Environmental assessment of the indoor air contaminants on the air conditioning system at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) main library.

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UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE INDOOR AIR

CONTAMINANTS ON THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

AT THE UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

(UTeM) MAIN LIBRARY

This report submitted in accordance with requirement of the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) for the Bachelor Degree of Engineering Technology

(Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning System) (Hons.)

AZRINSHAH BIN ABU BAKAR B071110215

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UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS LAPORAN PROJEK SARJANA MUDA TAJUK: Environmental Assessment of the Indoor Air Contaminants on the Air Conditioning System at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) Main Library

SESI PENGAJIAN: 2014/15 Semester 1

Saya AZRINSHAH BIN ABU BAKAR

mengaku membenarkan Laporan PSM ini disimpan di Perpustakaan Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut: 1. Laporan PSM adalah hak milik Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka dan penulis. 2. Perpustakaan Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka dibenarkan membuat salinan

untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja dengan izin penulis.

3. Perpustakaan dibenarkan membuat salinan laporan PSM ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi.

4. **Sila tandakan ( )

TERHAD SULIT

TIDAK TERHAD

(Mengandungi maklumat yang berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysia sebagaimana yang termaktub dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972)

(Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan oleh organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan)

Alamat Tetap:

No. 407, Blok 3, Jalan 17/24, Seksyen 17, Shah Alam, 40200, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Tarikh: ________________________

Disahkan oleh:

Cop Rasmi:

Tarikh: _______________________ ** Jika Laporan PSM ini SULIT atau TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa/organisasi

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DECLARATION

I hereby, declaredthis report entitled “Environmental Assessment of the Indoor Air Contaminants on the Air Conditioning System at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) Main Library” is the results of my own research except as cited in

references.

Signature : ……….

Author’s Name : ……….

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APPROVAL

This report is submitted to the Faculty of Engineering Technology of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Technology (Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Systems) (Hons.). The member of the supervisory is as follow:

………

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ABSTRAK

Kualiti Udara Dalaman (KUD) dan kesan buruknya pada kesihatan, keselesaan dan pengeluaran penghuni adalah satu topik yang telah mendapat minat yang meningkat kebelakangan ini. Di beberapa negara-negara membangun seperti Malaysia, pengetahuan tentang KUD adalah rendah. Malaysia juga merupakan negara beriklim panas dan lembap sepanjang tahun itu yang membuat penggunaan sistem penghawa dingin (AC) adalah hampir wajib untuk setiap bangunan untuk memastikan penghuni selesa. Sistem penyaman udara yang digunakan di Perpustakaan Utama di UTeM telah digunakan selama beberapa tahun, ia membuatkan penilaian KUD diperlukan untuk mengenal pasti tahap Bahan Cemar Udara (BCU) dalam bangunan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis keadaan sistem penghawa dingin digunakan di Perpustakaan Utama Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) dari perspektif KUD dan BCU. Di dalam penyelidikan ini, piawai akan diambil dari Industrial Code of Practice (ICOP) yang telah menggariskan cadangan yang sesuai untuk tahap bahan cemar udara dalaman di bangunan yang menggunakan sistem AC di Malaysia. Dapatan kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa sistem penghawa dingin yang digunakan menyediakan udara dengan parameter IAC di bawah had maksimum manakala tidak mencapai keadaan keselesaan terma. Data melebihi atau di bawah julat keselesaan yang disyorkan oleh ICOP dan ASHRAE. Ini menunjukkan bahawa sistem penyaman udara yang digunakan dalam bangunan itu tidak mencapai tujuan reka bentuk iaitu untuk memberi keselesaan terma kepada penghuni di bangunan yang membawa kepada ketidakselesaan. Akhir sekali, dari semua korelasi menyebabkan,

