ABSTRACT
Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the UFP inhalation dose rates in Portuguese
1 INTRODUCTION
Currently, several guidelines and strategies have been developed in order to reduce the health risk caused by indoor exposure to particulate matter (WHO, 2005). For instance, the EnVIE project showed that source control approaches and adequate ventilation are the key elements to reduce health problems related with inadequate indoor air quality, including fine and coarse particulate matter pollution (Oliveira Fernandes, 2008). However, there are no regulations regarding the concentrations of Ultrafine Particles (UFPs) which are particles smaller <0.1 μm and s strong source of oxidative stress and lung inflammation, possibly causing the onset or exacerbation of asthma and other respiratory diseases. The strong toxicity of UFPs is often associated to their proficiency for penetrating cell membranes (Peters et al., 1997, Penttinen et al., 2001) and consequent carcinogenic activity (Stanek et al., 2011).
