Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola; Ana Godson Rowland; Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi; Fakunle Adekunle Gregory; Bello Temilade Basirat

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola, Ana Godson Rowland, Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi, Fakunle Adekunle Gregory, Bello Temilade Basirat

Published in Journal of Health and Environmental Research (Volume 4, Issue 3)

Received: 24 July 2018 Accepted: 7 August 2018 Published: 3 September 2018

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Abstract

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the most urgent top five environmental risks to public health. Numerous studies have documented that sick building syndrome (SBS) is surprisingly common even in buildings without widespread complaints and its relationship with hypersensitivity disease are often associated with exposure to high concentration of airborne microbial organisms. To contribute to knowledge on IAQ, this study evaluates the levels and composition of bacterial and fungal contamination of different offices in a tertiary institution in South-western Nigeria. A cross sectional design was used to compare the indoor airborne microbial load of three categories of offices within the institution premises: the central administrative (CA), academic (AC) and work and maintenance (W&M) offices. Indoor temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) of the respective offices were measured using a 5-in-1 multi-tester N21FR made in China and categorized into comfort and high levels. Air samples were collected using a TE-10-890 Andersen single stage microbial air sampler and the total counts per cubic metre were compared with the American Industrial Hygiene Association guideline (AIHA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis. Offices in CA recorded the highest mean indoor Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of 22.6 ± 12.2cfu/m³ as compared to W&M (18.3 ± 10.4cfu/m³) and AC (15.6 ± 8.4cfu/m³) p<0.05. However, AC offices recorded the highest mean Total Fungi Count (TFC) of 3.6 ± 2.3cfu/m³ as compared to CA (3.5 ± 1.7cfu/m³) and W&M (3.3 ± 2.1cfu/m³) p>0.05. The indoor TBC and TFC of the categories of offices were found to be lower than the AIHA guideline limit. The number of persons at the point of sampling was found to significantly predict the level of indoor TBC, p<0.01. The most isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp., whereas Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. were the most abundant fungi isolates. The present study implicated population as a major source of microbial contamination in the office environment. Adequate knowledge about indoor air quality in terms of microbial contamination and its implication on health should be provided to staff of the institution in the hierarchy of control measures to mitigate the levels of indoor airborne microorganisms.

Published in	Journal of Health and Environmental Research (Volume 4, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
Page(s)	113-118
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Indoor Air Quality, Microbial Load, Offices, Tertiary Institution, Nigeria

References

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Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola, Ana Godson Rowland, Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi, Fakunle Adekunle Gregory, Bello Temilade Basirat. (2018). Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria. Journal of Health and Environmental Research, 4(3), 113-118. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

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ACS Style

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola; Ana Godson Rowland; Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi; Fakunle Adekunle Gregory; Bello Temilade Basirat. Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria. J. Health Environ. Res. 2018, 4(3), 113-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

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AMA Style

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola, Ana Godson Rowland, Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi, Fakunle Adekunle Gregory, Bello Temilade Basirat. Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria. J Health Environ Res. 2018;4(3):113-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

