Experimental study on the correlation between indoor air quality and cognitive health

• Main Author: Leow, Raymond Jian Jie
• Other Authors: Wan Man Pun
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/139111
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Indoor air pollutants have been prevalent in nearly every office environment. We aimed to determine the levels of pollutants present in a building. While the levels of pollutants were measured, occupants in the offices were required to fill questionnaires that contained various sections to further understand their cognitive behaviour. Using these results, a regression analysis would subsequently be performed to find the relationship between the air pollutants and an individual’s cognitive performance. Our study focused on occupants in the Air Traffic Management Research Institute in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Pollutants that were recorded included volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, bacteria and fungi, particulate matter, ozone, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Contents in the questionnaire included the prospective memory task, satisfaction of indoor office environment, workplace health, cognitive failure questionnaire, Raven’s progressive matrices and tiredness. The study conducted had 2 phases, and both phases had significantly different levels of VOCs, formaldehyde and particulate matter. However, due to the limited sample size available, there was no distinct pattern between the levels of pollutants and an individual’s cognitive behaviour. Despite that, it was discovered that the increased levels of pollutants had caused the occupants to show higher signs of dissatisfaction towards the perceived air quality, and ultimately the satisfaction of the work environment.