A long-term multi-parametric monitoring study: Indoor air quality (IAQ) and the sources of the pollutants, prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms, and respiratory health indicators

Choe

Shin

et al. 2022

IJERPH

The 2014 Time-Use Survey of Statistics Korea revealed that office workers are increasingly spending more than eight hours at work. This study conducted an exposure assessment for office workers in Korea. Indoor and outdoor air pollutants were measured in offices. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to determine work information, indoor air quality (IAQ) awareness, and subjective symptoms for 328 workers. Indoor air concentrations for measured air pollutants were below IAQ guideline values. The average concentrations of target air pollutants did not show significant differences except for benzene, which had relatively a higher concentration in national industrial complexes. The indoor benzene, ethylbenzene, and acetaldehyde concentrations were higher in offices where workers were having dry eye, ophthalmitis, and headache symptoms. This study provides reference values to manage IAQ in offices, suggesting that if the benzene concentration exceeds 4.23 μg/m3 in offices, it could cause dry eye symptoms. Considering the increasing working hours for office workers and health effects, workers' exposure to indoor pollutants should be reduced. In addition, the IAQ was heavily influenced by outdoor air levels and various indoor sources. Therefore, in areas with relatively high air pollution, greater monitoring and management is required considering the influence of outdoor air quality.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Risk Assessment of Indoor Air Quality and Its Association with Subjective Symptoms among Office Workers in Korea

Choe

Shin

et al. 2022

IJERPH

“…1). (Wei et al, 2019;Mentese et al, 2020). For sampling of VOCs, after connecting the adsorption tube of Tenax TA to the flow sampling pump, a total of 3.0 L of air in the small chamber was collected at 167 ml/min (Yassin and Pillai, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Influence of the Building Material on the Indoor Air Quality in Apartment in Dubai

Arar

Qassimi

2022

Front. Built Environ.

The residents of Dubai spend more than 90% of their time indoors and this lifestyle makes them easily exposed to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). Even though Dubai Municipality strictly apply the IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) stipulation, indiscreet use of unproven finishing materials has been increased to deteriorate the health of residents in Dubai. The objective of this paper is to investigate the degree of influence of building material on indoor air pollutants concentration by measurement and prediction. As a methodology, indoor pollutants concentration was measured and investigated, variables were extracted through emission intensity experiments, and the indoor concentration was predicted by applying the double exponential decay model. The result had shown that electronic products, furniture, and textile products become new sources of indoor air pollution. The difference in emission patterns of wallpaper and flooring is confirmed via the emission rate test. It is statistically proven that Formaldehyde (CH2O) and VOCs showed a difference in the cumulative emission amount within 100 h but after that, it was confirmed that the difference in emission amount between materials became very small. In case of CH2O, the cumulative emission of the flooring material is greater than that of the wallpaper. This study will serve as a basic data to explore the cause of indoor air pollutants in daily life to reduce SBS symptoms in Dubai.

“…These chemicals are generated from unrated building materials such as adhesives, varnishes, paints, and tiles in newly built or renovated buildings. Even with minimum amount, it can have serious impact on human body [45,46]. Formaldehyde (CH 2 O) is emitted from wood, plywood, and furniture, and VOCs are emitted from textile products of household appliances [47,48] (Table 2).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the Indoor Air Quality after Renovation at the Greens in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Awad

2021

Buildings

The Public Health and Safety Department of Dubai Municipality had evaluated the indoor air quality in public buildings in 2013, then established the IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) regulation. Even though IAQ in public building is in control, indoor air pollution in new and renovated housing is still very problematic. The objective of this paper is to measure the indoor air quality of the residential unit in an apartment after renovation to evaluate the actual condition and to analyze the influential factors. As a methodology, field measurements, resident interviews, and observations were conducted for 20 residential units to investigate basic information, renovation contents, ventilation characteristics, and SBS (Sick Building Syndrome) symptoms. The results showed that renovation related to the indoor air quality was the replacement of finishing materials. It was statistically proven that the average CO2 for each house was 683–2309.4 ppm, and 15 houses exceeded the WHO IAQ standards. TVOC had an average concentration of 0–3.0 ppm per house, exceeding the standard in 10 houses. Formaldehyde (CH2O) had an average concentration of 0–1.02 ppm per house, exceeding the WHO IAQ standard (0.1 ppm) in 12 houses. However, even though the indoor air quality was polluted, the residents were hardly aware of it based on subjective response survey. As the amount of renovation increases, the concentration of formaldehyde (CH2O) increases significantly, and excessive renovation should be avoided. This study will serve as a basic dataset to suggest that the new IAQ regulation not be compulsory for residents; rather, they must induce contractors with stipulation to maintain IAQ during and after renovation.