| Author: | Chu, Man-yan Mianne |
| Title: | Risk assessment on bioaerosols in residential buildings |
| Degree: | M.Eng. |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Subject: | Indoor air pollution -- China -- Hong Kong. Air -- Microbiology -- China -- Hong Kong. Aerosols. Dwellings -- Environmental aspects. Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Building Services Engineering |
| Pages: | xiii, 168 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | It is well proven that exposure to bioaerosol especially fungi and bacteria can induce adverse health effects. In countries such as Taiwan and Argentina, previous studies have been confined to residential buildings. However, in Hong Kong, there are only a few published on the study of fungal abundance in commercial buildings and none in residential buildings. This study aims to investigate the bacterial and fungal abundance and generate a profile for residential buildings in Hong Kong so that a better understanding on the occurrence in living environment can be developed. The samples were collected from November 2010 to April 2011 in different apartments located over Hong Kong by using a sampler Reuter Centrifugal Air Sampler (RCS). Four locations, living room, bedroom, kitchen and outdoor were surveyed to investigate the fungal abundance of different locations in an apartment. In each apartment, home assessment was carried out to record the living environment and behavior for evaluation. The relationship between the bioaerosol abundance and seasonal variations (relative humidity and temperature), factors related to living environment (potential sources in apartments and housekeeping habit) and exposure risk of human to fungi were examined. The common fungal genera found in the samples were Rhizopus, Pencillium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Chrysonilia, Stachybotrys, Ulocladium, Yeast and Aureobasidium. The dominant fungal genus was the same in winter and spring and it was Cladosporium. These results agree with the published information on the fungal populations worldwide. With the exception of Aspergillus, positive correlations between temperature and the fungal abundance of Alternaria, Aureobasidium and Cladosporium were found. Pencillium showed similar abundance in spring and winter. As for bacteria, the two dominant genera were Miccrococcus and Staphylococcus. No significant correlation between the bacterial abundance and temperature as well as relative humidity could be found. The possible causes of high concentration of bioaerosols in residential buildings were identified by evaluating the relationship between the bioaerosol abundance and the home assessment record and only the owning of pet had a positive correlation with fungal concentration. No significant correlation between bacterial concentration and home characteristics could be found. Future studies should concentrate on collecting more samples in rural areas of Hong Kong, include other factors such as building orientation and wind direction and conduct surveys in the other two seasons (summer and autumn) so as to generate a comprehensive seasonal profile for bioaerosols in residential buildings in Hong Kong. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b24497940.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.46 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Copyright Undertaking
As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:
- I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
- I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
- I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.
By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/6240