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ABSTRACT

Indoor air quality (IAQ) and its bad effects to health, comfort and production of the occupants is a topic that has increasing interest in the past years. In some developing countries such as Malaysia, the knowledge on the IAQ is low. In Malaysia, the climate is hot and humid throughout the year thus making the use of air-conditioning (AC) system is almost compulsory to every building in order to keep the occupants comfortable. The air conditioning system used in the Main Library in UTeM has been used for several years thus, making the assessment of IAQ is needed to identify the level of IAC in the building. This research propose to analyze the condition of the air-conditioning system used in the Main Library of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) from the IAQ and Indoor Air Contaminants (IAC) perspective. The research checklist and the standard will be taken from the Industrial Code of Practice (ICOP) which is known to have provided the suitable recommendation for the concentration of IAC in buildings with AC system in Malaysia. The findings in this study indicate that the air conditioning system have provide air with the IAC parameter below the maximum limit while not achieving thermal comfort condition. The data exceed or below the comfort range recommended by ICOP and ASHRAE. This showed that the air conditioning system used in the building did not accomplish its design purpose which is to provide thermal comfort to the occupants in the building which lead to feeling of discomfort sensation. Finally, from all of the correlations result, we could conclude that the air-conditioning and ventilation system is highly related with the IAQ and IAC parameters. The ventilation system is crucial in providing a safe and comfort air to the occupied space.

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DEDICATION

I dedicate my disquisition work to my family and many friends. A feeling of humble and gratitude to my loving parents, Abu Bakar Bin Jasa and Raishah Binti Mokhtar whose words of encouragement and push for tenacity ring in my ears. My brothers Barshah Bin Abu Bakar and Banny Bin Abu Bakar have never left my side and are always there for me. To my sisters and sister-in-laws, Belinna Binti Abu Bakar, Arieshah Binti Abu Bakar, Suleha Binti Osman and Nurulhuda Binti Ateh who always supported me and listens to my problems. I also dedicate this disquisition to my many friends and class mates who have always giving me encouragements throughout the process. I will always appreciate all they have done, especially Ahmad Fitri Bin Anuar for helping me develop my English skills and for many hours of proof reading, Nurbazilah Binti Abdul Halim Lim for being all ears on the long nights of complaining, and my class mates for helping me complete this research with ease. I dedicate this work and give special thanks to my best friends Ahmad Qamarul Asyraf Bin Azman, Abdul Muhaimin Bin Abdul Mutalib, Muhammad Fahmi Bin Tazaruddin and Muhammad Faridz Bin Marwaji and also to my wonderful nephews Haziq Sulaiman Bin Barshah, Naufal Rizqin Bin Banny, Nuqman Zariff Bin Banny and Armin Zuhair Bin Barshah for being there for me throughout the entire bachelor degree project. All of you have been my best cheerleaders.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to thank my faculty members who were more than generous with their expertise and precious time. A special thanks to Mr. Azwan Bin Aziz, my supervisor for his countless hours of reflecting, reading, encouraging, teaching, and most of all patience throughout the entire process. Thank you to my bachelor degree project group mates, Nadiah Zafirah Binti Al Azmi, Nur Atiqah Khairiah Binti Ghazali, Fatin Afiqah Binti Jajuli, Nor Azmira Binti Nor Azmi, and Nik Nur Faraheda Binti Nik Zulkifli for completing the researches together. I would like to acknowledge and thank my university faculty and library for allowing me to conduct my research and providing any assistance requested. Special thanks goes to the members of staff from the Main Library in Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) for their continued support. Finally, I would like to thank my academic advisor, Mr Omar Bin Asaroon, the beginning teachers, mentor-teachers and administrators in our university faculty and library that assisted me with this research. Their excitement and willingness to provide feedback made the completion of this research an enjoyable experience.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstrak i

Abstract ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Table of Content v

List of Tables ix

List of Figures x

List Abbreviations, Symbols and Nomenclatures xi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background of the Study 1

1.2 Problem Statement 2

1.3 Objectives of the Study 3

1.4 Work Scope of the Study 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Introduction 5

2.2 Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Air Contaminants 5 2.2.1 Factors Affecting IAQ in Building 6 2.2.2 Effects of Poor IAQ in a Building 8 2.3 The Relationship between IAQ and Air-Conditioning System

in a Building 11

2.4 The Limitations from the Past Studies 13 2.5 The Recommendation from the Past Studies 14 2.6 The Reason Why We Should Study the IAQ in a Building 16 2.7 The Benefits of the Study of IAQ in a Building 17

