Monitoring PM2.5 at a Large Shopping Mall: A Case Study in Macao

Abstract

Employees work long hours in an environment where the ambient air quality is poor, directly affecting their work efficiency. The concentration of particulate matters (PM) produced by the interior renovation of shopping malls has not received particular attention in Macao. Therefore, this study will investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ), in particular of PM2.5, in large-scale shopping mall renovation projects. This study collected on-site PM data with low-cost portable monitoring equipment placed temporarily at specific locations to examine whether the current control measures are appropriate and propose some improvements. Prior to this study, there were no measures being implemented, and on-site monitoring to assess the levels of PM2.5 concentrations was non-existent. The results show the highest level of PM2.5 recorded in this study was 559.00 μg/m3. Moreover, this study may provide a reference for decision-makers, management, construction teams, design consultant teams, and renovation teams of large-scale projects. In addition, the monitoring of IAQ can ensure a comfortable environment for employees and customers. This study concluded that the levels of PM2.5 concentration have no correlation with the number of on-site workers, but rather were largely influenced by the processes being performed on-site.

Indoor PM2.5 concentrations in various retail stores in an urban city: Levels, sources and health risk assessment

“…Similarly, in a study conducted by Challoner and Gill 82 in different workplaces, higher indoor environmental levels were measured during working hours compared to other hours. Also, in the other study conducted by Lei et al, 83 indoor PM 2.5 levels were measured in the public area of a shopping mall and the average daily value was found to be 20.14 µg/m 3 . In this study, indoor PM 2.5 concentrations measured at all retail stores during busy hours of both seasons were found to be higher than the levels measured in the study carried out by Lei et al 83 In general, the results obtained in this study indicated that PM 2.5 concentrations varied due to several factors, such as the presence of strong indoor sources, activities, ventilation effect, building's location and traffic density around the building.…”

Editorial Overview of the Special Issue “Air Quality Monitoring for Smart Cities and Industrial Applications”

“…Among the studies presented in this issue, there is one that reports a crowdsensing-based vehicle sensor network system for real-time monitoring of urban PM levels, discussing its costeffectiveness and benefits [7]. The impact of poor indoor air quality on work efficiency is examined through a case study of PM2.5 levels in a large shopping mall in Macao [8].…”