Employee exposure to total volatile organic compounds in photocopy and printing service centre / Nor Aida Haszuani Abdul Razak

Indoor air pollution in working placed widely being related with human health problem. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds which easily evaporated under normal temperature and pressure. Photocopy and printing machine are electronic devices that being reported emitting high VOC. Photocopy and printing service centre is an independent service centre that mainly used this equipment. Inks, coatings, adhesives and cleaning solvent are sources that emit VOCs from photocopy and printing machine during its operation. Employee who work in this business have high probability to be exposed as they work at very short distance with the equipment. A cross-sectional study was carried out at a photocopy and printing service centre in Seksyen 2, Shah Alam. Total number of respondents, n participate in this study is 47. Photo-ionisation detector (PID), MicroAlert PID 5 was used to measure real-time for personal exposure to Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs). This equipment was placed at employee breathing zone for 8-hours. Lung function test was carried out by using KokoLegend Spirometer to all respondents as to measure the lung performance. Besides that, questionnaire adopted by Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) on Indoor Air Quality 2010 was distributed to all respondents. This tools was used to assess indoor environmental quality problems and its work-related symptoms. Exposure to TVOCs were conducted based on work area (Customer Service, Large Format, Marketing & Designing and Administration). Large format shown the highest mean TVOCs concentration reading with 5.873 ppm while the lowest mean reading was measured at Administration area with 0.541 ppm. All area except Large Format area were complied with the standard guidelines ICOP on Indoor Air Quality 2010 with the acceptable limit 3 ppm. Correlation analysis shown negative linear correlation (r=- 689) of exposure of TVOCs and lung function performance. By means, the exposure of TVOCs influenced the lung function capability. Headaches, cough and hoarse throat are three most symptoms complained by the employee. As a conclusion, employee who work at photocopy and printing service centre exposed to TVOCs where Large Format area is the highest concentration measured. Hypothesis on TVOCs exposure affect lung function performance was accepted. Three symptoms; headache, cough and hoarse throat.