Indoor air quality in UiTM Puncak Alam residential building / Mohd Khairullazwan Khairullanuar

The study was conducted to evaluate Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in UiTM's Hostel rooms. The study also compared IAQ between Block Angsana (old hostel building) and Block Casuarina (new hostel building). One hundred rooms (n=100) are selected for parameter measuring. Fifty rooms were Angsana hostel (n=50) while another fifty rooms were collected from Casuarina rooms (n=50). Each room was measured for five parameters include Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC), Carbon Dioxide, room temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity.
In addition, comparing with Industrial Code of Practice for Indoor Air Quality 2011, there were no violation against all parameter measured except for room temperature and relative humidity. The result showed that all rooms (n=100) are not compliance for room
temperature within the standard guidelines while sixteen rooms (n=16) are not compliance for relative humidity standard guidelines. The study also found that there were significant different (p<0.05) between old building and new building for air velocity (p=0.000), TVOC (p=0.000) and
CO2 (p=0.003) concentration Casuarina (new building) had higher concentration. However there was no significant difference (p»0.05) between the new building and the old building for relative humidity and temperature. Statistical analysis for correlation between TVOC and CO2 showed fair significant thus proving that if CO2 increased TVOC also have tend to be increased. As the room temperature is high, it is not good in terms of thermal comfort thus few recommendations had done to control temperature such as installed overhang, tree planting, and promoting good behavior. Besides that for TVOC emission control and relative humidity reduction, isolation for laundry rooms are suggested, maintenance check on mechanical ventilation and health promotion towards awareness of chemical compounds in households. In addition, high temperature and high humidity caused mold growth in building. Mold growth can give adverse health effect to human such as allergic and respiratory problem. Thus, the authorities must responsible in preventing mold growth in building. It is suggested that anti mold paint and material should be used in building and also controlling level of temperature and humidity.