Abstract
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.
Highlights
Introduction iationsIndoor air quality (IAQ) is the air quality inside buildings
Several studies show that health risk, individual sensitivity, and subjective symptoms related to indoor air pollutants in the office are related to the duration of stay and show that the degree of discomfort decreases over time
Indoor benzene, ethylbenzene, and acetaldehyde concentrations in offices had a significant association with dry eye, ophthalmitis, and headache symptoms, showing that concentrations were higher in offices with workers with subjective symptoms
Summary
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is the air quality inside buildings. 88% of their time indoors, the management of indoor environments has emerged as an important factor that determines the quality of life [1]. The IAQ is an indicator of exposure to indoor air pollutants. According to the results of a Time-Use Survey in 2014 by Statistics Korea, office workers spend more than eight hours a day in the office [2]. The number of office workers was the largest among the nine standard occupational categories and has shown a steadily increasing trend over the past few years [3]. Office workers may comprise sensitive receptors, namely pregnant women, the elderly, and more vulnerable populations such as individuals with chemical hypersensitivity and those who are immunocompromised [4]. Because the indoor environment is complex, the cumulative effect
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