No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

In this study, a range of environmental and microbiological factors were measured at three different fitness centres in a tropical environment with contrasting ventilation regimes, including an airconditioned indoor facility, an indoor facility with natural ventilation and an outdoor, open-air facility. A parallel questionnaire survey of the attitudes of the exercisers toward their fitness centre's environment and hygiene was also conducted. Measurement results indicate that airborne inhalable particulate matter (PM 10 ), air speed (AS), temperature and relative humidity (RH) were statistically different among the three fitness centres. There were also significant differences in the bacteria and fungi levels, in the air and on equipment surfaces, in the three centres. A strong negative association between AS and PM 10 (R 2 ¼ -0.98) was observed at the air-conditioned indoor fitness centre. When the results of all three fitness centres were combined, the airborne microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) were positively correlated to AS and RH, while those on equipment surfaces were negatively correlated. Temperature was found to be significantly correlated to an increase in the numbers of all types of microorganisms studied, except on-equipment-surface fungi. The attitudinal survey indicated that the participants were less stressed during exercises in the air-conditioned fitness centre.

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are the most harmful chlorination by-products that cause cancer in human. The objectives of this research were to investigate concentrations of 4 THMs species: chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform, in tap water and swimming pool water from an indoor swimming pool during and to assess lifetime cancer risk caused by these substances by the USEPA (1989) method for 6 cases, i.e., adult swimmer, adult non-swimmer, young swimmer, young non-swimmer, swimming teacher and swimming pool staff. Tap water and swimming pool water contained concentrations of total THMs below the standards of WHO, EU and US-EPA while there was no standard of THMs in indoor air. Cancer risks of all 6 cases were in the range of 1.23E-04 -8.36E-03. All of them exceed the acceptable range recommended by the USEPA. The highest cancer risk was found among the swimming pool staff via inhalation. THMs exposure from indoor swimming pool was the main source of cancer risk. Therefore, organic matters as THMs precursor in water should be reduced and air ventilation system should be improved in order to minimize concentrations of THMs in air.