Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Frontiers in Built Environment

Publication Date

8-18-2026

Abstract

In educational institutions with the use of mechanical ventilation especially in arid climates indoor air quality (IAQ) has significant implications to health and cognitive performance of occupants. The present study examined 35 different sites’ IAQ at Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January-February 2024 comparing the observations with 2024 IAQ Guideline in Dubai Municipality (DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ). Portable instruments were used to measure eleven parameters: temperature, relative humidity, CO 2 , CO, ozone, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), PM 10 and PM 2 . 5 . The count of viable bacteria and fungi was determined by 15-min passive sedimentation on agar plates (incubated 5 days at 25 °C ± 2 °C; transformed to cfu/m 3 using the standard sedimentation formula). This settle-plate approach measures microbial deposition under passive settling conditions. Quality control included daily zero checks, duplicate measurements at approximately 10% of sampling locations (coefficient of variation <12% for gases and <18% for particulate matter), and gravimetric correction of particulate matter measurements. Overall the permissible standards were met at the majority of locations, exceedances occurred at a total of eight locations across four parameters which includes CO 2 (>800 ppm; max 1,093 ppm) at five high occupation sites (Finance Department, male reading area, three classrooms/dormitories), formaldehyde (>0.08 ppm; 0.10 ppm) at the main auditorium, total bacterial count (>500 cfu/m 3 ; 1,259 cfu/m 3 ) at a male dormitory, and total fungal count (>500 cfu/m 3 ; 1,259 cfu/m 3 ) at a female dormitory. The remaining parameters were in full compliance. These findings represent a single-round screening assessment rather than a comprehensive exposure evaluation. Hotspots indicate poor ventilation, off-gassing of the material, and proliferation of the microorganisms based on moisture. Sustainable IAQ can be achieved through targeted interventions such as demand-controlled ventilation, furnishings with low emissions, and the remediation of moisture and HVAC of dormitories, which become viable avenues to sustainable IAQ.

ISSN

2297-3362

Publisher

Frontiers Media SA

Volume

12

Disciplines

Engineering

Keywords

air pollution, climate change, indoor air quality, indoor environment, sustainability

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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Engineering Commons

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