scholarly journals Assessment of VOCs, PM10, and Formaldehyde Exposure in the Hair Salons of South Korea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiva Raj Acharya ◽  
Deog Hwan Moon ◽  
Yong Chul Shin
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Exposure Limit ◽  
Formaldehyde Exposure ◽  
Chemical Products ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
And Control

Introduction: In hair salons, Workers and customers are exposed to high concentrations of several chemical compounds used during the working environment. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and formaldehyde are the major chemicals that alter the indoor air quality. This study aimed to assess the indoor air quality in hair salons of Gimhae, South Korea. Materials and Methods: To conduct the study, six hair salons were monitored for VOCs, formaldehyde, and PM10. The study was conducted from August to November 2017. Results: The findings showed higher concentrations of formaldehyde (> 0.50 ppm) and VOCs (> 0.08ppm) compared to EPA standard exposure limit; whereas PM10 was < 150㎍/㎥. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the ventilation systems were insufficient in the selected salons. Adequate ventilation and control facilities should be advised in applying the chemical products to observe the safety of workers and customers of hair salon and to sustain better indoor air quality.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Effects of the Humidity Level-Based Auto-Controlled Centralized Exhaust Ventilation Systems on Thermal Comfort of Multi-Family Residential Buildings in South Korea

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4791
Author(s):  
Kwag ◽  
Park ◽  
Kim ◽  
Kim
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Humidity Level ◽  
Exhaust Ventilation ◽  
Air Tightness ◽  
Ventilation Systems

Building air-tightness has been increased to make energy efficient buildings. However, various indoor air quality issues can be caused by high building air-tightness because it allows low air and moisture transmission through building envelop. In order to solve and prevent these issues, mechanical ventilation systems can be used to control the indoor humidity level. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performances of the Relative Humidity (RH)-sensor based auto-controlled centralized exhaust ventilation systems to manage indoor air quality and thermal comfort of multi-family residential buildings in South Korea. A series of field tests were performed for different target zones and for various moisture source scenarios. As a result, it was found that the auto-controlled centralized exhaust ventilation systems were able to control indoor air quality and to maintain the zones thermal comfort faster than the baseline cases that did not operate exhaust vents. The results presented in this paper can show the potential and the feasibility of the auto-controlled centralized exhaust ventilation systems for multi-family residential buildings in South Korea. It is expected that the results presented in this paper would be useful for building owners, engineers, and architects when designing building systems.

scholarly journals Assessment of Occupational Safety and Hygiene Perception among Afro-Caribbean Hair Salon Operators in Manchester, United Kingdom

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruna Musa Moda ◽  
Debrah King
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Musculoskeletal Diseases ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Musculoskeletal Symptoms ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Hair Salon

Because of exposure to a number of potential health hazards within the work environment, hairstylists experience occupational diseases that include occupational asthma, skin conditions and musculoskeletal diseases. The paucity of studies assessing occupational safety and hygiene management among Afro-Caribbean hair salon operators in the UK promoted the study. QualtricsTM was used to assess the participants’ perception of exposure to hair products and their personal safety and hygiene knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and risk perceptions at work. In five salons, indoor air quality was monitored over one working week for selected environmental pollutants: temperature, humidity, CO, CO2 and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) using a GrayWolf Direct Sense Indoor Air Quality-IAQ (IQ-610). The use of unflued gas heating to raise the indoor temperature was common among the salons’ operators which explains the high carbon monoxide readings recorded. Itchy eyes and nose (44.4%) shoulder, neck and back pain (39.2%) were frequently reported. Age-stratified analysis of reported occupational ailments showed participants within an age bracket of 31–35 reported allergies (24%) and itchy eyes and nose (19.1%) as the most common of occupational ailments. Respiratory, skin and musculoskeletal symptoms ranked as major occupational ill-health experiences among the study population. The study outcome demonstrated that the type of activity and the hair products used play an important role in the level of pollutants in the working environment. The substitution of the more harmful hair products with safer alternatives is needed, as is the encouragement of health surveillance.

scholarly journals The Evaluation of Indoor Microbial Air Quality in Two New Commissioning Higher Educational Buildings in Johor, Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 773-774 ◽  
pp. 1068-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin Ming Er ◽  
N.M. Sunar ◽  
Abdul Mutalib Leman ◽  
Norzila Othman ◽  
Q. Emparan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Affected Area ◽  
Exposure Limit ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Airborne Microorganism ◽  
Maximum Exposure

The proliferation of indoor airborne microorganism in public institutional buildings such as schools and universities is often regarded as a potential health hazards to the buildings’ users. This issue is not new in Malaysia, a country with humid climate which favours the growth of microorganism. However, there is lack of research’s data, especially in higher institutional buildings in this country. The assessment of the indoor air quality is conducted in a university’s two new commissioning buildings located at Southern Peninsular of Malaysia. Both buildings utilized centralized air conditioning system. Concentrations of airborne microorganism were determined using a single-stage impacter (biosampler) as per requirement of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Manual Analytical Method 0800. The acquired readings were compared to the standard level determined in Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (ICOP IAQ) 2010. Other parameters such as relative humidity, temperature, and air velocity were recorded along the assessment. The mean concentrations of the total bacteria at the affected area of the two buildings are 1102.5 CFU/m3 and 813 CFU/m3 respectively and it is significantly higher compared to the maximum exposure limit of 500 CFU/m3. While, the mean concentration of total fungi at the affected area for two buildings are 805.7 CFU/m3 and 509 CFU/m3 respectively which are both higher than the reading of outdoors and unaffected indoor area although slightly lower than the maximum exposure limit of 1000 CFU/m3. This study provides a glance of the poor indoor microbiological air quality in new higher institutional buildings in this humid region.

Indoor air quality: Sources and control

1985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Sextro ◽  
Anthony V. Nero ◽  
David T. Grimsrud
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
And Control

Ventilation online monitoring and control system from the perspectives of technology application

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Cheng Zhu ◽  
Chuck Wah Yu ◽  
Shi-Jie Cao
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Online Monitoring ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Computing Time ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Saving Energy ◽  
Technology Application ◽  
And Control

Dynamic optimal airflow ventilation can have a great impact on the indoor air distribution and pollutant removal to improve the indoor air quality while saving energy. An online monitoring and control ventilation system has been developed and evaluated using fast prediction models and micro-control. An environmental chamber (1.8 m3) was used for the evaluation to monitor the CO2 dispersion under different air change rates and air speed. Specifically, an artificial neural network model based on a low-dimensional linear ventilation model was introduced and validated to provide environmental control and rapid prediction of pollutant concentration distribution in the indoor environment, which can save computing time and significantly enhance energy saving efficiency up to 16–47%. The validation was carried out by comparison with measurement data of the chamber experiment. An induction system was applied to locate and monitor the personnel in the office due to pollution that are generated by people. A ZigBee wireless module would transmit location information of pollutant source (i.e. CO2 generated by occupants) and to determine the optimal ventilation mode based on ventilation assessment to achieve automatic control of indoor air quality to ensure the wellbeing of occupants while saving energy.

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