Association between Human Health and Indoor Air Pollution in Saudi Arabia: Indoor Environmental Quality Survey

Abstract

In many aspects of life quality, bio-contaminants and indoor air quality have had catastrophic consequences, including a negative impact on human health with an increased prevalence of allergic respiratory reactions, asthma, and infectious diseases. We aimed to evaluate the quality of indoor air environment and find out the association between human health and indoor air pollution and also to assess the physical health status of a group of Saudi and non-Saudi populations during this pandemic. Also, we aimed to assess the most common health condition or symptoms associated with ventilation. A questionnaire was distributed online to test indoor air quality, ventilation status, common signs and symptoms of any allergy or mental status and their relationship to certain variables. A total of 362 respondents were included. Before living in the current home, flu or Influenza and chapped lips were more prevalent than allergies and chapped lips signs while living in the current home. (12.2% , 10.8% vs. 18.5% , 13.55% before and after respectively) Multiple colds were the second most common symptom (10.2%). Hoarse voice and headaches were the least common symptoms experienced; each constituted 4.4%. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, most respondents wore a facemask, approximately 76.5%; and almost one-third of respondents had bright natural light inside the current home (43.1%). The presence of natural light within the current home was significantly associated with symptoms experienced during living in the current house (p<0.05). Natural sunlight exposure could decrease allergic symptoms and minor health problems associated with poor ventilation and air quality indoors. In current living homes, the majority of respondents never used air purifiers (72.9 percent). In order to get attention from people to enhance the quality and ventilation mechanism of indoor air, special care and awareness of the effects of the use of air purifiers on human health is needed.

Indoor Air Quality Certification and Consumers’ Willingness: Taiwan’s Experience and Survey

“…At the same time, the surveys can be roughly divided into three types: measurement quality and comparative analysis [12,13], measurement as the main part and supplemented by some subjective questionnaire surveys [14], and pure public IAQ perception surveys [15,16]. Secondly, IAQ surveys around the world have also shown different characteristics in recent years: combining instrumental measurements and subjective questionnaires [17][18][19][20][21] and IAQ perception surveys for specific spaces [22,23]. It is worth mentioning that some research has emphasized public IAQ perception surveys and conducted comparative analyses [24].…”

Indoor air quality in Saudi residential homes

“…Several studies were conducted in KSA to assess the levels of air quality in different indoor environments such as offices, hospitals, schools, hotels and restaurants. [37][38][39][40] For example, a study was conducted to investigate the IAQ in offices and the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms amongst office workers in the deanship of faculty members and employees affairs at Umm Al-Qura University, where the result showed that the measured levels of CO 2 in offices of all sections were well within the limits recommended by the ASHRAE Standard 62.1, 41 except for one department, while levels of PM 2.5 , PM 10 and TVOC in all departments exceeded the recommended value. 42 However, limited data are available regarding the indoor air quality (IAQ) level in homes, which is considered an important issue of public concern.…”