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Journals / Trakya University Journal of Natural Sciences / 2025 / Volume: 26 Issue: 2

Indoor air quality of academia-related workshops based on health complaints

Abdel Hameed A. Awad(National Research Centre)0000-0003-0784-9835
Safa El Gendy(National Research Centre)0000-0003-1100-5985
Yuosra Saeed(National Research Centre)0000-0002-5183-4342
Salwa Kamal(National Research Centre)0000-0001-8087-1268
Pages
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Publication Date
2025-10-15
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Thus, corrective actions based on comparative analysis should be implemented to promote the indoor quality of even nonindustrial and academia-related workplaces.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a result of the interaction between micro-environmental conditions, location, and building characteristics.
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Key Findings & Data:IAQ directly affects human health, comfort, productivity, and performance.
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Conclusion & Impact:Thus, corrective actions based on comparative analysis should be implemented to promote the indoor quality of even nonindustrial and academia-related workplaces.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:indoor air quality · nonindustrial workshops · deposited dust

Abstract

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a result of the interaction between micro-environmental conditions, location, and building characteristics. IAQ directly affects human health, comfort, productivity, and performance. However, very little attention has been paid to the IAQ of nonindustrial workshops. This cross-sectional survey aimed to determine the IAQ of academia-related workshops based on the factors such as the microbial load (including bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes), particulate matter (PM) content, presence of chemical pollutants (such as ammonia [NH3], volatile organic compounds [VOCs], and formaldehyde [HCHO]), and physical conditions (such as temperature [T°C], relative humidity [RH%], light intensity, noise, dewpoint and air speed). Moreover, the perception weights of IAQ factors affecting the indoor comfort condition were also examined. A two-stage viable, Andersen cascade impactor, was used by suctioning air onto the selective culture media. The PM content was determined by using a preweighted membrane filter. Portable air quality monitors were used to estimate the chemical and physical factors. A questionnaire survey was employed to assess the health complaints and the participants’ perception weights on the indoor environmental parameters (such as thermal, acoustic, visual environment, and air quality). The concentrations of mesophilic bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were found to be higher indoors than outdoors, with indoor/outdoor (I/O) values of 3.13, 1.56, and 1.53, respectively. The Global Index of Microbial Contamination/m3 exceeded 7,000 colony forming units/m3 in approximately 46% of the workshop areas. The I/O ratios of PM, VOCs, HCHO, and NH3 were 1.69, 1.52, 0.65, and 0.6, respectively. T°C and RH% values ranged 18–35°C and 40–56%, respectively. Noise values exceeded 70 dBA in both the indoor and outdoor environments. Light intensity was also unacceptable (≤ 300 lux) at 84.6% of the workshop areas. VOCs and dewpoint revealed significant positive and negative effects on microbial viability, differing with regard to the microbial type. Fatigue (45.5%), allergies (38.6%), and headache (35.2%) were the common complaints of the occupants. All of the tested IAQ parameters influenced the workplace environment, with noise ranking as the main factor (40.9%). Microbial air quality is differently associated with the indoor environmental factors. The IAQ in the workshops was poor and potentially affected the occupant’s well-being. The perception of comfort varied among the occupants under the same IAQ factors. Thus, corrective actions based on comparative analysis should be implemented to promote the indoor quality of even nonindustrial and academia-related workplaces.

Özet

İç Hava Kalitesi (IAQ), mikro çevre koşulları, konum ve bina özellikleri arasındaki etkileşimin bir sonucu olup, insan performansını ve sağlığını etkiler. Endüstriyel olmayan atölyelerin IAQ çok az dikkat edilmiştir. IAQ, insan sağlığını, konforunu ve üretkenliğini doğrudan etkiler. Akademi ile ilgili atölyelerde IAQ faktörlerini belirlemek için kesitsel bir araştırma yapılmıştır. IAQ faktörleri mikrobiyal (bakteriler, mantarlar ve aktinomisetler), partikül madde (PM), kimyasal [amonyak (NH3), uçucu organik bileşikler (VOC) ve formaldehit (HCHO)] ve fiziksel (sıcaklık [T°C], bağıl nem [RH%], ışık yoğunluğu, gürültü, çiğlenme noktası ve hava hızı) düzeyleri açısından incelenmiş ve iç mekan konforunu etkileyen IAQ faktörlerinin algılama ağırlıkları değerlendirilmiştir. Seçici kültür ortamlarına hava emerek iki aşamalı Andersen numune alıcı kullanılmıştır. PM, önceden tartılmış membran filtre kullanılarak ölçülmüştür. Kimyasal ve fiziksel faktörleri ölçmek için taşınabilir hava kalitesi monitörleri kullanılmıştır. Sağlık şikayetlerini ve katılımcıların iç ortam parametrelerine (termal, akustik, görsel ortam ve hava kalitesi) ilişkin algı ağırlıklarını belirlemek için bir anket kullanılmıştır. İç mekanlarda dış mekanlara göre mezofilik bakteriler mantar ve aktinomisetlerin konsantrasyonlarının daha yüksek olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. İç mekan/dış mekan (I/O) değerleri sırasıyla 3,13, 1,56 ve 1,53 olarak ölçülmüştür. Mikrobiyal Kontaminasyon Küresel Endeksi/ m3 atölyelerin yaklaşık %46’sında 7000 koloni oluşturan birim/ m3’yi aşmıştır. PM, VOCs, HCHO ve NH3’ün I/O oranları sırasıyla 1,69; 1,52; 0,65 ve 0,6 olarak ölçülmüştür. T°C ve RH% değerleri sırasıyla 18-35°C ve 40-56% arasında değişmiştir. Gürültü değerleri iç ve dış ortamda 70 desibel (dBA) değerini aşmıştır. Işık yoğunluğu atölyelerin %84,6’sında kabul edilemez düzeyde (≤ 300 lux) idi. VOC’ler ve çiğlenme noktası, mikrobiyal canlılık üzerinde önemli pozitif ve negatif etkiler göstermiş, mikrobiyal türe göre farklılık göstermiştir. Yorgunluk (%45,5), alerji (%38,6) ve baş ağrısı (%35,2) katılımcılar arasında en sık görülen sağlık şikayetleriydi. Tüm IAQ parametreleri işyeri ortamını etkilemiş olup, gürültü katılımcıların konforunu etkileyen ana faktör (%40,9) olarak sıralanmıştır. Mikrobiyal hava kalitesi, iç ortam faktörleriyle farklı şekilde ilişkiliydi. Atölyelerde IAQ kötüydü ve katılımcıların’ refahını potansiyel olarak etkiledi. Aynı IAQ faktörleri altında katılımcılar arasında konfor algısı farklılık gösterdi. Karşılaştırmalı analiz yoluyla, işyerlerinin iç ortam kalitesini iyileştirmek için düzeltici önlemler alınmalıdır.

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Cite This Article

Awad, A. H. A., Gendy, S. E., Saeed, Y., Kamal, S. (2025). Indoor air quality of academia-related workshops based on health complaints. Trakya University Journal of Natural Sciences, Volume: 26 Issue: 2. https://ajindex.com/articles/1111939

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