Particulate matter and CO2 concentrations in different workplaces within the vicinity of De La Salle University

• Main Authors: Tugade, Randel Mark V., Munoz, Miguel Ishwar D.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Particulate matter—Philippines—Manila—Measurement; Air—Pollution—Philippines—Manila—Measurement; Indoor air quality—Philippines—Manila—; Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/18613
• Institution: De La Salle University

Particulate matter and CO2 are common air pollutants found in the air capable of causing various negative health effects to humans. In this study, 5 different workplaces with common particulate matter sources often visited by high volumes of people were tested for PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10, and CO2 concentrations. Temperature and humidity were measured as well. Each workplace was tested for an hour, thrice a day. Each one was tested once a week for 5 weeks, resulting to each workplace having data from each weekday. The instruments used for measuring particulate matter concentrations were the Lighthouse Handheld -3016 and the EARTH Air Quality Monitoring Sensors. The results showed that the workplace with the highest concentration of all particle sizes is the smoking area due to the high volume of people smoking in the area during all three data collection periods of the day. The workplace with the highest CO2 levels is the fitness center, the mean of all 4, tested during the study. This is due to the high of volume people in indoor settings. The results regarding which time of the day and which day of the week has the highest concentration of PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10, and CO2 varies depending on the workplace. Varying correlations were found for each workplace on different days of the week but on an overall average, no direct correlation was found between any of the particle sizes and temperature, as well as humidity. These findings are contradicting to the results shown in related literatures. On the other hand, a strong positive correlation was found between all particle sizes and CO2. The correlation between the results of the Lighthouse and the AQMS also showed that the readings of both instruments are only relatively identical for PM1.0 and PM2.5 PM10 and temperature results from both instruments greatly differ based on the R2 value and equation.