Title: | Volatile Organic Compounds in Anatomical Pathology Wards: Comparative and Qualitative Assessment of Indoor Airborne Pollution |
Author(s): | Cipolla M; Izzotti A; Ansaldi F; Durando P; Piccardo MT; |
Address: | "Mutagenesis Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino IST, Genoa 16132, Italy. massimo.cipolla@hsanmartino.it. Mutagenesis Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino IST, Genoa 16132, Italy. izzotti@unige.it. Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa 16132, Italy. izzotti@unige.it. Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa 16132, Italy. ansaldi@unige.it. Hospital Direction, IRCCS AOU San Martino IST, Genoa 16132, Italy. ansaldi@unige.it. Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa 16132, Italy. paolo.durando@unige.it. Occupational Medicine Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino IST, Genoa 16132, Italy. paolo.durando@unige.it. Mutagenesis Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino IST, Genoa 16132, Italy. mariateresa.piccardo@hsanmartino.it" |
Journal Title: | Int J Environ Res Public Health |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1660-4601 (Electronic) 1661-7827 (Print) 1660-4601 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on indoor air quality and on human health is widely recognized. However, VOC contamination in hospital indoor air is rarely studied and chemical compounds that singularly do not show high toxicity are not submitted to any regulation. This study aimed to compare VOC contamination in two different anatomical pathology wards in the same hospital. Hydrocarbons, alcohols, and terpenes were sampled by passive diffusive samplers. Analytical tests were performed by thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detector. Results highlighted a different VOC pollution in the two wards, due to the structural difference of the buildings and different organizational systems. The scarcity of similar data in the literature shows that the presence of VOCs in pathology wards is an underestimated problem. We believe that, because of the adverse effects that VOCs may have on the human health, this topic is worth exploring further" |
Keywords: | "Air Pollutants/*analysis Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis Environmental Monitoring Italy *Pathology Department, Hospital/organization & administration/statistics & numerical data Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis VOCs human health indoor pollution;" |
Notes: | "MedlineCipolla, Massimo Izzotti, Alberto Ansaldi, Filippo Durando, Paolo Piccardo, Maria Teresa eng Switzerland 2017/06/08 Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Jun 7; 14(6):609. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14060609" |