This is the first study in Egypt aims to characterize the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the residential environments to assess the elders' daily exposure to indoor air pollutants. Outdoor and indoor (living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens) concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, and TVOCs were measured simultaneously in 28 private residences using direct-reading monitors during the period from March to June 2021. Information on occupants, household characteristics and indoor activities was collected via a questionnaire. Furthermore, air exchange rates (AERs) were measured in the living rooms and bedrooms of all monitored homes. Distribution of elderly exposures in the monitored microenvironments was calculated based on time-activity diary applied in all residences to collect information on the activities and time spent by elders in each microenvironment. During coronavirus outbreak, results showed that in average elderly spend 99% of their time indoors (63% in bedrooms, 33% in living rooms, and 3% in kitchens). The daily average exposures of elders to PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, and TVOCs in all selected residences were 92.9 +/- 18.8 mu g/m(3), 65.3 +/- 12.4 mu g/m(3), 1.0 +/- 0.5 ppm, 886.6 +/- 97.1 ppm, and 309.3 +/- 73.7 mu g/m(3), respectively. Living rooms and bedrooms had the highest contribution to the elderly exposure to measured air pollutants. The results and performed statistical analyses (Pearson correlation and t test) confirmed that indoor activities (cooking, smoking, and cleaning) can significantly influence IAQ in living rooms and bedrooms. Other factors including occupancy, AER, room volume, and proximity to major roads were also found to be significant determinants (p < 0.05) of IAQ in these two microenvironments.
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