US EPA

3237852 

Journal Article 

Study of indoor-outdoor air quality in some regions in Bulgaria 

Lolova, D; Uzunova, E; Babikian, A; Koleva, T 

2001 

534-540 

WOS:000175780700068 

High temperature combustion is the main source of nitric
oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air. Unvented gas and kerosene cooking appliances
and space heaters are found to be the major indoor emission sources. It is important to know the
level of exposure to NO2 in order to study their effects on health, to establish dose effect
relationships and to devise appropriate pollution control strategies. Recognising these problems
a project was started aiming to study the exposure to NO2 among children aged 10-12 years living
in 4 settlements in Bulgaria, The investigated group consisted of children with parents both
smokers and non-smokers, inhabiting homes with different types of heating and appliances. The
study was based on questionnaires-diaries. Palmes tubes were used for monitoring both personal
exposure to NO2 and levels indoors (kitchen, living room) and outdoors. The data obtained from
study showed that the concentrations of NO2 were the highest in homes which had gas cooking
stoves and in which the parents were smokers. The greatest personal exposures to NO2 measured
were recorded in the centre of Sofia (116.0 mug/m(3)) and in the kitchen (405.75 mug/m(3)) at one
child's home. This child's parents are smokers and their kitchen is equipped with gas cooking
appliances. The lowest overall concentrations of NO2 were recorded in Vratsa. Here the
children's personal exposure to NO2 varied from 2.58 to 5.46 mug/m(3).