Residents of nursing homes may be suffering lung damage from poor air quality linked to factors such as cleaning products and cooling systems, according to a major European study today.
The project in seven European countries found problems such as breathlessness and coughing linked to pollutants such as formaldehyde.
The findings were published today in the European Respiratory Journal.
Researchers studied 600 residents with an average age of 82 and measured levels of five air pollutants in the homes in which they lived.
The study took place in Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Poland and Sweden.
They found formaldehyde linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease while nitrogen dioxide levels were linked to breathlessness and cough.
Researcher Dr Isabella Annesi-Maesano said: “Our findings have shown an independent effect of several indoor air pollutants on the lung health of the elderly living in nursing homes. This is a worrying problem since the body’s ability to cope with harmful air pollutants decreases as we age.
"Nursing homes should do more to prevent indoor air pollution by limiting its sources and by improving ventilation in their buildings. The respiratory health of residents should also be checked on a regular basis.”
European Lung Foundation chair Dan Smyth added: “The majority of lung diseases are preventable therefore we must focus on strategies that target the risk factors linked to these diseases. These findings add to a body of evidence confirming that indoor air pollution is one of these risk factors."
Indoor air quality, ventilation and respiratory health in elderly from EU Nursing Homes. European Respiratory Journal 12 March 2015; doi: 10.1183/09031936.00082414
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