Browsing by Author "Taptiklis, Phoebe"

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    House characteristics and indoor dampness and mould in three New Zealand House Condition Surveys conducted in 2005, 2010 and 2015 : a thesis by publications presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Taptiklis, Phoebe
    Indoor dampness is a common exposure associated with adverse health effects such as asthma and respiratory infections. This thesis aimed to improve understanding of the determinants of indoor dampness by analysing three New Zealand House Condition Surveys. The methodology included assessing associations between house characteristics and five assessments of indoor dampness (inspector-assessed subjective dampness, visible mould, musty odour and moisture measured in ceiling and floor joists). Using multivariate regression, the analyses showed that better insulation and ventilation were associated with less indoor subjective dampness, visible mould and musty odour, but were not associated with moisture measurements. Rental tenure and higher occupancy were associated with more subjective indoor dampness, visible mould and musty odour, and no associations were observed with moisture measurements. Poorer conditions of the subfloor (insufficient ventilation, absence of a ground vapour barrier and evidence of ponding or leaks) were associated with more subjective indoor dampness and higher moisture measured in the floor joists. Poorer condition, cumulatively, of five elements of the building envelope (condition of: roof, cladding, windows, exterior paint and spouting and guttering) was associated, in a dose-dependent manner, with more subjective indoor dampness, visible mould (including when restricted to bedrooms and living rooms only), musty odour and higher measured moisture in floor joists. Moisture in ceilings and floor joists were weakly correlated with each other, and with subjective dampness and musty odour, but moisture in joists was not associated with visible mould. The main conclusion is that the building envelope condition is an important determinant of indoor dampness. Also, the results described in this thesis strongly suggest that a single measure of indoor dampness may not fully capture the most relevant exposure; as a consequence, for future epidemiological studies on the health effects of indoor dampness, it may be best to collect (and analyse) several measures of indoor dampness.
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    Solvent exposure characterisation in the collision repair industry in New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Public Health at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Taptiklis, Phoebe
    Background: Reviews of solvent exposure and neurotoxicity have identified the need for improved understanding of the characteristics of exposure in industries where workers are exposed to solvents (WHO 1985, Baker 1988, Mikkelson 1996, Meyer-Baron 2008). Subjects and Methods: This exposure assessment study was conducted in 16 collision repair workshops in the Wellington region of New Zealand, and included 100 air samples from 77 workers in 16 workshops and 76 urine samples from 18 workers. Air was analysed using gas chromatography for solvents and urine was analysed for hippuric acid, metabolite of toluene. Regression analyses were performed and an exposure model was defined. Results: The highly statistically significant multivariate exposure model with an R square value of .77 was able to explain almost 80% of the variance in the personal air exposure data. Significant associations between personal air solvent exposure and workshop ventilation characteristics were found: Gunwasher if placed in the workshop area without separate ventilation had a coefficient of 2.19 (1.34-3.59) and mixing room ventilation if floor level and away from the main mixing bench had a coefficient of 3.06 (1.51-6.19) compared with the reference category. Urine analysis did not show a statistically significant association with personal toluene or glove use. Conclusions: Workshop ventilation characteristics have a significant impact on individual exposures. Recommendations can be given to industry to help lower exposures and results can feed into the neurobehavioural study to aid exposure characterisation in this population. This study has shown that exposure characterisation using statistical methods is a plausible and useful way to assess relative weight across a spectrum of exposure sources, and to identify areas for effective intervention.