Indoor Air Quality, Ultrafine Particles in Offices and Services of Coimbra Health School

Air quality is related to the pollution in the air quality degree, which is caused by a mixture of chemicals, released into the air or resulting from chemicals reactions, that changes the natural composition of the atmosphere. People working in offices waste a large part of their day in this place. In this way, the indoor air quality of the offices affects the total exposure of humans and therefore, they are considered microenvironments of great importance. This study aimed to evaluate expose the occupants to indoor air pollutants in offices and services of Coimbra Health School, check if pollutants complied with the limits of legislation and evaluate the exposure to ultrafine particles in different environments. Data collection consisted of assessing air quality in three offices and four services, using air pollutants and atmospheric variables. We checked that the average concentration of PM₁₀ in some places exceeded the protection threshold and that the average concentrations of ultrafine particles were higher when combustion processes existed. In this study it was possible conclude that some measures are necessary to improve indoor air quality in offices and services of Coimbra Health School, once that the average concentration of PM₁₀ in some places exceeded the protection threshold. So the institution needs to do frequent monitoring to avoid exposing occupants to risky situations.