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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 18

3.1 Introduction 18

3.2 Selection of Building 18

3.3 Qualittative Inspection: Literature Review 19 3.4 Quantitative Inspection: Field Measurement 19

3.4.1 Specific Physical Parameters 20

3.4.2 Indoor Air Contaminants 21

3.5 Correlations 22

3.6 Data management 22

CHAPTER 4: RESULT & DISCUSSION 23

4.1 Introduction 23

4.2 Specific Physical Parameter Results 23

4.2.1 Air Movement 25

4.2.2 Air Temperature 26

4.2.3 Relative Humidity 27

4.2.4 Discussions on the Specific Parameter Results 28

4.3 Indoor Air Contaminants Results 29

4.3.1 Dust Level (Particulates Matter 2.5) 30 4.3.2 Carbon Dioxide Concentrations 31 4.3.3 Discussions on the Indoor Air Contaminants Results 32 4.4 Air Flow Rate from Diffuser Results 33 4.5 Relationship between the AC system and IAC parameters 33 4.5.1 Air Flow Rate and Dust Level Correlation 34 4.5.2 Air Flow Rate and Carbon Dioxide Correlation 35 4.5.3 Air Flow Rate and Air Movement Correlation 36 4.5.4 Air Flow Rate and Temperature Correlation 37 4.5.5 Air Flow Rate and Relative Humidity Correlation 38 4.5.6 Air Temperature and Dust Level Correlation 39 4.5.7 Air Temperature and Concentration of CO2 Correlation 40 4.5.8 Air Temperature and Air Movement Correlation 41 4.5.9 Air Temperature and Relative Humidity Correlation 42 4.5.10 Discussion on the Correlation Results 43

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CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION & FUTURE WORK 45

5.1 Introduction 45

5.2 Summary of the Research 45

5.2.1 Objective of the Research 45

5.2.2 Research Methodology 46

5.2.3 Results 46

5.3 Conclusion 47

5.4 Recommendations 48

REFERENCES 49

APPENDICES 54

A Figure of Floor Plan and Work Space 54

B Figure of Field Measurement 60

C Data for Specific Parameter Results 62

D Data for Indoor Air Contaminants Results 64

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LIST OF TABLES

3.1 Details for the selected building 19

3.2 Acceptable range for specific physical parameters ICOP IAQ

(2004) and ASHRAE (2004) 20

3.3 List of indoor air contaminants and the acceptable limits ICOP

IAQ (2010) and ASHRAE (2004) 20

3.4 Recommended minimum number of sampling points for indoor

air quality assessment (ICOP IAQ 2010) 21

3.5 List of instruments 21

4.1 Specific physical parameters results for all levels 24 4.2 Comparison between specific physical parameters results with

ICOP and ASHRAE standard for all levels 24 4.3 Indoor Air Contaminants results for all levels 29 4.4 Comparison between Indoor Air Contaminants results with ICOP

and ASHRAE standard for all levels 30

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LIST OF FIGURES

4.1 Graph of Air Movement against Time for eight hours in every

level 25

4.2 Graph of Air Temperature against Time for eight hours in every

level 26

4.3 Graph of Relative Humidity against Time for eight hours in every

level 27

4.4 Graph of Dust Level against Time for eight hours in every level 30 4.5 Graph of Carbon Dioxide Level against Time for eight hours in

every level 31

4.6 Scatterplot of dust level against diffuser air flow rate 34 4.7 Scatterplot of concentration of carbon dioxide against diffuser air

flow rate 35

4.8 Scatterplot of air movement against diffuser air flow rate 36 4.9 Scatterplot of air temperature against diffuser air flow rate 37 4.10 Scatterplot of relative humidity against diffuser air flow rate 38 4.11 Scatterplot of dust level against temperature 39 4.12 Scatterplot of concentration of carbon dioxide against air

temperature 40

4.13 Scatterplot of air movement against air temperature 41 4.14 Scatterplot of relative humidity against air temperature 42

