INDOOR AIR QUALITY OF AN OFFICE BUILDING IN A PETROCHEMICAL STORAGE FACILITY

Abstract

Petrochemical plants and storage facilities are known to generate large amount of pollutants into the air. Air pollutants such as TVOC and fine particulate matters are one of the major emissions from these facilities. When an office building is placed within these facilities, there is a high risk that the indoor air quality will be affected. These air pollutants might infiltrate and remain in the building if the building does not have an efficient air conditioning and ventilation system. Occupants who are exposed to low levels of pollutants for long periods of time might suffer from sick building syndrome or even permanent damage to their health. Petrochemical facilities in Singapore are expanding and the number of workers working in this industry is set to increase. Therefore, the study of IAQ in such office buildings will help to improve the understanding of the working environment in such facilities. This office building is relatively unique as the facility operates 24/7, hence the centralised air conditioning systems will not be switched off. In addition, certain rooms the building utilises centralised air conditioning and split or cassette units simultaneously. The IAQ audit will include subjective and objective measurements. Both spot and continuous measurements will be carried out to obtain a better understanding of the IAQ parameters. From the result of the objective measurements, it was found that temperature, relative humidity and particulate matter did not meet the thresholds stated in SS 554:2009 and ASHRAE Standard 55. Several rooms in the building also had high mould and bacteria count. According to the subjective measurements, the most common SBS symptom that occupants experience is dry eyes. This might be attributed to the high concentration particulate matter in the building. As such, recommendations were proposed to help improve the indoor air quality in the building. This includes the changing of the AHU and clearing up of areas that are contains high levels of biological pollutants