Gender, airborne chemical monitoring, and physical work environment are related to indoor air symptoms among nonindustrial workers in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

Abstract

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of airborne chemicals and the physical work environment risk element on the indoor air symptoms of nonindustrial workers.

Design:

A cross-sectional study consisting of 200 office workers. A random selection of 200 buildings was analyzed for exposure and indoor air symptoms based on a pilot study in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Methods:

A set of modified published questionnaires by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Malaysia and a previous study (MM040NA questionnaire) pertaining to indoor air symptoms was used in the evaluation process of the indoor air symptoms. Statistical analyses involving logistic regression and linear regression were used to determine the relationship between exposure and indoor air symptoms for use in the development of an indoor risk matrix.

Results:

The results indicate that some indoor air pollutants (carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compound, and dust) are related to indoor air symptoms of men and women. Temperature and relative humidity showed a positive association with complaints related to the perceived indoor environmental condition (drafts and inconsistency of temperature). Men predominantly reported general symptoms when stratification of gender involved exposure to formaldehyde. Women reported high levels of complaints related to mucosal and general symptoms from exposure to the dust level indoors.

Conclusion:

Exposure to pollutants (total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde) and physical stressors (air temperature and relative humidity) influence reported symptoms of office workers. These parameters should be focused upon and graded as one of the important elements in the grading procedure when qualitatively evaluating the indoor environment.

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Keywords:

• sick building syndrome (SBS)
• regression analysis
• environmental climate factor
• occupational exposure
• asthma
• allergy

Acknowledgements

The project was made possible thanks to a collaborative effort from Nippon Paint (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (NPM) under the main research programme entitled “Indoor air TVOCs and formaldehyde monitoring programme and its impact on respiratory health, allergies, and asthma among building occupants” in addition to a scholarship from the Research Management Center (RMC), Universiti Putra Malaysia, and Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and support from the private sectors in indoor air industries (Kim Chew Communication Sdn Bhd). Special thanks to the indoor air scientists and indoor air quality assessors (JKKP HIE 127/171 – 4[18]) registered under the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Malaysia (DOSH, Malaysia). The authors would like to thank Maznah Ab Jamal for her guidance concerning the publication of this article. Special thanks also go to Ismail Musa, Mohd Khairi Ismail, Zulfadhli Ismail, and Hasanul Manzar Ismail for their ideas and critical evaluation of this article.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.