Indoor Air Quality in the Hospital: The Influence of Heating, Ventilating and Conditioning Systems

Abstract

Clean, fresh air is the most important requirement for good indoor air quality (IAQ) in all buildings, but it is especially important with regard to the environments within hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The literature indicates that buildings with heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems may have an increased risk of sick building syndrome (SBS) and building-related illness (BRI) if they are not well maintained. Microorganisms are brought into hospitals by people, air currents, water, construction materials and equipment. The main objective of this study was to assess the degree of fungal and bacterial contamination in the University Clinical Centre in Banja Luka, which is directly connected to the HVAC system. Airborne bacteria and fungi in the indoor hospital environment were assessed experimentally. Air samples were collected during the winter season. This paper presents the results related to the concentration of microorganisms expressed in colony forming units per cubic metre of air sampled (in CFU/m 3 ) together with the microclimatic parameters temperature and relative humidity. The results of monitoring indicate the effectiveness of HVAC systems in reducing microbiological contamination.

Environmental Factors and Ventilation Affect Concentrations of Microorganisms in Hospital Wards of Southern Thailand

“…e average concentration of bacteria in bioaerosols sampler ranged from 335.5 to 928.89 CFU/m 3 whereas the open plate had the range 209.69-592.06 CFU/ m 3 . e highest average concentrations of bacteria were detected after the visiting hours in ward D, according to both measurement methods (see Figure 2).…”

“…e highest average concentrations of bacteria were detected after the visiting hours in ward D, according to both measurement methods (see Figure 2). Regarding the fungal concentrations, the average concentration from bioaerosols sampler method ranged from 134.50 to 487.22 CFU/m 3 , and for open plate measurements, the range was 18.82-87.50 CFU/m 3 . Also, the highest average concentrations of fungi were found in ward D when using bioaerosols sampler, but in ward A when using open plate at nighttime.…”

“…Hospitals are dynamic environments exposed to various indoor and outdoor environmental sources and can support microbial survival and growth [1][2][3]. Characterizing the airborne microorganisms in hospital buildings is important.…”

Indoor Microbiological air Pollution in the Hospital

“…Safety and comfort of patients and medical staff are the top priority in all hospitals. Architects and other engineers manage the function and design of hospitals, but epidemiologists and infection-control professionals with specialized meters and techniques are required in order to maintain hospital buildings (Božić et al, 2019).…”

“…Aerial transmission is the most important route for many microbial pathogens in indoor environments, including hospitals. The concentration of biological agents inside a building depends not only on the amount of agent released, which determines the strength of the source, but on the rate of exchange between indoor and outdoor air through ventilation as well (Božić et al, 2019).…”