ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO AIRBORNE PARTICLES IN NATURALLY VENTILATED BUILDINGS

Abstract

Particulate air pollution is a major environmental problem resulting in adverse human health effects. With people spending approximately 80% of their time indoors, indoor air quality (IAQ) studies are more important than outdoors, particularly in densely populated city-state, Singapore where most of the residential buildings rely on natural ventilation. Thus, studies focusing on indoor human exposure and its mitigation to particles of indoor (e.g., cooking) and outdoor (e.g., local vehicular traffic and regional smoke haze) origins are highly desired. However, no such systematic investigation has been conducted in Singapore. This doctoral thesis aims to make a comprehensive evaluation of indoor-outdoor relationship of airborne particles and associated potential health risk with and without mitigation measures. The obtained results provide solid assessment of IAQ and highlight effectiveness of indoor air cleaners for mitigating human exposure to airborne particles which can help develop environmental policies in Singapore for greater health benefits indoors.