smokers, and the NO2 exposure levels were higher for people who had gas stoves at home or who were exposed at their workplace. The exposure was lower for those who had oil heating in their houses.
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| 5. |
- Kalm-Stephens, Pia, et al.
(författare)
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Hypersensitivity and the working environment for allergy nurses in sweden.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Allergy. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-9783 .- 1687-9791. ; 2014:Apr 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Allergy nurses are exposed to allergens and respiratory irritants, and there are no national guidelines addressing personnel safety when working with these agents. Objective. To investigate the prevalence of allergies, asthma, and hypersensitivity symptoms among allergy nurses and the use of protective equipment and measures when working with allergen concentrates and respiratory irritants. Methods. A questionnaire survey was performed among the members of the Swedish Association of Allergy Nurses. Results. Diagnosed asthma was reported by 17%, while 18% had allergy to pets, 28% had allergy to pollens, and 26% reported nasal symptoms. Fifty-one percent reported a history of asthma, allergic diseases, or hypersensitivity symptoms in their family. Exhaust ventilation was used by 24% during skin prick tests, 17% during allergen specific immunotherapy, and 33% when performing methacholine challenge tests. Tightly closed containers for disposable waste were used by 58% during skin prick tests, by 60% during immunotherapy, and by 40% during Pc provocation tests. Conclusion. Allergy nurses had a tendency to increased prevalence of lower respiratory symptoms, asthma, and allergic rhinitis and more than half of the nurses had a family history of asthma, allergic diseases, or hypersensitivity symptoms. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the validity of these results.
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| 6. |
- Kim, Jeong-Lim, et al.
(författare)
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Indoor molds, bacteria, microbial volatile organic compounds and plasticizers in schools : associations with asthma and respiratory symptoms in pupils
- 2007
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Ingår i: Indoor Air. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0905-6947 .- 1600-0668. ; 17:2, s. 153-163
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated asthma and atopy in relation to microbial and plasticizer exposure. Pupils in eight primary schools in Uppsala (Sweden) answered a questionnaire, 1014 (68%) participated. Totally, 7.7% reported doctor-diagnosed asthma, 5.9% current asthma, and 12.2% allergy to pollen/pets. Wheeze was reported by 7.8%, 4.5% reported daytime breathlessness, and 2.0% nocturnal breathlessness. Measurements were performed in 23 classrooms (May–June), 74% had <1000 ppm CO2 indoors. None had visible mold growth or dampness. Mean total microbial volatile organic compound (MVOC) concentration was 423 ng/m3 indoors and 123 ng/m3 outdoors. Indoor concentration of TMPD-MIB (2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate, Texanol) and TMPD-DIB (2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate, TXIB), two common plasticizers, were 0.89 and 1.64 μg/m3, respectively. MVOC and plasticizer concentration were correlated (r = 0.5; P < 0.01). Mold concentration was 360 cfu/m3 indoors and 980 cfu/m3 outdoors. At higher indoor concentrations of total MVOC, nocturnal breathlessness (P < 0.01) and doctor-diagnosed asthma (P < 0.05) were more common. Moreover, there were positive associations between nocturnal breathlessness and 3-methylfuran (P < 0.01), 3-methyl-1-butanol (P < 0.05), dimethyldisulfide (P < 0.01), 2-heptanone (P < 0.01), 1-octen-3-ol (P < 0.05), 3-octanone (P < 0.05), TMPD-MIB (P < 0.05), and TMPD-DIB (P < 0.01). TMPD-DIB was positively associated with wheeze (P < 0.05), daytime breathlessness (P < 0.05), doctor-diagnosed asthma (P < 0.05), and current asthma (P < 0.05). In conclusion, exposure to MVOC and plasticizers at school may be a risk factor for asthmatic symptoms in children.
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| 7. |
- Mattsson, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Mixing and displacement ventilation compared in classrooms; distribution of particles, cat allergen and CO2
- 2003
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Ingår i: Proceedings from Healthy Buildings 2003. ; , s. 458-464
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mixing ventilation and displacement ventilation were compared in an intervention study in classrooms. Particles, cat allergen and CO2, were measured in classroom air at different levels above the floor, during regular lessons. With mixing ventilation, the particle concentration tended to decrease with height, with a stronger gradient occurring for larger particles. With displacement ventilation, the particle concentration increased with height, except for particles >25 µm. The displacement system thus tended to have a slight upward displacement effect on most of the particles. Significant correlations were found between concentrations of cat allergen and particles in the size fraction 1–10 µm. The particle and cat allergen concentration at breathing height did not, however, differ significantly between the two ventilation systems. CO2 was about 10% lower with displacement ventilation. A fairly high level of physical activity of the pupils is believed to have had significant dispersing effect on the airborne contaminants.
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| 8. |
- Merritt, A-S, et al.
(författare)
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Measurement of horse allergen (Equ cx) in schools
- 2011
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Ingår i: ISRN Allergy. - : Hindawi Limited. - 2090-553X .- 2090-5521.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The presence of horse allergen in public places is not well-known, unlike for instance cat and dog allergens, which have been studied extensively. The aim was to investigate the presence of horse allergen in schools and to what extent the influence of number of children with regular horse contact have on indoor allergen levels. Methods. Petri dishes were used to collect airborne dust samples during one week in classrooms. In some cases, vacuumed dust samples were also collected. All samples were extracted, frozen and analysed for Equ cx content shortly after sampling, and some were re-analysed six years later with a more sensitive ELISA assay. Results. Horse allergen levels were significantly higher in classrooms, in which many children had horse contact, regardless of sampling method. Allergen levels in extracts from Petri dish samples, which had been kept frozen, dropped about 53% over a six-year period. Conclusion. Horse allergen was present in classrooms and levels were higher in classrooms where many children had regular horse contact in their leisure time. This suggests that transfer of allergens takes place via contaminated clothing. Measures should be taken to minimize possible transfer and deposition of allergens in pet-free environments, such as schools.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Pond, Kathy, et al.
(författare)
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Workgroup report : developing environmental health indicators for European children: World Health Organization Working Group
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 0091-6765 .- 1552-9924. ; 115:9, s. 1376-1382
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A working group coordinated by the World Health Organization developed a set of indicators to protect children’s health from environmental risks and to support current and future European policy needs. On the basis of identified policy needs, the group developed a core set of 29 indicators for implementation plus an extended set of eight additional indicators for future development, focusing on exposure, health effects, and action. As far as possible, the indicators were designed to use existing information and are flexible enough to be developed further to meet the needs of policy makers and changing health priorities. These indicators cover most of the priority topic areas specified in the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) as adopted in the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in 2004, and will be used to monitor the implementation of CEHAPE. This effort can be viewed as an integral part of the Global Initiative on Children’s Environmental Health Indicators, launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.
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