Abstract
There is little research on office air quality and health impact on workers in Latvia, but it is clear
that the indoor environment includes a lot of risk factors. During the study period indoor air pollutants –CO2, NO2, SO2, O3 – were identified, as well as microclimate indicators throughout the day. These data were compared with office workers survey, the results of subjective complaints related to health problems. Employee survey and pollutant measurements show that the numbers of complaints about the work environment and concentrations of pollutants grew in the afternoon. During the study, it was found that all the defined indicators at least in one of the office space presented increased levels, which may be related to diverse factors, for example, ventilation and its efficiency, frequency of using office equipment, floor and wall coverings, the number of people in space, office location, etc. It also confirms the subjective employees’ opinion on their health. Most workers marked they were suffering from tense or tired eyes, dry, itchy or inflamed eyes, headaches, neck fatigue, dry skin, pain or stiffness in the back, sneezing, constant tiredness, weakness or drowsiness.
that the indoor environment includes a lot of risk factors. During the study period indoor air pollutants –CO2, NO2, SO2, O3 – were identified, as well as microclimate indicators throughout the day. These data were compared with office workers survey, the results of subjective complaints related to health problems. Employee survey and pollutant measurements show that the numbers of complaints about the work environment and concentrations of pollutants grew in the afternoon. During the study, it was found that all the defined indicators at least in one of the office space presented increased levels, which may be related to diverse factors, for example, ventilation and its efficiency, frequency of using office equipment, floor and wall coverings, the number of people in space, office location, etc. It also confirms the subjective employees’ opinion on their health. Most workers marked they were suffering from tense or tired eyes, dry, itchy or inflamed eyes, headaches, neck fatigue, dry skin, pain or stiffness in the back, sneezing, constant tiredness, weakness or drowsiness.
| Translated title of the contribution | Evaluation of Office Workers’ Subjective Complaints in Relation to the Concentration of Pollutant Non-Organic Gases in Working Environment and Room Microclimate |
|---|---|
| Original language | Latvian |
| Title of host publication | Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes Zinātniskie raksti |
| Subtitle of host publication | 2010. gada medicīnas nozares pētnieciskā darba publikācijas |
| Place of Publication | Rīga |
| Publisher | Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte |
| Pages | 269-278 |
| Volume | 2 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-9984-788-79-1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| Event | RSU Scientific Conference 2010 - Rīga, Latvia. , Rīga, Latvia Duration: 18 Mar 2010 → 19 Mar 2010 |
Publication series
| Name | RSU Zinātniskie Raksti |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte |
| ISSN (Print) | 1407-9453 |
Conference
| Conference | RSU Scientific Conference 2010 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Latvia |
| City | Rīga |
| Period | 18/03/10 → 19/03/10 |
| Other | RSU zinātniskā konference 2010 |
Keywords*
- indoor air quality
- pollutants
- ozone
- sulfur dioxide
- nitrogen dioxide
- carbon dioxide
Field of Science*
- 3.3 Health sciences
Publication Type*
- 3.2. Articles or chapters in other proceedings other than those included in 3.1., with an ISBN or ISSN code