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS, SYMBOLS AND

NOMENCLATURE

AC - Air Conditioning ANOVA - Analysis of Variance

ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers

BRI - Building Related Illness CO - Carbon Monoxide CO2 - Carbon Dioxide

ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke

F - F-test

HVAC - Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning IAC - Indoor Air Contaminants

IAP - Indoor Air Pollution ICOP - Industrial Code of Practice lAQ - Indoor Air Quality

M - Mean

MVAC - Mechanical Ventilating and Air-Conditioning

N - Number of sample

PM - Particulate Matter RH - Relative Humidity SBS - Sick Building Syndrome SD - Standard Deviations

SPSS - Statistical Package for the Social Sciences TVOC - Total Volatile Organic Compound

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1.1 Background of the Study

In recent years, the significance of indoor climate for health and comfort has been emphasized. According to Bronsemaet al_{. (2004), studies have found that 90% of a}

normal human's time is being spent staying indoors. The ASHRAE (2011) has stated that the indoor air concentrations of pollutant that are listed to affect the comfort, environmental satisfaction, health, or work or school performance of a human is represented by the term indoor air quality (IAQ). The ASHRAE (2009) in their handbook also stated that even though the importance of IAQ is recognized by the building owners and building professionals, they tend to ignore it in their routine mostly because of budget constrict. As a result, the building occupants will be exposed to numerous forms of indoor air pollution (IAP) and also their comfort will be affected.

A growing body of scientific evidence has stated that there are more pollution in the air within buildings compared to the outdoor air in recent years. This showed that humans have higher risk to be exposed to pollution indoors than outdoors. There are varieties of pollution indoors compared to outdoors. There are varieties of pollutants that can be found inside our buildings which can be separated into two groups, biological and chemical. Biologic pollutants can include bacteria, molds, viruses, animal dander, cat saliva, dust mites, cockroaches, and much more. Some serious

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

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According to International Code of Practice, ICOP (2010), IAQ is closely related with the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system that is used in the building. This means that some of the pollutants that can levels that can be found inside a building can be related to the HVAC system used in the building. A HVAC system is a mechanical system may turn faulty or inadequate. In a research paper by Karina and Maria (2010), it has been stated that to ensure the adequate dilution of contaminants generated in the building, ventilation is necessary. In another research by Syazwanet al_{., (2009), also indicates a relationship of IAQ and ventilation which}

is an increase in ventilation will reduce the prevalence of sick building syndrome which is caused by poor IAQ. In order to keep the environmental quality at the desirable level, maintenance of the HVAC system is need according to Sulaiman. et al_{., (2013).}

Thus, in this research, the indoor air contaminants status on air conditioning system of a building will be determined and assessed. The parameters of the IAQ which is indoor air temperature, the percentages of relative humidity (%RH), the air velocity, level of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Particulate Matter (PM2.5) will be measured for a specific

time. The level will be compared with the standard level set by ICOP IAQ 2010.

1.2 Problem Statement

There is now ample studies on IAQ and its negative effects (Sulaiman and Mohamed 2011, Norhidayahet al_{., 2013, Yau}et al_{., 2012, Syazwan}et el_{., 2009, Marzuki}et al_.,

2010, Karina and Maria 2010, Sunyounget al_{., 2013, Ade}et al_{., 2012, Yang Li 2012,}

Che-Aniet al_{., 2012, Rogerio Duarte and Ingride B.C. 2013). However, there are not}

much research on indoor air quality factor which is indoor air contaminants that is related to the air-conditioning system which is used in a building. As a developing country, the awareness towards the negative effects of poor indoor air quality is low (Mohammad A. Hussein, 2012). Thus, this indicates the reason why there were less studies on the indoor air contaminants on the air-conditioning systems.

