Search

Copyright of Journal of Soil Sciences & Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This is the first study in Egypt aims to characterize the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the residential environments to assess the elders' daily exposure to indoor air pollutants. Outdoor and indoor (living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens) concentrations of PM 10 , PM 2.5 , CO, CO 2 , and TVOCs were measured simultaneously in 28 private residences using direct-reading monitors during the period from March to June 2021. Information on occupants, household characteristics and indoor activities was collected via a questionnaire. Furthermore, air exchange rates (AERs) were measured in the living rooms and bedrooms of all monitored homes. Distribution of elderly exposures in the monitored microenvironments was calculated based on time-activity diary applied in all residences to collect information on the activities and time spent by elders in each microenvironment. During coronavirus outbreak, results showed that in average elderly spend 99% of their time indoors (63% in bedrooms, 33% in living rooms, and 3% in kitchens). The daily average exposures of elders to PM 10 , PM 2.5 , CO, CO 2 , and TVOCs in all selected residences were 92.9 ± 18.8 μg/m3, 65.3 ± 12.4 μg/m3, 1.0 ± 0.5 ppm, 886.6 ± 97.1 ppm, and 309.3 ± 73.7 μg/m3, respectively. Living rooms and bedrooms had the highest contribution to the elderly exposure to measured air pollutants. The results and performed statistical analyses (Pearson correlation and t -test) confirmed that indoor activities (cooking, smoking, and cleaning) can significantly influence IAQ in living rooms and bedrooms. Other factors including occupancy, AER, room volume, and proximity to major roads were also found to be significant determinants (p < 0.05) of IAQ in these two microenvironments. • This paper is the first study attempting to characterize indoor air pollutants in dwellings of older adults in Egypt. • During coronavirus outbreak, elderly spend 99% of their time in their dwellings. • The average daily exposure of elderly to PM 10 and PM 2.5 exceeded the WHO guidelines. • Living rooms and bedrooms had the highest contribution to the daily exposure of elders to air pollutants. • Factors influencing indoor air quality in living rooms and bedrooms were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]