IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i22p4388-d285484.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Chemical Pollution in Healing Spaces: The Decalogue of the Best Practices for Adequate Indoor Air Quality in Inpatient Rooms

Author

Listed:
  • Marco Gola

    (Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering Dept., Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Gaetano Settimo

    (Environment and Health Dept., Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Stefano Capolongo

    (Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering Dept., Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the main topics in which governments are focusing. In healthcare facilities, several studies have reported data analysis and case studies to improve users’ health. Nowadays, although many studies have been conducted related to the biological and physical risks, the chemical risks have been less investigated and only in some specific functional areas of the hospitals. Starting from some systematic reviews and research works, this paper aims to list the best healthy practices for an adequate IAQ in inpatient wards. In particular, the decalogue lists the strategies related to chemical pollution, starting from design and management, with a focus on (a) localization of hospitals and inpatient rooms, (b) hospital room, (c) microclimatic parameters, (d) ventilation systems, (e) materials and finishing, (f) furniture and equipment, (g) cleaning products and activities, (h) maintenance and (i) management activities, and (l) users and workers. The multidisciplinary approach emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills aimed to find solutions able to protect users’ health status. The design and management decision-making, ranging from the adequate choices of construction site and hospital exposure, finishing materials, cleaning and maintenance activities, etc., which can affect the IAQ must be carried out based on scientific research and data analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Gola & Gaetano Settimo & Stefano Capolongo, 2019. "Chemical Pollution in Healing Spaces: The Decalogue of the Best Practices for Adequate Indoor Air Quality in Inpatient Rooms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:22:p:4388-:d:285484
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4388/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4388/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul T. J. Scheepers & Luuk Van Wel & Gwendolyn Beckmann & Rob B. M. Anzion, 2017. "Chemical Characterization of the Indoor Air Quality of a University Hospital: Penetration of Outdoor Air Pollutants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Rafael Tormo-Molina & Ángela Gonzalo-Garijo & Inmaculada Silva-Palacios & Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez, 2009. "Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Indoor Pollen in a Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 6(12), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Evangelia Chrysikou, 2018. "Why we need new architectural and design paradigms to meet the needs of vulnerable people," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-6, December.
    4. Adrian Roderick Escombe & David A J Moore & Jon S Friedland & Carlton A Evans & Robert H Gilman, 2007. "Natural Ventilation for Prevention of Airborne Contagion: Authors' Reply," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(5), pages 1-2, May.
    5. Maria Teresa Montagna & Osvalda De Giglio & Maria Luisa Cristina & Christian Napoli & Claudia Pacifico & Antonella Agodi & Tatjana Baldovin & Beatrice Casini & Maria Anna Coniglio & Marcello Mario D’E, 2017. "Evaluation of Legionella Air Contamination in Healthcare Facilities by Different Sampling Methods: An Italian Multicenter Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-12, June.
    6. Stefano Capolongo & Andrea Rebecchi & Marco Dettori & Letizia Appolloni & Antonio Azara & Maddalena Buffoli & Lorenzo Capasso & Alessandra Casuccio & Gea Oliveri Conti & Alessandro D’Amico & Margherit, 2018. "Healthy Design and Urban Planning Strategies, Actions, and Policy to Achieve Salutogenic Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ovidiu Cartis, 2024. "Aspects of Healing Space in Social Reforms," Scientia Moralitas Conference Proceedings 01293, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
    2. Haya Fahad Alomirah & Haruna Musa Moda, 2020. "Assessment of Indoor Air Quality and Users Perception of a Renovated Office Building in Manchester," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-9, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniela D’Alessandro & Andrea Rebecchi & Letizia Appolloni & Andrea Brambilla & Silvio Brusaferro & Maddalena Buffoli & Maurizio Carta & Alessandra Casuccio & Liliana Coppola & Maria Vittoria Corazza , 2023. "Re-Thinking the Environment, Cities, and Living Spaces for Public Health Purposes, According with the COVID-19 Lesson: The LVII Erice Charter," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Judith Schröder & Susanne Moebus & Julita Skodra, 2022. "Selected Research Issues of Urban Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-28, May.
