Assessment of air quality and indoor environmental condition for potential workers' dormitory within Singapore shipyard

• Main Author: Lim, Ivan You Feng.
• Other Authors: Chang Wei-Chung
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Environmental pollution
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53876
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Growing population in Singapore is a great concern and there is a steady trend of increasing foreign workers over the decades. Utilisation of land by housing shipyard workers (high percentage foreigners) in dormitories within shipyard is an attractive option; therefore a study was performed to assess the air quality and indoor environmental conditions of the dormitories. The report aims to quantify the various air quality parameters such as PM, heavy metal content and VOCs to ascertain the feasibility to house workers within the dormitories. Containers A and B were set up with different control measures to reduce air pollution within the ‘rooms’. Container A had membrane attached to the window and Container B had HEPA air purifier installed to clean the air within the room. OPCs were used to collect data on PM, temperature and RH for both containers. Heavy metal content in air was tested using ICP-OES analysis after acid digestion was performed on samples collected via cyclones in each container. VOCs were collected on Tenax sorbent tubes and further analysed through TD-GC/MS process. The findings suggests that air purifier installed in Container B was effective in reducing PM levels below WHO standard guidelines daily mean concentration of 50 μg/m3 and 25 μg/m3 for PM10 and PM2.5 respectively. Heavy metal contents were found to be higher in Container B than in Container A due to closer proximity to emission sources. Results show that metal size range were generally smaller and thus more dangerous to human health, supported by SEM analysis. Comparison of results with standard guidelines was seemingly optimistic. However, examining the results further displays potential health effects with prolonged exposure of workers more than intended by the standards. Random spikes in toxic metal concentration intensify the uncertainties of the health risk workers may be subjected to. VOCs in the containers were found to be well within guidelines provided by NEA, but this could mainly be due to absence of painting activities in the shipyard during sampling. The thermal comfort in the rooms were highly dissatisfactory for housing of workers, with high temperature above 33°C during daytime, as well as high RH that brings about discomfort and promotes bacteria growth. Overall, the air quality in the dormitory was not satisfactory according to test results. It is recommended to carry out more tests to determine the feasibility with improvements made to the dormitory set up, and with necessary source reduction.