This study was conducted with an aim to know the extent to which artefacts displayed in a museum could be affected due to raised levels of indoor air pollutants. The other objective of this work was to identify whether the quality of air in the residential homes is acceptable for the residents or not. In order to fulfil these objectives, the levels of air quality parameters were recorded at various locations of the museum and residential homes. The determined values of these parameters were compared with the permitted values defined in international standards/guidelines. Results showed that the levels of nitrogen dioxide, relative humidity and temperature in the museum were within the allowable limits while that of ozone, sulphur dioxide and total particulate matters were above the thresholds, which could cause damage to the exhibits in the museum. Furthermore, the results obtained from the residential homes indicated that the elevated levels of carbon dioxide, total volatile organic compounds and temperature in the indoor environment of these homes could cause unhealthy effects to the residents.
PavlogeorgatosG. Environmental parameters in museums. Build Environ2003; 38: 1457–1462.
2.
Ahmed AA, Rahman SA and Shahrani S: CO and CO2 concentrations in naturally-ventilated houses in Malaysia. In: 21st conference on passive and low energy architecture, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 19–22 September 2004, http://alexandria.tue.nl/openaccess/635611/p0624final.pdf (2004, accessed 17 September 2013).
3.
PickettARBellML. Assessment of indoor air pollution in homes with infants. Int J Environ Res Public Health2011; 8: 4502–4520.
4.
Abdul-WahabSASaghirA. Investigations of indoor air contaminants in different types of houses and shopping centers. IPCBEE2012; 43: 99–103.
5.
JanszJIntroduction to sick building syndrome. In: SabahAAbdul-Wahab (eds). Sick building syndrome in public building and workplace, Dordrecht, London, New York: Springer Heidelberg, 2011, pp. 1–24.
6.
ChianeseERiccioADuroITrifuoggiMIovinoPCapassoSBaroneG. Measurements for indoor air quality assessment at the Capodimonte Museum in Naples (Italy). Int J Environ Res2012; 6: 509–518.
7.
KrupińskaBWorobiecARotondoGGNovakovićVKontozovaVRoCUGriekenRVWaelKD. Assessment of the air quality (NO2, SO2, O3 and particulate matter) in the Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room in Antwerp, Belgium, in different seasons of the year. Microchem J2012; 102: 49–53.
8.
TanCCLFinneyKNChenQRussellNVSharifiVNSwithenbankJ. Experimental investigation of indoor air pollutants in residential buildings. Indoor Built Environ2013; 22: 471–489.
9.
YauYHChewBTSaifullahAZA. A field study on thermal comfort of occupants and acceptable neutral temperature at the national museum in Malaysia. Indoor Built Environ2013; 22: 433–444.
10.
Muhamad-DarusFZain-AhmedATalibM. Preliminary assessment of indoor air quality in terrace houses. Health Environ J2011; 2: 8–14.
11.
SaragaDPaterakiSPapadopoulosAVasilakosChMaggosT. Studying the indoor air quality in three non-residential environments of different use: a museum, a printery industry and an office. Build Environ2011; 46: 2333–2341.
12.
PalanivelrajaSManirathinemKI. Studies on indoor air quality in a rural sustainable home. WASET2010; 44: 141–145.
13.
WongNHHuangB. Comparative study of the indoor air quality of naturally ventilated and air-conditioned bedrooms of residential buildings in Singapore. Build Environ2004; 39: 1115–1123.
14.
TakigawaTSaijoYMorimotoKNakayamaKShibataETanakaMYoshimuraTChikaraHKishiR. A longitudinal study of aldehydes and volatile organic compounds associated with subjective symptoms related to sick building syndrome in new dwellings in Japan. Sci Total Environ2012; 417: 61–67.
15.
SchieweckASalthammerT. Indoor air quality in passive-type museum showcases. J Cult Herit2011; 12: 205–213.
16.
WongSKLaiLWCHoDCWChauKWLamCLKNgCHF. Sick building syndrome and perceived indoor environmental quality: a survey of apartment buildings in Hong Kong. Habitat Int2009; 33: 463–471.
17.
WangBLTakigawaTYamasakiYSakanoNWangDHOginoK. Symptom definitions for SBS (sick building syndrome) in residential dwellings. Int J Hyg Environ Health2008; 211: 114–120.
18.
