scholarly journals An overview of indoor air quality and its impact on respiratory health among Malaysian school-aged children

2014 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chua Poh Choo ◽  
Juliana Jalaludin
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe indoor environment is a major source of human exposure to pollutants. Some pollutants can have concentrations that are several times higher indoors than outdoors. Prolonged exposure may lead to adverse biologic effects, even at low concentrations. Several studies done in Malaysia had underlined the role of indoor air pollution in affecting respiratory health, especially for school-aged children. A critical review was conducted on the quantitative literature linking indoor air pollution with respiratory illnesses among school-aged children. This paper reviews evidence of the association between indoor air quality (IAQ) and its implications on respiratory health among Malaysian school-aged children. This review summarizes six relevant studies conducted in Malaysia for the past 10 years. Previous epidemiologic studies relevant to indoor air pollutants and their implications on school-aged children’s respiratory health were obtained from electronic database and included as a reference in this review. The existing reviewed data emphasize the impact of IAQ parameters, namely, indoor temperature, ventilation rates, indoor concentration of carbon dioxide (CO

scholarly journals What do we know about indoor air quality of nurseries? A review of the literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 014362442110098
Author(s):  
Shuo Zhang ◽  
D Mumovic ◽  
Samuel Stamp ◽  
Katherine Curran ◽  
Elizabeth Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
School Children ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
The Impact

Considering the alarming rise in the rate of asthma and respiratory diseases among school children, it is of great importance to investigate all probable causes. Outside of the home, children spend most of their time in school. Many studies have researched the indoor environmental quality of primary and secondary school buildings to determine the exposure of school children to indoor air pollution. However, studies of very young children in nurseries are scarce. Unlike at elementary schools or universities, children in nurseries are more vulnerable due to their physiology, inability to articulate discomfort and to adapt their behaviour to avoid exposures. This article reviews current studies on the indoor environment in nurseries. It summarizes air pollution levels and related environmental and behavioural factors in nurseries that have been reported in the literature. Additionally, exposure to indoor air pollution and related potential health outcomes are examined. This review concludes that indoor air pollution in nurseries often exceeds current guidelines, and designers and policymakers should be made aware of the impact on the health and wellbeing of children in nurseries. Proper interventions and guidelines should be considered to create a healthy indoor environment for nursery children. Practical application: Previous IAQ assessments have mainly focused on indoor temperatures and CO2 levels. Data on comprehensive monitoring (including PMs, NO2, O3 and other pollutants) of indoor air quality of nurseries are scarce. Particularly in the UK, studies about indoor air quality in nurseries have not been founded. This paper categorized relevant articles according to the focus of the study, to provide evidence to a better understanding of current indoor air quality in nursery environments.

scholarly journals Association between Human Health and Indoor Air Pollution in Saudi Arabia: Indoor Environmental Quality Survey

2020 ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Mohd Saleem ◽  
Mohd Adnan Kausar ◽  
Fahmida Khatoon ◽  
Sadaf Anwar ◽  
Syed Monowar Alam Shahid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Natural Light ◽  
Common Symptom ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality

In many aspects of life quality, bio-contaminants and indoor air quality have had catastrophic consequences, including a negative impact on human health with an increased prevalence of allergic respiratory reactions, asthma, and infectious diseases. We aimed to evaluate the quality of indoor air environment and find out the association between human health and indoor air pollution and also to assess the physical health status of a group of Saudi and non-Saudi populations during this pandemic. Also, we aimed to assess the most common health condition or symptoms associated with ventilation. A questionnaire was distributed online to test indoor air quality, ventilation status, common signs and symptoms of any allergy or mental status and their relationship to certain variables. A total of 362 respondents were included. Before living in the current home, flu or Influenza and chapped lips were more prevalent than allergies and chapped lips signs while living in the current home. (12.2% , 10.8% vs. 18.5% , 13.55% before and after respectively) Multiple colds were the second most common symptom (10.2%). Hoarse voice and headaches were the least common symptoms experienced; each constituted 4.4%. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, most respondents wore a facemask, approximately 76.5%; and almost one-third of respondents had bright natural light inside the current home (43.1%). The presence of natural light within the current home was significantly associated with symptoms experienced during living in the current house (p<0.05). Natural sunlight exposure could decrease allergic symptoms and minor health problems associated with poor ventilation and air quality indoors. In current living homes, the majority of respondents never used air purifiers (72.9 percent). In order to get attention from people to enhance the quality and ventilation mechanism of indoor air, special care and awareness of the effects of the use of air purifiers on human health is needed.

scholarly journals Efficiency and Eco-Costs of Air Purifiers in Terms of Improving Microbiological Indoor Air Quality in Dwellings—A Case Study

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Brągoszewska ◽  
Magdalena Bogacka ◽  
Krzysztof Pikoń
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Bacterial Aerosol ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ecological Cost

Air pollution, a by-product of economic growth, generates an enormous environmental cost in Poland. The issue of healthy living spaces and indoor air quality (IAQ) is a global concern because people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. An increasingly popular method to improve IAQ is to use air purifiers (APs). Indoor air is often polluted by bioaerosols (e.g., viruses, bacteria, fungi), which are a major concern for public health. This work presents research on culturable bacterial aerosol (CBA) samples collected from dwellings with or without active APs during the 2019 summer season. The CBA samples were collected using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor (ACI). The CBA concentrations were expressed as Colony Forming Units (CFU) per cubic metre of air. The average concentration of CBA in dwellings when the AP was active was 450–570 CFU/m3, whereas the average concentration when the AP was not active was 920–1000 CFU/m3. IAQ, when the APs were active, was on average almost 50% better than in cases where there were no procedures to decrease the concentration of air pollutants. Moreover, the obtained results of the particle size distribution (PSD) of CBA indicate that the use of APs reduced the proportion of the respirable fraction (the particles < 3.3 µm) by about 16%. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to assess the ecological cost of air purification. Our conceptual approach addresses the impact of indoor air pollution on human health and estimates the ecological cost of APs and air pollution prevention policies.

