Environmental quality assessment in areas used for physical activity and recreation in a city affected by intense urban expansion (Fortaleza-CE, Brazil): implications for public health policy

Abstract

The multi-indicators (chemical, biological, and physical), as well as their associated risks to human health, were assessed at the same time as an assessment of the use of sites for physical activity. The sampling was conducted in both the dry and wet seasons in 2014, between 4:30 and 7:30 pm, a period considered the ‘‘peak hours’’ of traffic and also the time that most people practice physical activity. Regarding the chemical indicators, the distribution of carbonyl compound levels should be influenced by the flow of vehicles, while the respirable particles are governed by the number of diesel vehicles. The cancer risk corresponding to the value recommended by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for formaldehyde was exceeded only in the dry season in one location studied. The risk of non-carcinogenic substances showed that acrolein levels at all locations and in the two periods studied might cause adverse effects to the health of the recreation site users. Exposure to respirable particles at levels corresponding to the value recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) was exceeded in all locations during the two study periods. For biological indicators, only the bacteria levels show pollution ranging from medium to high for the two sites in both periods studied. Regarding the physical indicators, the noise levels in the studied sites exceeded the standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and US-EPA. In most places, the thermal comfort was close to 40, which is classified as ‘‘supportable discomfort.’’