Publication: Influence of outdoor fine particulate matter (pm2.5) and meteorological factors towards indoor pm2.5 concentration in the classroom with different microenvironment
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Date
2024-01-01
Authors
Azrin Binti Suroto
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Abstract
Particulate matter (PM2.5) is one of atmospheric particles that has been monitored and
sampled could give adverse effects on human health especially towards sensitive
groups such including school children. School children spent 80% of their daily life
indoor which about 6 to 7 hours at school and mostly in classroom. This study was
conducted at six selected schools labeled as S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6 located in
Peninsular Malaysia in order to study the effects of outdoor PM2.5 concentrations
towards indoor with different microenvironments. The results show that during high
particulate event (HPE), average indoor PM2.5 concentrations in S5 and S6 were
64±29 µg/m3 and 59±171 µg/m3 which exceed the permissible 24 hours limit by
World Health Organization (WHO), 25 µg/m3
. Indoor meteorological parameters,
indoor temperature was exceeding the acceptable range recommended by DOSH in
ICOP 2010 which is 23 – 26 ºC. For indoor relative humidity, the measured reading
in S1, S3, and S4 was within the acceptable range recommended by DOSH in ICOP
2010 while in S2, S5 and S6, the measured reading was exceeding the acceptable
range. Indoor wind speed measured in each school as within the acceptable range
recommended by DOSH in ICOP 2010. Irregular shape particle, transition metal
particle, fine soot agglomerated particle, agglomeration of many fine particles and
flocculant aggregates particles are the particles that found in this study. Results for
multiple linear regression show that the best fit model is at school S5 and S6 which
during high particulate event (HPE), outdoor PM2.5 and meteorological parameters significantly (p < 0.05) influenced on indoor PM2.5 concentrations with strong value
of regression coefficient (R) = 0.948 in S5 and in S6, R = 0.861. Indoor PM2.5
concentrations were influenced by outdoor PM2.5 concentrations which HPE
identified give the strongest effects. This supported by morphological properties and
chemical composition found in this study.