Assessment of Exposure of Elementary Schools to Traffic Pollution by GIS Methods.

Aim: The susceptibility of children to polluted air has been pointed out several times in the past. Generally, children suffer from higher exposure to air pollutants than adults because of their higher physical activity, higher metabolic rate and the resultant increase in minute ventilation. The aim of this study was to examine the exposure characteristics of public elementary schools in Prague (the capital of the Czech Republic).

Association between unemployment, income, education level, population size and air pollution in Czech cities: evidence for environmental inequality? A pilot national scale analysis.

We analyzed differentials in exposure to SO(2), PM(10) and NO(2) among Czech urban populations categorized according to education level, unemployment rate, population size and average annual salary. Altogether 39 cities were included in the analysis. The principal component analysis revealed two factors explaining 72.

Association between ambient ozone and health outcomes in Prague.

Purpose: Though numerous studies investigating ambient ozone (O(3)) effects on human health were published, such a study for Central Europe is still lacking. We have investigated the association between ozone (O(3)) levels and hospital admissions and mortality due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases for Prague inhabitants for summer months (April-September) over the 5-year period 2002-2006. Our hypothesis was that ambient O(3) levels in Prague resulted in adverse health outcomes and were associated with increased mortality and hospital admissions.

Characterization of coarse particulate matter in school gyms.

We investigated the mass concentration, mineral composition and morphology of particles resuspended by children during scheduled physical education in urban, suburban and rural elementary school gyms in Prague (Czech Republic). Cascade impactors were deployed to sample the particulate matter. Two fractions of coarse particulate matter (PM(10-2.

Indoor and outdoor sources of size-resolved mass concentration of particulate matter in a school gym-implications for exposure of exercising children.

Introduction: It has been noticed many times that schools are buildings with high levels of particulate matter concentrations. Several authors documented that concentrations of particulate matter in indoor school microenvironments exceed limits recommended by WHO namely when school buildings are situated near major roads with high traffic densities. In addition, exercise under conditions of high particulate concentrations may increase the adverse health effects, as the total particle deposition increases in proportion to minute ventilation, and the deposition fraction nearly doubles from rest to intense exercise.

Association of size-resolved number concentrations of particulate matter with cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions and mortality in Prague, Czech Republic.

We analyzed the association of particle number and PM(2.5) concentrations with mortality and cardiorespiratory hospital admissions in Prague. Number concentrations of submicron particles in the range of 15-487 nm were measured continuously at a central site in 2006.

Air quality of Prague: traffic as a main pollution source.

Political and economical transition in the Central and Eastern Europe at the end of eighties significantly influenced all aspects of life as well as technological infrastructure. Collapse of outdated energy demanding industry and adoption of environmental legislation resulted in seeming improvements of urban environmental quality. Hand in hand with modernization the newly adopted regulations also helped to phase out low quality coal frequently used for domestic heating.

The effect of outdoor air and indoor human activity on mass concentrations of PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1) in a classroom.

The 12-h mass concentration of PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1) was measured in a lecturing room by means of three co-located Harvard impactors. The filters were changed at 8 AM and at 8 PM to cover the periods of presence and absence of students.

Particulate emission inventory and trends in ambient particulate matter concentrations in the Czech Republic between 1993 and 1999.

Trends in total suspended particulates (TSP) emission inventories were compared with ambient TSP concentrations during the period of 1993-1999 in the Czech Republic. The TSP annual emission decreased within the period of observation from 441,300 to 67,000 of metric tonnes (by 85%). During the same period a less pronounced downward trend from 80.