The exposure assessment of airborne particulates matter (PM10 & PM2.5) towards building occupants: a case study at KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Airborne particulates have been recognized as a crucial pollutant of indoor air. These pollutants can contribute towards poor indoor air quality (IAQ), which may affect human health in immediate or long term. This study aims to determine the level of IAQ and the effects of particulate towards occ...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/43712/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/43712/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/43712/1/IOPScience_ISDE_2014.pdf |
| Summary: | Airborne particulates have been recognized as a crucial pollutant of indoor air.
These pollutants can contribute towards poor indoor air quality (IAQ), which may affect
human health in immediate or long term. This study aims to determine the level of IAQ and
the effects of particulate towards occupants of office buildings (the office buildings selected
for the case study are SSM, KTMB and MRCB at KL Sentral). The objectives of study are (i)
to measure the level of airborne particulates that contribute to the IAQ during working hours,
(ii) to compare the level of airborne particulates with the existing guidelines and standards of
IAQ in Malaysia and other Asian countries and (iii) to assess the symptoms associated with
airborne particulates among the building occupants, which were achieved through primary data
collection (case study or site survey, structured interview and questionnaire survey) and
supported by literature reviews. The results showed that the mass concentration level of
airborne particulates within the areas has exceeded the allowable limit of 0.15mg/m3 by IAQ
Code of Practice, 2005 of the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH), Malaysia and
0.05mg/m3 by the Department of Environmental (DOE) (outdoor) of 8 hours continuous
sampling. Based on the findings, the highest mass concentration values measured is 2.581 mg/
m3 at lobby of SSM building which is the highest recorded 17 times higher from the maximum
limit recommended by DOSH than the others. This is due to the nearby construction works and
the high numbers of particulates are generated from various types of vehicles for transportation
surrounding KL Sentral. Therefore, the development of Malaysian Ambient Air Quality
Guidelines on PM2.5 as one of the crucial parameters is highly recommended. |
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