PATICULATE MATTERS RELATED TO RESPIRATORY AND ALLERGIC SYMPTOMS IN LIBRARIES STAFFS AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS AT CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY BANGKOK THAILAND

Abstract

The objective of this research was to find association between particulate matter with respiratory and allergic symptom in libraries staffs and administrative officers of Chulalongkorn University. Respondents in this studied were 193 persons separated in 119 exposed group (Libraries staffs) and 74 unexposed group (Administrative officers). Face to face interview was used to ask about socio-demographic, work characteristic, workplace characteristic, respiration and allergic symptoms also with particulate matter exposure measurement with personal equipment followed to NIOSH method (0600). Statistic for analyzed data and association were Chi-square test, Fisher’s Exact test and logistic regression. The results from this studied shown that most of libraries staffs were woman (79.8%) and smoke (96.6%), this difference to administrative office significantly (p = 0.002). Nevertheless the libraries staffs had highly in age between 51-60 years old while administrative officers were 31 – 40 years old (p < 0.001). The particulate matter diameter less than 10 micron (PM10) exposure of libraries staff (9.89 – 1298.70 μg/m3, Mean = 202.81 μg/m3) was significantly higher than administrative officers (9.88 – 515.53 μg/m3, Mean = 102.95 μg/m3) but PM10 exposure was not exceed to standard (OSHA: 5000 μg/m3) also with prevalence of respiratory and allergic symptoms in libraries staffs insignificantly higher than administrative officers. However, the data shown that PM10 exposure significant association to wheezing (OR=1.005, p = 0.05) and skin rash (OR=1.004, p = 0.041). There were other factors which significantly association to the symptoms such as respiratory and allergic disease, gender, work history with exposure to dust, daily smoke exposure from incent smoke or open burning, transportation to work by bus, renew workplace by re-painting and set up wall paper and pesticide used in household.