Interior air quality studies of air-conditioned surface transportation in Manila

• Main Author: Belino, Manuel C.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2006
• Subjects: Indoor air quality; Air—Pollution; Motor vehicles—Pollution control devices; Environmental Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/570
• Institution: De La Salle University

This paper presents the completed and on-going studies of air-conditioned surface transportation in Manila which are done at the Mechanical Engineering Department of De La Salle University. The recently completed studies include : assessment of chemical contaminants and biological contaminants in air-conditioned urban buses and installation of a positive pressure fan to maintain good interior quality in air-conditioned urban buses. The on-going study deals with the interior air quality of ship cabins. These studies assessed the biological contaminants, particulate matter, chemical contaminants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and volatile organic compounds such as benzene and toluene. Surveys were done to relate the health problems experienced by the occupants with the commonly contracted diseases/illnesses due to poor air quality. These studies also include some form of interventions to reduce the concentration of chemical/biological contaminants like the use of an ultra-violet light and installation of a positive pressure fan. Results of these studies have shown the presence of some contaminants in concentration that exceeded the maximum allowable value found in the indoor air quality standard. The interventions used in the study prove to be effective in reducing the contaminants. Health problems experienced by the occupants and the diseases/illnesses caused by the contaminants present were related.