title: Oxidative potential and chemical composition of PM2.5 in office buildings across Europe - The OFFICAIR study.
abstract: In the frame of the OFFICAIR project, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected in office buildings across Europe in two sampling campaigns (summer and winter). The ability of the particles to deplete physiologically relevant antioxidants (ascorbic acid (AA), reduced glutathione (GSH)) in a synthetic respiratory tract lining fluid, i.e., oxidative potential (OP), was assessed. Furthermore, the link between particulate OP and the concentration of the PM constituents was investigated. The mean indoor PM2.5 mass concentration values were substantially lower than the related outdoor values with a mean indoor/outdoor PM2.5 mass concentration ratio of 0.62 and 0.61 for the summer and winter campaigns respectively. The OP of PM2.5 varied markedly across Europe with the highest outdoor OP(AA) m(-3) and OP(GSH) m(-3) (% antioxidant depletion/m(3) air) values obtained for Hungary, while PM2.5 collected in Finland exhibited the lowest values. Seasonal variation could be observed for both indoor and outdoor OP(AA) m(-3) and OP(GSH) m(-3) with higher mean values during winter. The indoor/outdoor OP(AA) m(-3) and OP(GSH) m(-3) ratios were less than one with 4 and 17 exceptions out of the 40 cases respectively. These results indicate that indoor air is generally less oxidatively challenging than outdoors. Correlation analysis revealed that trace elements play an important role in determining OP, in particular, the Cu content. Indoor air chemistry might affect OP since weaker correlations were obtained for indoor PM2.5. Our findings also suggest that office workers may be exposed to health relevant PM constituents to a different extent within the same building.
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Research Centre for Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: tamas.szigeti@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szigeti
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Health Impact of Environmental Hazards, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, SE1 9NH London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunster
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spinazzè
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Sialvera & Bakola Street, 50100 Kozani, Greece.
authors.forename: Dikaia E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Saraga
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Sialvera & Bakola Street, 50100 Kozani, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Sakellaris
authors.affiliation: The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: de Kluizenaar
authors.affiliation: The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric J M
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), PO Box 95, 70701 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hänninen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), PO Box 95, 70701 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peltonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence and INFN-Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calzolai
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence and INFN-Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucarelli
authors.affiliation: Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), Université Paris Est, 84 avenue Jean Jaurés, Champs-sur-Marne, F-77447 Marne-la-Vallée Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mandin
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Sialvera & Bakola Street, 50100 Kozani, Greece.
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bartzis
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Research Centre for Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gyula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Záray
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Health Impact of Environmental Hazards, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, SE1 9NH London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: frank.kelly@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005060:Europe; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Environmental health; Indoor air quality; Occupational exposure; Office building; Oxidative potential; PM(2.5)