Association between Indoor Air Quality Parameters (PM2.5, CO2, and Bioaerosols) in Children Day Care Centres with and without Air Purifier in Bangi.

Abstract

Introduction: The use of air purifiers have been demonstrated to reduce the level of indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters, thus these may give beneficial effects to the human health. Studies on the effectivity of air purifier in the indoor settings are still limited especially in sensitive environmental settings such as daycare centres. Objective: This study aims to determine the concentration of IAQ parameters between daycare centres with and without the use of an air purifier. Methodology: Purposive sampling was used in selecting the daycare centre with (DC3) and without air purifier (DC1 and DC2) within Bangi areas. The walkthrough inspection was conducted and 5 parameters of IAQ including PM2.5, CO2, bioaerosol (bacterial and fungal), relative humidity and temperature were assessed in this study. A standardized and modified questionnaire adopted from The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was distributed to 46 parents to assess sociodemographic and respiratory symptoms among their children. Result: The result showed that there is a significant difference between PM2.5, CO2, bacteria and fungi concentration in studied areas. Daycare centres with air purifiers (DC3) found the lowest concentration of PM2.5 (18.2 µg/m3) and bacterial count (148 CFU/m3) except for fungal counts and CO2 level. The finding showed that PM2.5 in daycare centres without air purifier (DC1) had the highest (39.1µg/m3). All IAQ parameters not exceed the National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQs) and Department of Occupational, Safety and Health (DOSH) standards. All respiratory symptoms showed no significant difference between daycare with and without air purifier except for asthma symptoms. The higher number of children in the DCs without air purifiers experiences a productive cough and allergic reaction compared to the DC with an air purifier. Conclusion: The finding suggests that the daycare centers with air purifiers can improve IAQ and lower the risk of respiratory symptoms among the centre’s building occupants.