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Risk Assessment of Indoor Air Quality and Its Association with Subjective Symptoms among Office Workers in Korea

Author

Listed:
  • Dayoung Jung

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea
    Environmental Health Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 22733, Korea)

  • Youngtae Choe

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

  • Jihun Shin

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

  • Eunche Kim

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

  • Gihong Min

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

  • Dongjun Kim

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

  • Mansu Cho

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

  • Chaekwan Lee

    (Institute of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Medical School, Inje University, Busan 47392, Korea)

  • Kilyong Choi

    (Department of Environmental Energy Engineering, Anyang University, Anyang 14028, Korea)

  • Byung Lyul Woo

    (Industrial Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, Force Health Protection, U. S. Army Medical Department Activity-Korea/65th Medical Brigade, Unit # 15281, APO (Army Post Office) AP (Armed Force Pacific) 96271-5281, USA)

  • Wonho Yang

    (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea)

Abstract

The 2014 Time-Use Survey of Statistics Korea revealed that office workers are increasingly spending more than eight hours at work. This study conducted an exposure assessment for office workers in Korea. Indoor and outdoor air pollutants were measured in offices. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to determine work information, indoor air quality (IAQ) awareness, and subjective symptoms for 328 workers. Indoor air concentrations for measured air pollutants were below IAQ guideline values. The average concentrations of target air pollutants did not show significant differences except for benzene, which had relatively a higher concentration in national industrial complexes. The indoor benzene, ethylbenzene, and acetaldehyde concentrations were higher in offices where workers were having dry eye, ophthalmitis, and headache symptoms. This study provides reference values to manage IAQ in offices, suggesting that if the benzene concentration exceeds 4.23 μg/m 3 in offices, it could cause dry eye symptoms. Considering the increasing working hours for office workers and health effects, workers’ exposure to indoor pollutants should be reduced. In addition, the IAQ was heavily influenced by outdoor air levels and various indoor sources. Therefore, in areas with relatively high air pollution, greater monitoring and management is required considering the influence of outdoor air quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Dayoung Jung & Youngtae Choe & Jihun Shin & Eunche Kim & Gihong Min & Dongjun Kim & Mansu Cho & Chaekwan Lee & Kilyong Choi & Byung Lyul Woo & Wonho Yang, 2022. "Risk Assessment of Indoor Air Quality and Its Association with Subjective Symptoms among Office Workers in Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-12, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:4:p:2446-:d:754039
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Rongpeng & Hong, Tianzhen, 2017. "Modeling of HVAC operational faults in building performance simulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 178-188.
    2. Chung-Yen Lu & Jia-Min Lin & Ying-Yi Chen & Yi-Chun Chen, 2015. "Building-Related Symptoms among Office Employees Associated with Indoor Carbon Dioxide and Total Volatile Organic Compounds," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-13, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad Arar & Chuloh Jung, 2022. "Analyzing the Perception of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) from a Survey of New Townhouse Residents in Dubai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Nicola Magnavita, 2023. "Workplace Health Promotion Embedded in Medical Surveillance: The Italian Way to Total Worker Health Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-11, February.

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