Quantifying the impact of traffic-related air pollution on the indoor air quality of a naturally ventilated building

2016 ◽  
Vol 89-90 ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheming Tong ◽  
Yujiao Chen ◽  
Ali Malkawi ◽  
Gary Adamkiewicz ◽  
John D. Spengler
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
The Impact

Bioactive Nano-Filters to Control Legionella on Indoor Air

2012 ◽  
Vol 506 ◽  
pp. 23-26
Author(s):  
P.A.F. Rodrigues ◽  
S.I.V. Sousa ◽  
Maria José Geraldes ◽  
M.C.M. Alvim-Ferraz ◽  
F.G. Martins
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Public Health Issue

Several factors affect the indoor air quality, among which ventilation, human occupancy, cleaning products, equipment and material; they might induce the presence of aerosols (or bioaerosols in the presence of biological components) nitrogen oxides, ozone, carbon monoxide and dioxide, volatile organic compounds, radon and microorganisms. Microbiological pollution involves hundreds of bacteria and fungi species that grow indoors under specific conditions of temperature and humidity. Exposure to microbial contaminants is clinically associated with allergies, asthma, immune responses and respiratory infections, such as Legionnaires Disease and Pontiac Feaver, which are due to contamination byLegionella pneumophila. Legionnaire's Disease has increased over the past decade, because of the use of central air conditioning. In places such as homes, kindergartens, nursing homes and hospitals, indoor air pollution affects population groups that are particularly vulnerable because of their health status or age, making indoor air pollution a public health issue of high importance. Therefore, the implementation of preventive measures, as the application of air filters, is fundamental. Currently, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are the most used to capture microorganisms in ventilation, filtration and air conditioning systems; nevertheless, as they are not completely secure, new filters should be developed. This work aims to present how the efficiency of a textile nanostructure in a non-woven material based on synthetic textiles (high hydrophobic fibers) incorporating appropriate biocides to controlLegionella pneumophila, is going to be measured. These bioactive structures, to be used in ventilation systems, as well as in respiratory protective equipment, will reduce the growth of microorganisms in the air through bactericidal or bacteriostatic action. The filter nanostructure should have good air permeability, since it has to guarantee minimum flows of fresh air for air exchange as well as acceptable indoor air quality.

scholarly journals Overview on the indoor air pollution sources of the ship cabins and the hyperbaric chambers

2020 ◽  
Vol XXIII (2) ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
Avram Elena Rita
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Ventilation Rate ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Characteristic Parameters ◽  
Ability To Work ◽  
Specific Degree

The present paper will be focused on analyzing the factors that influence indoor air qualityof the ship cabins and the hyperbaric chambers taking into account the specific degree of pollution, as oxidation of metal surfaces, vaporization, nature of the paints used, respiration, gases or particles coming from the combustion of fuels, chemicals, and allergens. The article will present a synthesis of the influence of characteristic parameters, such as ventilation rate and exposure to mold or chemicals on indoor air quality, as this is strictly and directly related to health, comfort, and ability to work.

scholarly journals Indoor Air Quality, Information, and Socioeconomic Status: Evidence from Delhi

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 420-424
Author(s):  
Michael Greenstone ◽  
Kenneth Lee ◽  
Harshil Sahai
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Quality Information ◽  
Air Purifier ◽  
Health Organization

In Delhi, one of the world's most polluted cities, there is relatively little information on indoor air pollution and how it varies by socioeconomic status (SES). Using indoor air quality monitors (IAQMs), we find that winter levels of household air pollution exceed World Health Organization standards by more than 20 times in both high-and low-SES households. We then evaluate a field experiment that randomly assigned monthlong IAQM user trials across medium-and high-SES households but suffered from significant survey non-response. Among respondents, IAQMs did not affect take-up of subsidized air purifier rentals or other defensive behavior.

scholarly journals IoT Based Automatic Air Pollution Monitoring and Purification System

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1378-1383
Author(s):  
Manoj Gurung
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Air Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Air Purifier

Abstract: Degradation of air quality, like climate change and global warming, has become an all-encompassing existential hazard to humanity and natural life. Exposure to severely polluted air on a regular basis causes pulmonary disorders and contributes to severe allergies and asthma. According to studies, more than 10 million people die each year as a result of irregularities produced directly or indirectly by air pollution. The work of Lelieveld et al. [1] sheds light on the gravity of the problem. It is estimated that by 2050, the worldwide premature mortality from air pollution will exceed 6.6 million fatalities per year (358000 from ozone, the rest from PM 2.5) [1]. As a result, we decided to focus our study on improving indoor air quality. Despite the fact that there are numerous indoor air purifiers on the market, their cost belies their effectiveness, and the effective ones are far too expensive for working-class people to afford [2]. In order to address this issue, we created an automated Internet of Things (IoT) based air filtration system that uses an automated air purifier which is triggered when air quality falls below WHO criteria. Our initiative intends to improve indoor air quality by utilizing the most cost-effective and efficient modules available. Keywords: Indoor Air Pollution, Air Purifier, IAQ, Sharp Dust Sensor GP2Y1010AU0F, IoT, Particulate Matter (PM), HEPA Filter

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