Sains Malaysiana 48(8)(2019): 1575–1581

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4808-02

Dependency of Biological Contaminants on Temperature and Relative Humidity within Praying Halls of Mosques

(Pergantungan Pencemaran Biologi pada Suhu dan Kelembapan di dalam Ruang Solat Masjid)

NUR BAITUL IZATI RASLI¹, NOR AZAM RAMLI¹, MOHD RODZI ISMAIL²* & SYABIHA SHITH¹

¹Environmental Assessment and Clean Air Research (EACAR), School of Civil Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

²School of Housing Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 20 Januari 2019/Diterima: 12 Mei 2019

ABSTRACT

The widespread use of Air Conditioning Split Units (ACSU) to cool the air inside mosques may pose potential adverse health effects, secondary to exposure to biological contaminants. To address this issue, the dependencies of biological contaminants (bacteria and fungi) on temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) of the 'mosques’ indoor air were evaluated. A total of 25 mosques were investigated during the periods in which their respective congregators were performing Zohor or Friday, and Asar prayers. The recorded average indoor bacteria and fungi concentrations were 382.6±143.9 cfu/m3 and 229.4±165.5 cfu/m3, respectively. However, the study found that masses of bacteria aerosol within the indoors of certain mosques (10 out of 17 ACSU mosques and 1 out of 8 non-ACSU mosques) exceeded the limit recommended by Malaysian standard for indoor air quality (500 cfu/m3). Meanwhile, the results of regression analyses suggested that T and RH of the indoor air have high influence on airborne bacteria and fungi. The variations in bacteria concentrations due to the influence of T and RH in ACSU mosques (T= 92.3%; RH= 90.3%) were higher than in non-ACSU mosques (T= 82.75%; RH= 81.7%) whereas the variations in fungi concentrations in non-ACSU mosques (T=70.45%; RH= 71.45%) were higher than in ACSU mosques (T= 66.05%; RH= 60.7%). This research shows that the growth of bacteria and fungi within the prayer halls of mosques in Malaysia is very much dependent on its indoor T and RH.

Keywords: Biological contaminants; indoor air; mosque; relative humidity; temperature

ABSTRAK

Penggunaan meluas Penyaman Udara Unit Pisah (ACSU) untuk menyejukkan udara di dalam masjid boleh menimbulkan potensi kesan kesihatan yang buruk, membawa pendedahan kepada bahan cemar biologi. Bagi menangani isu ini, kebergantungan bahan cemar biologi (bakteria dan kulat) terhadap suhu (T) dan kelembapan relatif (RH) daripada udara dalaman masjid telah dinilai. Sebanyak 25 buah masjid telah dikaji dalam tempoh para jemaah masing-masing sedang melaksanakan solat Zohor atau Jumaat, dan Asar. Purata kepekatan bakteria dan kulat di ruang dalaman yang direkodkan masing-masing adalah 382.6 ± 143.9 cfu/m3 dan 229.4 ± 165.5 cfu/m3. Walau bagaimanapun, kajian ini mendapati bahawa jisim aerosol bakteria di dalam ruang dalaman bangunan masjid tertentu (10 daripada 17 masjid ACSU dan 1 daripada 8 masjid bukan ACSU) melebihi had yang disyorkan oleh piawai Malaysia bagi kualiti udara dalaman (500 cfu/m3). Sementara itu, hasil daripada analisis regresi menunjukkan bahawa T dan RH daripada udara dalaman mempunyai pengaruh yang tinggi terhadap bakteria bawaan udara dan kulat. Variasi dalam kepekatan bakteria akibat pengaruh T dan RH di masjid ACSU (T = 92.3%; RH = 90.3%) adalah lebih tinggi daripada di masjid bukan ACSU (T = 82.75%; RH = 81.7%) manakala variasi dalam kepekatan kulat di masjid bukan ACSU (T = 70.45%; RH = 71.45%) adalah lebih tinggi daripada di masjid ACSU (T = 66.05%; RH = 60.7%). Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pertumbuhan bakteria dan kulat di dalam dewan solat masjid di Malaysia sangat bergantung kepada T dan RH bagi udara dalamannya.

Kata kunci: Bahan cemar biologi; kelembapan relatif; masjid; suhu; udara dalaman

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*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: rodzi@usm.my