Abstract
Background: Indoor air quality (IAQ) has a significant impact on human health. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more employees work remotely from home to reduce in-person contacts. This study aims to measure the difference in indoor air quality between the office and home environments and its impact on employees’ health. Methods: This was a pilot study conducted in McAllen, Texas, in two settings; 1) offices during January-July 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and 2) homes during June-October 2020. A total of eleven employees working in an academic organization participated in this study. The levels of particulate matter 2.5 µm (PM2.5), total volatile organic chemicals (tVOC), and CO2 were monitored in offices and households at multiple locations for a month. The frequencies of six symptoms of the Sick Building Syndrome (e.g., dry eyes) were evaluated at each period of monitoring. Results: In 82% of participants, the PM2.5 levels in households were significantly higher than those in offices (p
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2021 |
| Event | 2021 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo - Duration: 24 Oct 2021 → 27 Oct 2021 |
Conference
| Conference | 2021 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo |
|---|---|
| Period | 24/10/21 → 27/10/21 |
Keywords
- indoor air quality
- COVID-19
- work from home
- employee health
