Exceptionally high temperatures were recorded in November. The pollution alarm goes off.
In a year that might become the hottest ever recorded worldwide, this month our country recorded exceptionally high temperatures, at late spring levels, with severely affected glaciers. The temperatures well above the season’s average and ensuing fog raised the levels detected by the measurement stations of fine dust and other pollutants, the concentrations of which were extremely high in some cities.
Fine dust that is not cleared by rain keeps circulating in our air, outdoors as well as in the home! And the quality of indoor air is a “hot” topic as shown by the conference on “Air quality assessment in confined residential and work spaces: a powerful prevention tool” that took place at the end of October in Lecco, actively promoted by the Public Health Laboratory of the Local Health Authority’s Prevention Department.
“Prevention in residential and work spaces is the foundation of all actions taken to protect health and promote an ever better quality of life,” said Dr. Antonio Gattinoni, Health Director of the Lecco Local Health Authority.
The conference allowed different professionals (preventive doctors, surveyors, biologists, engineers, architects, chemists) to exchange views on air quality in residential and work spaces and to indicate preventive and sanitising actions to be implemented in designing buildings and air handling systems.
In a year that might become
the hottest ever recorded worldwide, this month our country recorded
exceptionally high temperatures, at late spring levels, with severely affected
glaciers. The temperatures well above the season’s average and ensuing fog raised
the levels detected by the measurement stations of fine dust and other
pollutants, the concentrations of which were extremely high in some
cities.
Fine dust that is not cleared by rain keeps circulating in our air, outdoors as
well as in the home! And the quality of indoor air is a “hot” topic as shown by
the conference on “Air quality assessment in confined residential and work
spaces: a powerful prevention tool” that took place at the end of October in
Lecco, actively promoted by the Public Health Laboratory of the Local Health
Authority’s Prevention Department.
“Prevention in residential and work spaces is the foundation of all actions
taken to protect health and promote an ever better quality of life,” said Dr.
Antonio Gattinoni, Health Director of the Lecco Local Health Authority.
The conference allowed different professionals (preventive doctors, surveyors,
biologists, engineers, architects, chemists) to exchange views on air quality
in residential and work spaces and to indicate preventive and sanitising
actions to be implemented in designing buildings and air handling systems.
Newsletter
Ferrari!
The Formula One seasons is coming to an end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and, although the cards have already been dealt for both titles, Sergio Marchionne, Ferrari’s Chairman, has urged his team to give of its best in order to round the year off, while the company is already plotting its strategy for 2016.
Ferrari is an outstanding brand that has fans around the world dreaming. A company that excellently embodies the Bel Paese’s abilities.
And, because leaders attract other leaders, the Maranello offices of the chairman, undergoing renovation, are all air-conditioned by Sabiana, which supplied 26 SKYSTAR ECM fan coils.
An appointment which we at Sabiana are obviously proud of.
The Formula One seasons is
coming to an end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and, although the cards have
already been dealt for both titles, Sergio Marchionne, Ferrari’s Chairman, has
urged his team to give of its best in order to round the year off, while the
company is already plotting its strategy for 2016.
Ferrari is an outstanding brand that has fans around the world dreaming. A
company that excellently embodies the Bel Paese’s abilities.
And, because leaders attract other leaders, the Maranello offices of the
chairman, undergoing renovation, are all air-conditioned by Sabiana, which
supplied 26 SKYSTAR ECM fan coils.
An appointment which we at Sabiana are obviously proud of.
Newsletter
Extension of the bonuses for energy upgrading and building renovation works.
The 2016 stability law especially focuses on homeowners, by extending the 50% IRPEF tax relief for renovations and 65% for energy saving, which will allow them to benefit again next year from significant savings on construction and energy efficiency improvement work on buildings, as well as on purchases of furniture and large household appliances.
Public housing management bodies will also be able to access tax relief through a 170 million Euro fund allocated for maintenance and will therefore be able to carry out renovations on the most obsolete buildings.
AS is the case for this year, the eco bonus for 65% consists in an IRPEF or IRES tax relief, spread over ten annual instalments. The maximum permitted amount for the deduction is 100 thousand Euro. All taxpayers and businesses owners of the property undergoing energy upgrade can benefit from the tax credit. The actions include reducing energy use for winter heating and works for thermal improvement of the building.
The relief for anti-seismic adaptation works, aimed at making existing buildings safe, is also confirmed. One may apply for the ecobonus both for upgrading works in individual flats and in the common parts of blocks of flats. The deduction cannot be combined with that for the renovation bonus.
The 50% bonus is also confirmed for 2016, to the amount of 96 thousand Euro amortised over ten years. In this case the construction work is for renovation. The application for the relief may be submitted by the owners or holders of real rights on the property undergoing work, as well as tenants and free loan users.
Another piece of good news is the confirmation of the furniture bonus: 50% tax deduction, up to a ceiling of 10 thousand Euro. The relief includes expenses incurred for furniture and large household appliances.
The 2016 stability law
especially focuses on homeowners, by extending the 50% IRPEF tax relief for
renovations and 65% for energy saving, which will allow them to benefit again
next year from significant savings on construction and energy efficiency improvement
work on buildings, as well as on purchases of furniture and large household
appliances.
Public housing management bodies will also be able to access tax relief through
a 170 million Euro fund allocated for maintenance and will therefore be able to
carry out renovations on the most obsolete buildings.
AS is the case for this year, the
eco bonus for 65% consists in an IRPEF or IRES tax relief, spread over
ten annual instalments. The maximum permitted amount for the deduction is 100
thousand Euro. All taxpayers and businesses owners of the property undergoing
energy upgrade can benefit from the tax credit. The actions include reducing
energy use for winter heating and works for thermal improvement of the
building.
The relief for anti-seismic adaptation works, aimed at making existing
buildings safe, is also confirmed. One may apply for the ecobonus both for
upgrading works in individual flats and in the common parts of blocks of flats.
The deduction cannot be combined with that for the renovation bonus.
The 50% bonus is also confirmed for
2016, to the amount of 96 thousand Euro amortised over ten years. In this case
the construction work is for renovation. The application for the relief may be
submitted by the owners or holders of real rights on the property undergoing
work, as well as tenants and free loan users.
Another piece of good news is the confirmation of the furniture bonus: 50% tax deduction, up to a ceiling of 10 thousand
Euro. The relief includes expenses incurred for furniture and large household
appliances.
Newsletter
Old people’s homes should clear the air.
According to the international GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the poor quality of the air they breathe.
The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and breathing health of the guests.
We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases, i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR.
The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly guests’ respiratory discomfort.
"A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products. Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if it is allowed to smoke outside the building.”
The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.
According to the international
GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests
have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the
poor quality of the air they breathe.
The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes
in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly
guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and
breathing health of the guests.
We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine
dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases,
i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a
pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of
carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says
Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for
Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR.
The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various
countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the
pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately
change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly
guests’ respiratory discomfort.
"A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in
residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress
of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic
substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products.
Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if
it is allowed to smoke outside the building.”
The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are
lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in
indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all
elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.