DO THE WORKERS OCCUPIED IN THE TRANSPORTATION HUB BUILDING EXPOSED TO INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS?
Abstract
Background: Workers who spend most of their working hours being in the building do not realise that indoor air can become a major problem towards their health. Therefore, the objective of this study is to measure the level of indoor air pollutants in the transportation hub building and its relationship with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) among the respondents.
Materials and Methods: Sample collection and measurement were conducted as guided by the Malaysia standards of Indoor Air Quality. Structured questionnaires were distributed to 77 workers occupied the building. Measurement of indoor air physical parameters was performed according to the method recommended in the Code of Practice.
Result: Results discovered that the prevalence of the respondents having Sick Building Syndrome is 90.1%. All physical parameters measured were within the acceptable limits by the Malaysia standard of Indoor Air Quality, except the temperature at Level 1 and Level 2 of the building. However, the statistical analysis demonstrated that there was no significant association between Sick Building Syndrome with all the IAQ parameters; CO2 (p=0.233), temperature (p=0.828), relative humidity (p=0.254) and CO (p=0.999).
Conclusion: In conclusion, the indoor air quality of the building is conformed to the permissible limits as stipulated in the Code of Practice, nevertheless, further research to explore other factors of SBS is recommended.
Keywords: Indoor air quality; Sick building syndrome; Transportation hub; Indoor air pollutants.