Assessing indoor air quality and its impact on sick building syndrome symptoms in an industrial work environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/ineq.v1i2.2024.1843Keywords:
indoor air quality, sick building syndrome, workersAbstract
Introduction: Poor indoor quality is known to adversely affect human health, especially in enclosed workspaces with inadequate ventilation. Such conditions can increase the likelihood of workers experiencing symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). This study was conducted to examine the environmental risk factors that have the most influence on SBS symptoms in workers at PT X. Methods: The cross-sectional research design used included 91 workers in the PT X production area. Environmental measurements included carbon monoxide levels, temperature, humidity, PM10, and formaldehyde using a particle counter, and wind speed measurements using an anemometer. Data were collected from 17 predetermined points and analyzed using the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. Findings: The results showed that 93.4% of participants (85 out of 91 workers) reported experiencing symptoms consistent with SBS. Statistical analysis showed a significant association between SBS symptoms and temperature (p=0.013) and wind speed (p=0.031). Among these variables, formaldehyde emerged as the most influential factor, with a Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR) of 0.457. Conclusion: The study concluded that temperature and wind speed were significantly associated with SBS symptoms, with formaldehyde as the dominant causal factor. It is recommended that companies implement regular indoor air quality monitoring and improve ventilation systems, especially in production areas, to reduce health risks for workers. Novelty/Originality: The novelty of this research lies in its specific and quantitative investigation of environmental risk factors influencing Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in a real industrial workplace setting—namely, the production area of PT X.
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