Pathai Chullasuk, Robert S. Chapman, and Nutta Taneepanichskul

DOI: 10.14456/sjst-psu.2016.53

pp. 407 - 412

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, people face health problems from poor indoor air quality caused by indoor air pollutants
such as dust. Dust accumulates in various places and libraries are among those. Therefore, library officers are vulnerable to
symptoms related to dust exposure. Method: This study was cross-sectional survey to find the association between respirable
dust, PM₁₀, and allergic symptoms in librarians compared with general officers. Chi-square and logistic regression were
used to identify the prevalence of variables and to analyze the association between PM₁₀ exposure and allergic symptoms
respectively. Result: Librarians were exposed to PM₁₀ levels higher than the general officers (p<0.001) and skin rash symptoms
was significantly associated with PM₁₀ exposure (p = 0.041). Conclusion: Librarians had higher risk of PM10 exposure and
associated allergic symptom of skin rash. Other risk factors related to the symptoms were workplace renovation, daily dust
exposure and history disease.