SvendsenMR. Indoor air pollution in museums: a review of prediction models and control strategies. Rev Conserv2006; 7: 27–41.
19.
LawrenceAJTanejaA. An investigation of Indoor air quality in rural residential houses in India – a case study. Indoor Built Environ2005; 14: 321–329.
20.
LeeSCLiWMAoCH. Investigation of indoor air quality at residential homes in Hong Kong – case study. Atmos Environ2002; 36: 225–237.
21.
HaririALemanAMYusofMZMPaimanNANoorNM. Preliminary measurement of welding fumes in automotive plants. IJESD2012; 3: 146–151.
22.
LeeHLeeYJParkSYKimYWLeeY. The improvement of ventilation behaviors in kitchens of residential buildings. Indoor Built Environ2012; 21: 48–61.
23.
PegasPNEvtyuginaMGAlvesCANunesTCerqueiraMFranchi, PioCAAlmeidaSMFreitasMC. Outdoor/indoor air quality in primary schools in Lisbon: a preliminary study. Quim Nova2010; 33: 1145–1149.
24.
PURAFIL. Environmental control for museums, libraries and archival storage areas. Technical Bulletin-600A, 2004, Purafil, Inc. 2654 Weaver Way Doraville, Georgia 30340.
25.
LeeCKimYNagajyothiPCThammalangsySGoungSJ. Cultural heritage: a potential pollution source in museum. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int2011; 18: 743–755.
26.
ReddyMKSuneelaMSumathiMReddyRC. Indoor air quality at Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad, India. Environ Monit Assess2005; 105: 359–367.
27.
ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007. Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality. 2007, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, 1791 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, 2007.
28.
ASHRAE Standard 55-2010. Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, 1791 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, 2010.
29.
World Health Organization (WHO). WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: selected pollutants, Copenhagen: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, 2010.
30.
World Health Organization (WHO). Air quality guidelines for Europe, 2nd ed. Copenhagen: World Health Organization Regional Publications, European series No. 91, 2000.
31.
PalanivelrajaSManirathinemKI. A comparative study on indoor air quality in a low cost and a green design house. Afr J Environ Sci Technol2009; 3: 120–130.
32.
Brown SK: High quality indoor environments for sustainable office buildings. Australian CRC for Construction Innovation, QUT Digital Repository: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/27232 (2008, accessed 15 November 2012).
33.
Abddul-WahabSA. Indoor and outdoor relationships of atmospheric particulates in Oman. Indoor Built Environ2006; 15: 247–255.
34.
BelloAQuinnMMPerryMJMiltonDK. Quantitative assessment of airborne exposures generated during common cleaning tasks: a pilot study. Environ Health2010; 9: 76–76.
35.
MølhaveL. Volatile organic compounds, indoor air quality, and health. Indoor Air1991; 1: 357–376.
36.
NiuJLBurnettJ. Setting up the criteria and credit-awarding scheme for building interior material selection to achieve better indoor air quality. Environ Int2001; 26: 573–580.
DremetsikaAVSiskosPABakeasEB. Determination of formic and acetic acid in the interior atmosphere of display cases and cabinets in Athens museums by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Indoor Built Environ2005; 14: 51–58.
39.
SulaimanZMohamedM. Indoor air quality and sick building syndrome study at two selected libraries in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Environ Asia2011; 4: 67–74.
40.
SchieweckaALohrengelaBSiwinskibNGenningaCSalthammerT. Organic and inorganic pollutants in storage rooms of the Lower Saxony State Museum Hanover, Germany. Atmos Environ2005; 39: 6098–6108.
41.
Syazwan AizatIJulianaJNorhafizalinaOAzmanZAKamaruzamanJ. Indoor air quality and sick building syndrome in Malaysian buildings. Glob J Health Sci2009; 1: 126–136.
42.
SaijoYNakagiYItoTSugiokaYEndoHYoshidaT. Relation of dampness to sick building syndrome in Japanese public apartment houses. Environ Health Prev Med2009; 14: 26–35.
43.
YangWSohnJKimJSonBParkJ. Indoor air quality investigation according to age of the school buildings in Korea. J Environ Manage2009; 90: 348–354.
44.
FangLWyonDPClausenGFangerPO. Sick building syndrome symptoms and performance in a field laboratory study at different levels of temperature and humidity. Indoor Air2002; 3: 461–466.