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According to ASHRAE 2009, indoor environment health includes those factors of human health and diseases that are affected by the aspects in the indoor environment. As we know, buildings nowadays mostly use air-conditioning system to provide comfort to the occupants especially in Malaysia which is a country with a climate categorized as equatorial, being hot and humid throughout the year. Past studies indicates that IAQ is related with the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system (HVAC) used in a building (Karina and Maria 2010, Syazwanet al_{., 2009, Sulaiman} et al_{., 2013, ICOP 2010). Thus in Malaysia, we need to study the indoor air quality}

status on the air-conditioning systems used in the building to ensure that the air produced by the air conditioning system is adequate and safe to the occupants.

In Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), it is known that the Main Library that is located at the Main Campus never been assessed of its indoor air contaminants status. Note that it has been several years since it is built. Although the quality of air produced by an adequate air conditioning system is always acceptable, there are some factors which will affect the quality of air produced through years of time. According to Sulaimanet al_{., 2013, it has been concluded that the building's environment quality}

will be affected by poor maintenance and it will result to bad productivity and health of the facility management. Thus, it is better to study the status of indoor air contaminants on air conditioning system at UTeM's Main Library so that the status will be known and further actions can be taken if there's any problems indicated.

1.3 Objectives of The Study

Main Objective:

• To determine the indoor air contaminants status on air conditioning system in Main Library of UTeM.

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Specific Objectives:

1. To measure the parameters of IAQ which is indoor air temperature, the percentages of relative humidity (%RH), the air velocity, level of Carbon Monoxide (CO), level of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Total Volatile Organic

Compounds (TVOCs), and Particulate Matter (PM2.5 up to PM10) in Main

Library of UTeM.

2. To determine the source of the factors that influence the IAC and IAP in Main Library of UTeM.

3. To compare the data collected with International Code Of Practice (ICOP) standard to analyze the status of IAC and IAQ of air conditioning system in Main Library of UTeM.

4. To associate the relationship between IAC and air conditioning system.

1.4 Work Scope of The Study

In this research, a cohort study was carried out at UTe_{M’s Main Library from} September 2014 to October 2014. A total of seven sections of the Main Library will be assessed by the researcher on environmental aspects of IAC in AC system. The focus will be mainly on collecting data related to IAC and IAQ which is indoor air temperature, %RH, air velocity, CO2, and particulates matter (PM2.5) presented in the

air in seven section of the UTeM's Main Library to be related with the air conditioning system used. Lastly, the study will include the comparing of data collected from the field measurement with the level agreed with the International Code of Practice (ICOP) Indoor Air Quality 2010 standard to evaluate the status of IAC and IAQ of air conditioning system in Main Library of UTeM.

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2.1 Introduction

some of the factors that have affected the levels of IAQ in a building, although their discussions outline funding as a major factor in this progress as opposed to good IAQ, effective ventilations and adequate filtrations. By studying the relevant literature, it will help the author understand more fully how other factors play a big role in indoor air quality (IAQ) in buildings.

2.2 Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Air Contaminants

In these past years, the study of indoor air quality (IAQ) and its fundamentals has gained high popularity. But, not everyone knows what IAQ is especially here in

LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER 2

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conditions is a result from gases, microbial contaminants or particulates which is a factor of the IAQ level. From here, we knew that IAQ represent the condition of a building which indicates either it is healthy or not. According to ASHRAE (2009), by implementing air in occupied spaces with a concentrations that is not at a harmful level and no conditions that can affect the occupant's health and comfort and gives dissatisfaction, we can gain good IAQ. Both indoor air pollution levels and thermal environmental parameters should be included in the considerations.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is said to be effected by indoor air environment (IAE) which mainly established by the thermal environment, wet environment and air quality (Yang 2012). Thus, to study more on IAQ and its factors and effects, we also should study on indoor air environment. ASHRAE (2009) indicates that those aspects of human health and diseases that are resulted by causes in the IAE is included in indoor environmental health. Occupational health which relates to workplace airborne contaminants is the area which is defined clearly of indoor environmental health. In the IAE, contaminants that is observed giving problems comprise allergens, tobacco smoke, radon, and formaldehyde. Even though air is composed mainly of gases, air contaminants can be divided into two class which is either particles or gases.