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@article{10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15,
  author = {Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola and Ana Godson Rowland and Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi and Fakunle Adekunle Gregory and Bello Temilade Basirat},
  title = {Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria},
  journal = {Journal of Health and Environmental Research},
  volume = {4},
  number = {3},
  pages = {113-118},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jher.20180403.15},
  abstract = {Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the most urgent top five environmental risks to public health. Numerous studies have documented that sick building syndrome (SBS) is surprisingly common even in buildings without widespread complaints and its relationship with hypersensitivity disease are often associated with exposure to high concentration of airborne microbial organisms. To contribute to knowledge on IAQ, this study evaluates the levels and composition of bacterial and fungal contamination of different offices in a tertiary institution in South-western Nigeria. A cross sectional design was used to compare the indoor airborne microbial load of three categories of offices within the institution premises: the central administrative (CA), academic (AC) and work and maintenance (W&M) offices. Indoor temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) of the respective offices were measured using a 5-in-1 multi-tester N21FR made in China and categorized into comfort and high levels. Air samples were collected using a TE-10-890 Andersen single stage microbial air sampler and the total counts per cubic metre were compared with the American Industrial Hygiene Association guideline (AIHA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis. Offices in CA recorded the highest mean indoor Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of 22.6 ± 12.2cfu/m3 as compared to W&M (18.3 ± 10.4cfu/m3) and AC (15.6 ± 8.4cfu/m3) p3 as compared to CA (3.5 ± 1.7cfu/m3) and W&M (3.3 ± 2.1cfu/m3) p>0.05. The indoor TBC and TFC of the categories of offices were found to be lower than the AIHA guideline limit. The number of persons at the point of sampling was found to significantly predict the level of indoor TBC, pspp., Streptococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp., whereas Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. were the most abundant fungi isolates. The present study implicated population as a major source of microbial contamination in the office environment. Adequate knowledge about indoor air quality in terms of microbial contamination and its implication on health should be provided to staff of the institution in the hierarchy of control measures to mitigate the levels of indoor airborne microorganisms.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria
AU  - Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola
AU  - Ana Godson Rowland
AU  - Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi
AU  - Fakunle Adekunle Gregory
AU  - Bello Temilade Basirat
Y1  - 2018/09/03
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
T2  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JF  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JO  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
SP  - 113
EP  - 118
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-3592
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
AB  - Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the most urgent top five environmental risks to public health. Numerous studies have documented that sick building syndrome (SBS) is surprisingly common even in buildings without widespread complaints and its relationship with hypersensitivity disease are often associated with exposure to high concentration of airborne microbial organisms. To contribute to knowledge on IAQ, this study evaluates the levels and composition of bacterial and fungal contamination of different offices in a tertiary institution in South-western Nigeria. A cross sectional design was used to compare the indoor airborne microbial load of three categories of offices within the institution premises: the central administrative (CA), academic (AC) and work and maintenance (W&M) offices. Indoor temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) of the respective offices were measured using a 5-in-1 multi-tester N21FR made in China and categorized into comfort and high levels. Air samples were collected using a TE-10-890 Andersen single stage microbial air sampler and the total counts per cubic metre were compared with the American Industrial Hygiene Association guideline (AIHA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis. Offices in CA recorded the highest mean indoor Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of 22.6 ± 12.2cfu/m3 as compared to W&M (18.3 ± 10.4cfu/m3) and AC (15.6 ± 8.4cfu/m3) p3 as compared to CA (3.5 ± 1.7cfu/m3) and W&M (3.3 ± 2.1cfu/m3) p>0.05. The indoor TBC and TFC of the categories of offices were found to be lower than the AIHA guideline limit. The number of persons at the point of sampling was found to significantly predict the level of indoor TBC, pspp., Streptococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp., whereas Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. were the most abundant fungi isolates. The present study implicated population as a major source of microbial contamination in the office environment. Adequate knowledge about indoor air quality in terms of microbial contamination and its implication on health should be provided to staff of the institution in the hierarchy of control measures to mitigate the levels of indoor airborne microorganisms.
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola

Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Ana Godson Rowland

Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi

Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Fakunle Adekunle Gregory

Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Environmental Health Unit, Blue-gate Public Health Initiative, Ibadan, Nigeria
Bello Temilade Basirat

Department of Community Medicine, Osun State University, Osun, Nigeria

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APA Style

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola, Ana Godson Rowland, Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi, Fakunle Adekunle Gregory, Bello Temilade Basirat. (2018). Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria. Journal of Health and Environmental Research, 4(3), 113-118. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

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ACS Style

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola; Ana Godson Rowland; Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi; Fakunle Adekunle Gregory; Bello Temilade Basirat. Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria. J. Health Environ. Res. 2018, 4(3), 113-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

