Assessing the associations of daily respiratory symptoms and lung function in schoolchildren using an Air Quality Index for ozone: Results from the RESPOZE panel study in Athens, Greece.

Background: Air Quality indicators or indices (AQIs) are mainly used for communicating the air pollution levels and risk to the general population. However, very few epidemiological studies have used AQIs for characterizing exposure.

Objective: In the framework of the RESPOZE panel study we evaluated the association of daily ozone AQI levels with the daily occurrence of respiratory symptoms and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and compared the effects with those estimated using measurements from fixed outdoor monitoring sites, in the city of Athens, Greece.

Dynamic modeling of human thermal comfort after the transition from an indoor to an outdoor hot environment.

Thermal comfort under non-steady-state conditions primarily deals with rapid environmental transients and significant alterations of the meteorological conditions, activity, or clothing pattern within the time scale of some minutes. In such cases, thermal history plays an important role in respect to time, and thus, a dynamic approach is appropriate. The present study aims to investigate the dynamic thermal adaptation process of a human individual, after his transition from a typical indoor climate to an outdoor hot environment.

The role of meteorology on different sized aerosol fractions (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, PM₂.₅-₁₀).

The scope of the present study is to assess the influence of meteorology on different diameter particles (PM(10), PM(2.5), PM(2.5-10)) during a 53 months long experimental campaign at an urban Mediterranean area.

Measuring the effects of heat wave episodes on the human body's thermal balance.

During the peak of an extensive heat wave episode on 23-25 July 2007, simultaneous thermophysiological measurements were made in two non-acclimated healthy adults of different sex in a suburban area of Greater Athens, Greece. Based on experimental measurements of mean skin temperature and metabolic heat production, heat fluxes to and from the human body were calculated, and the biometeorological index heat load (HL) produced was determined according to the heat balance equation. Comparing experimental values with those derived from theoretical estimates revealed a great heat stress for both individuals, especially the male, while theoretical values underestimated heat stress.

Emissions of total volatile organic compounds and indoor environment assessment in dental clinics in Athens, Greece.

Objective: To quantify the amount of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) emitted from five dental substances commonly used in a dental clinic.

Method: An assessment of the indoor air quality in two clinics of the Athens University Dentistry Faculty was conducted.

Results: It was found that TVOC emissions from Kalocryl and Bacillol reached extremely high values affecting the air in the dental clinics at short and long distances from the source.