2.2.1 Factors affecting IAQ in a building

There are many factors that affect IAQ in a building. According to ASHRAE (2009), air borne contaminants which can affect the level of IAQ may be transported from the outdoor or discharged indoors by many factors. Based on Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality, (ICOP IAQ) 2010, there are six sources of poor IAQ in a building listed which are the occupant of the building, inadequate materials used for the construction of the building, the activities performed in the building, high and inadequate use of normal products, combustion gases, and poor ventilation.

One of the factors that contributes to poor level of IAQ is the occupants themselves. As we already know, we exhaled carbon dioxide when we are breathing. Other than that, our body also released human VOCs such as human skin flakes. According to

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Mohamed and Sulaiman (2011), in dust particulates or humid environment which consist of human skin flakes and other dead or decaying biological materials, it is typically found the nutrients which are need by the microbes to grow. Thus, both of carbon dioxide and human VOCs are pollutants which influence the level of IAQ of a building (Wang and Zhang 2010). Also, in a study by Karina and Maria (2010), they have proved that the present of occupants in air conditioned indoor environment had significant impact on the temperature inside a room. Which as stated earlier, temperature is one of the factor which includes in IAQ factor as it can be related with affecting discomfort as it is too high or low. This is also supported from a study by Jang Yeul and Wan Je (2009) that the duration of a building's occupancy affect the concentrations of the IAQ pollutants most.

have concluded that one of the important factor that influence the indoor concentrations pollutants is the surrounding human activities. Although some of our activities with the objective of making indoor environment healthier, often they also decreases our air quality. For an example, carbon monoxide particles and dust is emitted into the air as we used gas burner for cooking or lighting a fireplace. (Sunyounget al_{., 2013, Duflo}et al_{. 2008). This is also proved by a research by Isabelle} et al_{. (2000), which concluded there are many complex mixtures of gases and particles}

that are emitted by combustion that contaminated indoor and outdoor air.

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to dilute the pollutants or to carry the pollutant out of the building, the concentrations of the air pollutants will increase (USDHHS 2006). Another research which have similar finding by Jang Yeul and Wan Je (2009) that is there are many factors that affect the level of IAQ in a building, including the environmental factors (i.e., temperature, humidity, the amount of ventilation, and the air flow speed), the location of the building, and the pollutant origins. Environment of the room should also be taken into the consideration such the temperature of the room, glare from the lights and much more. According to Poet al_{., (2001), their research found that the occupants}

of the building is experiencing some poor indoor air quality symptoms due to lower temperature than recommended by the guidelines and also glare problems.

air pollutants or inadequate ventilation may be the cause of IAQ problems. Without proper ventilation, the level of contamination would rise thus resulting in poor IAQ. Jang Yeul and Wan Je (2009) supported this theory in their study by stating that IAQ level will decrease with the decrease in ventilation performance because of revised airtightness in buildings and the increasing usage of materials and furniture that accommodate high level of contaminations in the building. Lastly, according to John and Vina (1998), IAQ level is degraded as there were cross contamination between ventilation and the inlets for the outdoor air which is contaminated because the IAQ level depends on the external air which is used for the ventilation.

2.2.2 Effects of poor IAQ in a building

There are many effect due to poor IAQ in a building. Health and well-being of occupants can highly be effected by indoor air pollution (Dufloet al_{., 2008). In a study}

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(2009), even though the level of the contaminants is not high, the situation can possibly give health problems to the occupants in the long run. As an example, drowsiness and decrease in term of productivity of the occupants can be caused by high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) (Mohamed and Sulaiman 2011).

there are negative effect on the productive performance of the occupants with the increase of air contaminants and gases. With higher contaminated air, the occupants will have a hard time to be comfort which will affect their moods. As stated by Sulaiman et al_{., (2013), productivity and well-being of the facility will be badly}

influenced by the poor level of IAQ.

