We looked into the mass concentration, mineral composition and morphology of contaminants resuspended by children throughout scheduled sports and physical eduction in urban, suburban and rural elementary school gyms in Prague (Czech Republic). Cascade impactors were used to sample the particulate matter. Two fractions of coarse particulate matter (PM(10-2.5) and PM(2.5-1.)) were indicated by gravimetry, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and checking electron microscopy. Two indications of human activity, the amount of working out children and the amount of sports and physical eduction hrs, were also recorded. Lower mass levels of coarse particulate matter were recorded outdoors (average PM(10-2.5) 4.1-7.4 g m(-3) and PM(2.5-1.) 2.-3.3 g m(-3)) than inside (average PM(10-2.5) 13.6-26.7 g m(-3) and PM(2.5-1.) 3.7-7.4 g m(-3)). The indoor levels of coarse aerosol were elevated throughout days with scheduled sports and physical eduction by having an average indoor-outside (I/O) ratio of two.5-16.3 for that PM(10-2.5) and 1.4-4.8 for that PM(2.5-1.) values. Under two opposites, the I/O ratios arrived at 180 (PM(10-2.5)) and 19.1 (PM(2.5-1.)). The multiple regression analysis in line with the quantity of students and outside coarse PM as independent variables demonstrated the primary predictor from the indoor coarse PM levels is the amount of students during a workout session. The result of outside coarse PM was weak and sporadic. The regression models for that three schools described 60-70% from the particular dataset variability. X-ray spectrometry revealed 6 primary categories of minerals adding to resuspended indoor dust. Probably the most abundant contaminants were individuals of crustal origin made up of Si, Al, O and Ca. Checking electron microscopy demonstrated that, additionally to several inorganic contaminants, various materials especially skin scales from the primary area of the resuspended dust within the gyms. To conclude, school gyms were discovered to be indoor microenvironments rich in levels of coarse particulate matter, which could lead to elevated short-term inhalation exposure of working out children. 
Photo: flickr/USDAgov
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