Abstract
Building renovations can adversely affect building occupants through the release of biological contaminants, gases and particulates. In this study, the research aim was to monitor the air quality of a renovated building and assess the impact of sick building syndrome (SBS) on the occupants. Post occupancy monitoring of the building was carried out after two months occupancy for the following environmental parameters: airborne microflora using an air sampler (SAS super 180) and a hand-held monitoring device (Graywolf advance sense IQ-610) to measure total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), CO2, CO and temperature and relative humidity in each office environment. In addition, an online (Qualtrics) structured questionnaire was used to assess occupants’ perceptions of the indoor environment. Results of the airborne flora showed 833 cfu/m3 recovered on a Malt Extract Agar (MEA) plate in the morning and 1213 cfu/m3 in the afternoon. A similar result was noticed on a Plate Count Agar (PCA) plate during the morning period (731 cfu/m3) and afternoon (1358 cfu/m3). Results of TVOC monitored over one week showed that the first two days of monitoring had a high reading that peaked at 10,837 ppb and that the CO2 concentration during that period was 1163 ppm. Online questionnaire analysis indicates that a majority of the staff who took part in the survey experienced some form of health abnormality, including headache, shortness of breath, itchy eyes/ears, loss of concentration and so on, especially in the first few weeks of returning to the office. The results from the study indicate that a large proportion (41%) of the respondents experienced thermal discomfort as a result of varying room temperature during their working hours. A high number of female participants experienced some form of SBS as compared to their male counterparts. The study findings show a direct relationship between high airborne mold counts, TVOC and adverse staff health perception of the building. The study raised a number of opportunities for estate managers to improve building performance based on occupants’ preferences.
Highlights
Indoor air quality is becoming a matter of concern to the both medics and other experts in built environments
76% indicated that their office environment was ventilated by means of opening a window, and a combined 53% of respondents said that their office environment was either crowded or overcrowded (Table 1)
Fatigue (46%) and difficulty in concentrating to execute tasks (28%) were the most prevalent concerns raised by staff, with all responses strongly linked to work environment (Table 2)
Summary
Indoor air quality is becoming a matter of concern to the both medics and other experts in built environments. We spend over 70% or our time inside buildings without being aware of the indoor conditions that may lead to adverse health conditions. Experts have concluded that exposure to air pollutants present in indoor air, poor air exchange with the outside environment and inadequate lighting in the building in which people work can negatively impact occupants’ health, leading to a form of health problem termed sick building syndrome (SBS). SBS is an ill-health condition experienced when people in a work environment exhibit a range of non-specific, building-related symptoms. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1972; doi:10.3390/ijerph17061972 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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