ASSESSMENT OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN LECTURE THEATRES AT THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Throughout man’s historical development, the provision of acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ) has been a basic physiological requirement for survival. The near absence of quality data in respect of indoor air quality of educational buildings in Nigeria is a research gap that needs to be filled in terms of comparing baseline buildings with international recommended benchmarks, using performance building concept. The aim of the study was to assess the indoor air quality of lecture theatres in the Federal University of Technology, Akure with a view to providing a framework towards enhancing the indoor environment of lecture theatres in Nigerian Universities. The methodology for the study was a quantitative case study. Field measurements of CO2 was carried out using carbon dioxide, temperature and relative humidity nondispersive infrared measuring equipment with data logger in September 2019 and February 2020 in the lecture theatres. The results shows that the mean indoor carbon dioxide levels for the dry season was higher (4410 ppm) compared to the wet season (4262 ppm). Also, the mean indoor relative humidity for the dry season (52.9 %) was lower, in contrast with the wet season (73.6 %). The mean indoor temperature was higher during the dry season (32.5 °C) compared to the wet season (27.4 °C). There are evidences to suggest that the lecture theatres were not within the Education Department (2018) 1500 ppm indoor air quality acceptable limit during the field study period. High carbon dioxide levels may trigger difficulty in thinking clearly, reduce speed of addition and increase reported cases of headache, fatigure and sleepiness. The study recommends improvement of cleaning methods such as mopping during weekends to reduce the prevalence of dust in the research area. Other recommended actions for improving indoor air quality of lecture theatres include using advanced ventilation methods, using air conditioning and monitoring of window openings by users.