The Anti-tobacco Legislation’s Impact on Air Pollution in Romanian Foster Care Homes

Nimród Tubák¹, Lorand Kocsis¹, Péter Balázs², Valentin Nădăşan¹, Iozsef Lorand Ferencz¹, Ágnes Tamás¹, Zoltán Ábrám¹

1. George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology, Targu Mures, Romania
2. Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2020-0019

Objective: The research aimed to investigate the impact of the anti-tobacco legislation (2016) on air quality in Romanian foster care homes.
Methods: The measurements took place in foster care homes situated in three Romanian counties. We recorded data three times (in 2014, in 2016 – six months after the implementation of the anti-tobacco legislation, in 2019). In 41 foster care homes were measured the indoor and outdoor Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) level in the air, using the TSI SidePak™ Personal Aerosol Monitor device. Descriptive statistics and t-test were used for data analysis (significant difference if p < 0.05).
Results: The indoor PM_2.5 values were higher in every year than outdoor values. Analyzing the anti-tobacco legislation’s impact on air quality, we found no difference between the indoor data measured in 2014 and in 2016, but there was a significant difference in the outdoor values (they were higher in 2016). Comparing the values measured after the implementation of the legislation (2016 vs. 2019) we found no difference in either indoor or outdoor values.
Conclusions: The anti-tobacco legislation has not influenced the indoor air pollution (PM_2.5) level. The increased outdoor PM_2.5 values suggest that the residents of the foster care homes are smoking more in front of the house after the introduction of the anti-tobacco legislation in 2016.