    3. Maria João Salvador Costa & Alexandra Leitão & Rosa Silva & Vanessa Monteiro & Pedro Melo, 2022. "Climate Change Prevention through Community Actions and Empowerment: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-37, November.
    4. Chen, Yi & Wang, Lianwen & Zhang, Jinhui, 2024. "Global asymptotic stability of an age-structured tuberculosis model: An analytical method to determine kernel coefficients in Lyapunov functional," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    5. Ziqi Zhang & Zhi Qiu, 2020. "Exploring Daily Activity Patterns on the Typical Day of Older Adults for Supporting Aging-in-Place in China’s Rural Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Sadegh Fathi & Hassan Sajadzadeh & Faezeh Mohammadi Sheshkal & Farshid Aram & Gergo Pinter & Imre Felde & Amir Mosavi, 2020. "The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-29, March.
    7. Paul T. J. Scheepers & Martien H. F. Graumans & Gwendolyn Beckmann & Maurice Van Dael & Rob B. M. Anzion & Maarten Melissen & Nicole Pinckaers & Luuk Van Wel & Laurie M. A. De Werdt & Vera Gelsing & A, 2018. "Changes in Work Practices for Safe Use of Formaldehyde in a University-Based Anatomy Teaching and Research Facility," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-22, September.
    8. Noor Muhammad Abd Rahman & Lim Chin Haw & Ahmad Fazlizan, 2021. "A Literature Review of Naturally Ventilated Public Hospital Wards in Tropical Climate Countries for Thermal Comfort and Energy Saving Improvements," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, January.
    9. Lorenzo Capasso & Daniela D’Alessandro, 2021. "Housing and Health: Here We Go Again," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-9, November.
    10. Szu‐Chieh Chen & Chung‐Min Liao & Sih‐Syuan Li & Shu‐Han You, 2011. "A Probabilistic Transmission Model to Assess Infection Risk from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Commercial Passenger Trains," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(6), pages 930-939, June.
    11. Daniele Busciantella-Ricci & Alessia Macchi & Sara Viviani & Alessandra Rinaldi, 2024. "Healthy and Inclusive Neighbourhoods: A Design Research Toolkit for the Promotion of Healthy Behaviours," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-35, April.
    12. Dong Ha Kim & Seunghyun Yoo, 2019. "How Does the Built Environment in Compact Metropolitan Cities Affect Health? A Systematic Review of Korean Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-22, August.
    13. Qiang Niu & Wanxian Wu & Jie Shen & Jiaxin Huang & Qiling Zhou, 2021. "Relationship between Built Environment and COVID-19 Dispersal Based on Age Stratification: A Case Study of Wuhan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-17, July.
    14. Annalisa Lombardi & Tonia Borriello & Elvira De Rosa & Fabiana Di Duca & Michele Sorrentino & Ida Torre & Paolo Montuori & Ugo Trama & Francesca Pennino, 2023. "Environmental Monitoring of Legionella in Hospitals in the Campania Region: A 5-Year Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-17, April.
    15. Stefano Dugheri & Nicola Mucci & Giovanni Cappelli & Alessandro Bonari & Giacomo Garzaro & Giorgio Marrubini & Gianluca Bartolucci & Marcello Campagna & Giulio Arcangeli, 2019. "Monitoring of Air-Dispersed Formaldehyde and Carbonyl Compounds as Vapors and Adsorbed on Particulate Matter by Denuder-Filter Sampling and Gas Chromatographic Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-17, June.
    16. Chongling Sun & Evangelia Chrysikou & Eleftheria Savvopoulou & Eva Hernandez-Garcia & Ava Fatah gen. Schieck, 2023. "Healthcare Built Environment and Telemedicine Practice for Social and Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, February.
    17. Pradeep Shakya & Gimson Ng & Xiaoli Zhou & Yew Wah Wong & Swapnil Dubey & Shunzhi Qian, 2021. "Thermal Comfort and Energy Analysis of a Hybrid Cooling System by Coupling Natural Ventilation with Radiant and Indirect Evaporative Cooling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.
    18. Maria Fiore & Antonio Cristaldi & Valeriya Okatyeva & Salvatore Lo Bianco & Gea Oliveri Conti & Pietro Zuccarello & Chiara Copat & Rosario Caltabiano & Matteo Cannizzaro & Margherita Ferrante, 2019. "Physical Activity and Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study in Catania (South Italy)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-8, April.
    19. Vincenzo Restivo & Achille Cernigliaro & Alessandra Casuccio, 2019. "Urban Sprawl and Health Outcome Associations in Sicily," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-9, April.
    20. Evangelia Chrysikou & Jane P. Biddulph & Fernando Loizides & Eleftheria Savvopoulou & Jonas Rehn-Groenendijk & Nathan Jones & Amy Dennis-Jones & Akash Nandi & Chariklia Tziraki, 2024. "Creating Resilient Smart Homes with a Heart: Sustainable, Technologically Advanced Housing across the Lifespan and Frailty through Inclusive Design for People and Their Robots," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-13, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:22:p:4388-:d:285484. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.