Indoor air quality and sick building syndrome in UiTM Health Center / Khairul Anam Moktar

Building related illness has still not gained the same prominence as those related to outdoor air quality. As such Malaysia definitely needs to identify and highlight the importance of the impact of indoor air quality on health as it is believed that residents in urban areas spend 90% of their time indoor. The study was conducted in health center located in MARA University of Technology, Shah Alam, Selangor. The study design of this study is cross-sectional study and evaluation the health problems of the occupants related to indoor air quality. Sampling data collection using QUESTemp⁰ 36; Area Heat Stress and Thermal Comfort monitor, Gas Alert Micro 5 IR (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 gas detector), BW Technologies by Honeywell International Ltd and modified Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality, Department of Occupational, Safety and Health questionnaire. A statistical analysis that is statistical package for the social science (SPSS) version 19.0 was used in this study. The study found that the reading of the sampled parameters carbon monoxide (0.123 ppm), carbon dioxide (2030 ppm), temperature (25.9°C), air velocity (0.09 mis) and relative humidity (56.8%). Carbon dioxide is the only reading that exceeds the permissible limit with 2030 ppm. The respondent has experienced the symptoms of sick building syndrome, headache (83.1%), thick-witted (64.6%), fatigue or lethargic (70.8%), sleepy (78.5%), dizziness (55.4%), nausea or vomiting (23.1%), cough (55.4%), stuffy nose (58.5%), dry throat (61.5%), skin rash or itchiness (33.8%), initiation of the eyes (26.2%) and itching scalp or ears (33.8%). The CO2 concentration was the only parameter that has violation but others was below the acceptable limit. From the results by using Pearson Correlation between work environment and Sick Building Syndrome symptoms, there was 0.763 where is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). It shows there was a strong relationship between work environment and diseases or symptoms.