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AMA Style

Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola, Ana Godson Rowland, Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi, Fakunle Adekunle Gregory, Bello Temilade Basirat. Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria. J Health Environ Res. 2018;4(3):113-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15,
  author = {Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola and Ana Godson Rowland and Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi and Fakunle Adekunle Gregory and Bello Temilade Basirat},
  title = {Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria},
  journal = {Journal of Health and Environmental Research},
  volume = {4},
  number = {3},
  pages = {113-118},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jher.20180403.15},
  abstract = {Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the most urgent top five environmental risks to public health. Numerous studies have documented that sick building syndrome (SBS) is surprisingly common even in buildings without widespread complaints and its relationship with hypersensitivity disease are often associated with exposure to high concentration of airborne microbial organisms. To contribute to knowledge on IAQ, this study evaluates the levels and composition of bacterial and fungal contamination of different offices in a tertiary institution in South-western Nigeria. A cross sectional design was used to compare the indoor airborne microbial load of three categories of offices within the institution premises: the central administrative (CA), academic (AC) and work and maintenance (W&M) offices. Indoor temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) of the respective offices were measured using a 5-in-1 multi-tester N21FR made in China and categorized into comfort and high levels. Air samples were collected using a TE-10-890 Andersen single stage microbial air sampler and the total counts per cubic metre were compared with the American Industrial Hygiene Association guideline (AIHA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis. Offices in CA recorded the highest mean indoor Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of 22.6 ± 12.2cfu/m3 as compared to W&M (18.3 ± 10.4cfu/m3) and AC (15.6 ± 8.4cfu/m3) p3 as compared to CA (3.5 ± 1.7cfu/m3) and W&M (3.3 ± 2.1cfu/m3) p>0.05. The indoor TBC and TFC of the categories of offices were found to be lower than the AIHA guideline limit. The number of persons at the point of sampling was found to significantly predict the level of indoor TBC, pspp., Streptococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp., whereas Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. were the most abundant fungi isolates. The present study implicated population as a major source of microbial contamination in the office environment. Adequate knowledge about indoor air quality in terms of microbial contamination and its implication on health should be provided to staff of the institution in the hierarchy of control measures to mitigate the levels of indoor airborne microorganisms.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Indoor Airborne Microbial Load of Selected Offices in a Tertiary Institution in South-Western Nigeria
AU  - Akindele Oluwakemi Omolola
AU  - Ana Godson Rowland
AU  - Uchendu Obioma Chukwudi
AU  - Fakunle Adekunle Gregory
AU  - Bello Temilade Basirat
Y1  - 2018/09/03
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
T2  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JF  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JO  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
SP  - 113
EP  - 118
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-3592
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20180403.15
AB  - Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the most urgent top five environmental risks to public health. Numerous studies have documented that sick building syndrome (SBS) is surprisingly common even in buildings without widespread complaints and its relationship with hypersensitivity disease are often associated with exposure to high concentration of airborne microbial organisms. To contribute to knowledge on IAQ, this study evaluates the levels and composition of bacterial and fungal contamination of different offices in a tertiary institution in South-western Nigeria. A cross sectional design was used to compare the indoor airborne microbial load of three categories of offices within the institution premises: the central administrative (CA), academic (AC) and work and maintenance (W&M) offices. Indoor temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) of the respective offices were measured using a 5-in-1 multi-tester N21FR made in China and categorized into comfort and high levels. Air samples were collected using a TE-10-890 Andersen single stage microbial air sampler and the total counts per cubic metre were compared with the American Industrial Hygiene Association guideline (AIHA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis. Offices in CA recorded the highest mean indoor Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of 22.6 ± 12.2cfu/m3 as compared to W&M (18.3 ± 10.4cfu/m3) and AC (15.6 ± 8.4cfu/m3) p3 as compared to CA (3.5 ± 1.7cfu/m3) and W&M (3.3 ± 2.1cfu/m3) p>0.05. The indoor TBC and TFC of the categories of offices were found to be lower than the AIHA guideline limit. The number of persons at the point of sampling was found to significantly predict the level of indoor TBC, pspp., Streptococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp., whereas Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. were the most abundant fungi isolates. The present study implicated population as a major source of microbial contamination in the office environment. Adequate knowledge about indoor air quality in terms of microbial contamination and its implication on health should be provided to staff of the institution in the hierarchy of control measures to mitigate the levels of indoor airborne microorganisms.
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
ER  -

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