According to ICOP (2010), there are several health effects due to poor IAQ. First, it is the health effects because of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). ETS can be defined as increasing level of substances in indoor air from tobacco smoke. Cigarette smoking is the major origin of ETS. Smoke that is emitted from the combustion of cigarette and smoke that is exhaled by the smoker is included in ETS. More than one thousand chemical substances and more than 20 toxic chemical and carcinogens is contained in ETS. Nicotine, nitrosamines, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, acrolein, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. The danger of ETS is it is human carcinogen that can increases the risk of heart diseases.

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Building Syndrome". SBS describe situation when acute health and/or comfort effects is experienced by the occupants in the building that appear to be linked to time spent in a particular building, but where no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be from a particular room or zone and may be from throughout the building. Inadequate ventilation it the building may be the reason that contributes to the complaints of SBS. As an example, adequate amounts of outdoor intake air is not being provided by the mechanical ventilation system which is not designed or operated adequately. Control over the indoor environment in their offices is less than in home thus, resulting an increase in the incidence of reported health problems. Building occupants will experience symptoms that do not have any explanation which related to any particular illness and are hard to trace to any specific factor once in a while. SBS is been said to be this phenomenon. According to Syazwan et al_{., (2009), there}

are no specific symptoms that are experienced by the occupants but it is mostly at the upper respiratory (nasal, eye, and throat) but also headache and lethargy are also experienced. In a research by Mohamed and Sulaiman (2011), it is being concluded that the important indoor air factors that can affect the SBS in a building is the temperature, humidity, TVOC and bacteria.

Other than that, ICOP (2010) also listed building-related illness (BRI) as the health effects of poor IAQ in a building. BRI includes some of well-identified illnesses, such as Legionnaires’ disease, asthma,hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever. Even though most of these diseases can be treated, some have great risks. One of the BRI is a form of bacterial pneumonia which is Legionnaires’ disease. It symptoms consists of fever, chills and dry cough associated with muscle aches and occasional diarrhea. In any environmental reservoir in which its nutrient, water and temperature requirement are met, legionella pneumophila which is the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease will grow, and enters the air when such sites are disturbed. It have been identified that the major sources of this organism is the water-cooling towers and warm water systems in buildings. Legionella can proliferate and then be distributed throughout the building by the air handling system if there are no treatment of the water or the system is not maintained.

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2.1 Introduction

In the literature review, the author have found a good representative literature discussing the effects of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and indoor air contaminants (IAC) with their relationship with the air conditioning system used in a building. However, there was less study in detail about the relationship of the materials used for the construction of the building or air conditioning system with the level of IAQ. The author is grateful to some authors (Sulaiman and Mohamed 2011, Yang 2012, ASHRAE 2009, Yauet al_{., 2012, Wang and Zhang 2010, ICOP 2010) who identified} some of the factors that have affected the levels of IAQ in a building, although their discussions outline funding as a major factor in this progress as opposed to good IAQ, effective ventilations and adequate filtrations. By studying the relevant literature, it will help the author understand more fully how other factors play a big role in indoor air quality (IAQ) in buildings.

2.2 Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Air Contaminants

In these past years, the study of indoor air quality (IAQ) and its fundamentals has gained high popularity. But, not everyone knows what IAQ is especially here in Malaysia which have less information on the topic. Taken from a research by Yau et al_{., (2012), we can define IAQ as the level of the quality of air inside a building which} will influence the occupant's comfort and health. They also added that poor health

LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER 2

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2.2.1 Factors affecting IAQ in a building

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Besides the occupants themselves influenced the level of IAQ in a building, the activities done in a building also contributes as an IAQ factor. There are many activities that we did in a buildings which affects the IAQ level. For an example when we clean our carpet, we might as released the dust particles which is a pollutant into the air thus it affect our comfort and health which directly affect the IAQ in the building. This theory is supported by Marzukiet al_{., (2010) that in their research, they} have concluded that one of the important factor that influence the indoor concentrations pollutants is the surrounding human activities. Although some of our activities with the objective of making indoor environment healthier, often they also decreases our air quality. For an example, carbon monoxide particles and dust is emitted into the air as we used gas burner for cooking or lighting a fireplace. (Sunyounget al_{., 2013, Duflo}et al_{. 2008). This is also proved by a research by Isabelle} et al_{. (2000), which concluded there are many complex mixtures of gases and particles} that are emitted by combustion that contaminated indoor and outdoor air.

