INDOOR AIR QUALITY STUDY OF REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC FACILITATION ROOMS

Abstract

In this dissertation, indoor air quality audit was conducted in 24 randomly selected facilitation rooms in learning pod E2, E5, W2 and W5, where classes are conducted daily, as a sample to represent the current indoor air quality level in the facilitations rooms of Republic Polytechnic, RP. It aims to determine whether the air contaminates and environment factors would affect the students’ health when staying in the facilitation rooms throughout the academic hour with minimal break. The data collected would be statistically evaluated to determine whether the lack of ventilation would cause the increase of all indoor air contaminants and thermal comfort parameters. The object measurement performed revealed that only carbon dioxide level had exceeded the threshold level in all facilitation rooms. From the survey conducted, there were no complaints from all of the respondents that lighting and acoustic environments in the facilitation room were affecting them. Hence, the high carbon dioxide level could cause majority of the respondents to experience headache, difficulties in concentrating and lethargy when in the facilitation room. The possible causes identified that lead to high carbon dioxide level were the lack of exhaust grills in the facilitation rooms and a tightly sealed environment. Moreover, the correlation performed on the data collected has show that carbon monoxide, total volatile organic compound, formaldehyde and operative temperature have a strong positive correlation to carbon dioxide. The limitation of this dissertation was the short loan duration of equipment has prevented indoor air quality measurement of all facilitation rooms and performed continuous eight hours measurement. Hence spot measurement was conducted from 12noon to 2pm when the indoor air contaminants build up are at its peak in the facilities rooms for a comprehensive indoor air quality assessment. Moreover, RP facilities manager had prohibited the use of noisy equipment when conducting the indoor air quality measurement as it would disturb the students during their discussion period. Hence bio-aerosols parameters are not measured in this dissertation as the device would produce a loud vacuum noise when collecting air sample. This dissertation concludes that only indoor air contaminates would affect the student’s health when staying in the facilitation rooms throughout the academic hour with minimal break. Furthermore, the lack of ventilation caused an increase to several indoor air contaminants and thermal comfort parameters