Quality of the Indoor Environment in Elderly Care Centers in Two Cities in Central Portugal: Viseu and Covilhã

Manuel Pinto, João Lanzinha, João Viegas, Catarina Infante and Tiago Freire
Additional contact information
Manuel Pinto: School of Technology & Management (ESTGV)—CONSTRUCT-LFC, Campus de Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
João Lanzinha: LABSED-UBIMedical, C-made—Centre of Materials and Building Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, University of Beira Interior (UBI), Rua Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
João Viegas: National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC), Av. do Brasil, 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal
Catarina Infante: Master in Construction Engineering and Rehabilitation by the School of Technology & Management (ESTGV), Campus de Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Tiago Freire: Master in Civil Engineering by University of Beira Interior (UBI), Rua Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: Assessments of Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) present a very significant challenge when analyses are undertaken mainly in buildings that include a particularly sensitive and vulnerable population, such as elderly people. In order to maintain an indoor environment that is adequate for occupants, it is necessary to comply with a set of requirements (for TVOC, the Portuguese threshold values) regarding concentrations of airborne pollutants and hygrothermal comfort conditions. This paper studies IEQ in compartments in 3 buildings in two cities in central Portugal, Viseu and Covilhã, which hold elderly care centers. The following environmental parameters were continuously recorded: air temperature, relative humidity, concentration of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds and ventilation rates. An analysis of the obtained results was performed, taking recommended guidelines and threshold values into account, thus making it possible to evaluate the IEQ conditions and hygrothermal comfort in the selected indoor spaces. On the basis of the conclusions reached and the observed problems of hygrothermal comfort and indoor pollutants in the indoor spaces, a number of recommendations are proposed, specifically in terms of climate control, ventilation, and maintenance, in order to obtain an overall improvement of IEQ.

Keywords: Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ); Indoor Air Quality (IAQ); Elderly Care Centers (ECC) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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