Another factor that contributes to the IAQ status in a building is the environment of the building itself. For an example, a building located in a industrial location would tend to have more pollutants in the outdoor air which might be absorbed into the building by the ventilation, occupants or much more. According to Christopher (2001), the status of pollutants in the indoor environment is either brought in from outdoor air or emitted from indoor sources. When there are not enough outdoor air is brought in

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The level of IAQ is also affected by the contamination levels in the building. In a research by Gunnar and Peder (2001), they have stated that it can be generally assumed that an increase of indoor air complaints is caused by indoor air pollution one way or another. We can say that indoor air pollution will always result to bad IAQ. Indoor air pollution can be caused by many factor. Gases or particles released into the air from a wide variety of sources (Sunyounget al_{., 2013). As stated by Yau}et al_{., (2012), indoor} air pollutants or inadequate ventilation may be the cause of IAQ problems. Without proper ventilation, the level of contamination would rise thus resulting in poor IAQ. Jang Yeul and Wan Je (2009) supported this theory in their study by stating that IAQ level will decrease with the decrease in ventilation performance because of revised airtightness in buildings and the increasing usage of materials and furniture that accommodate high level of contaminations in the building. Lastly, according to John and Vina (1998), IAQ level is degraded as there were cross contamination between ventilation and the inlets for the outdoor air which is contaminated because the IAQ level depends on the external air which is used for the ventilation.

2.2.2 Effects of poor IAQ in a building

There are many effect due to poor IAQ in a building. Health and well-being of occupants can highly be effected by indoor air pollution (Dufloet al_{., 2008). In a study} by Yauet al_{., (2012), many short-term and long-term of health problems can be caused}

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by poor IAQ. Based on a research by Gunnar and Peder (2001), the relationship between the exposure to total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and impact on health is directly proportional. Occupants that is exposed to very small particles, which are between 0.5 to 0.2 microns, carry a huge risk that can affect their respiratory systems (Sunyoung et al_{., 2013). According to Che-Ani}et al_{., (2012) and ASHRAE} (2009), even though the level of the contaminants is not high, the situation can possibly give health problems to the occupants in the long run. As an example, drowsiness and decrease in term of productivity of the occupants can be caused by high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) (Mohamed and Sulaiman 2011).

There is now a great number of studies stating that poor IAQ can affect the productivity in a workplace. If the occupants feel uncomfortable with the environment in the building, they would be more stressful despite the nature of the work itself. It is not only the physical health that is affected by poor IAQ but also psychological health (Naziahet al_{., 2011). Research done by Almuhanna}et al_{., (2011) had concluded that} there are negative effect on the productive performance of the occupants with the increase of air contaminants and gases. With higher contaminated air, the occupants will have a hard time to be comfort which will affect their moods. As stated by Sulaiman et al_{., (2013), productivity and well-being of the facility will be badly} influenced by the poor level of IAQ.

Another health effects listed by ICOP (2010) is sick building syndrome (SBS). As a result of poor IAQ in building, illnesses that occurred among occupants is named "Sick

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Other than that, ICOP (2010) also listed building-related illness (BRI) as the health effects of poor IAQ in a building. BRI includes some of well-identified illnesses, such

as Legionnaires’ disease, asthma,hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever. Even though most of these diseases can be treated, some have great risks. One of the

BRI is a form of bacterial pneumonia which is Legionnaires’ disease. It symptoms

consists of fever, chills and dry cough associated with muscle aches and occasional diarrhea. In any environmental reservoir in which its nutrient, water and temperature requirement are met, legionella pneumophila which is the bacteria that cause

Legionnaires’ disease will grow, and enters the air when such sites are disturbed. It have been identified that the major sources of this organism is the water-cooling towers and warm water systems in buildings. Legionella can proliferate and then be distributed throughout the building by the air handling system if there are no treatment of the water or the system is not maintained.

Environmental assessment of the indoor air contaminants on the air conditioning system at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) main library.

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA