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Effects of Hoovering Activities on Biological Contaminants and Particulate Matter Levels in Main Prayer Halls of Malaysian Mosques

Nur Baitul Izati Rasli1 , Nor Azam Ramli1 * , Mohd Rodzi Ismail2 , Syabiha Shith1 , Noor Faizah Fitri Md Yusof1 , Nazatul Syadia Zainordin3 , Maher El-Bayoumi4 and Amni Umirah Mohamad Nazir1

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

2 School of Housing Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), USM, 11800 Penang Malaysia

3 Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, 43400 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

4 Energy and Environmental Research Center, Israa University, Al Rimal, P.O. Box 1273 Gaza Palestine

Corresponding author Email: nurbaitulizati@gmail

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.14.1.12

In Malaysia, carpets are commonly used as finishing flooring material in the main prayer hall of mosques. In cleaning carpets, hoovering has been the most popular method, but it directly triggers the uplifting of dust that may contain bacteria and fungi. Hoovering activities and ventilation strategies (air conditioning split units (ACSUs) or by active ventilation (non-ACSUs)) can affect the prevalence of bacterial and fungal growth. This study aimed to establish the total bacterial counts, total fungal counts and also PM10 concentrations under different ventilation strategies (ACSUs and non-ACSUs) in the main prayer halls of mosques. Identification of bacterial and fungal species also took place in this study. Sampling was performed in 25 mosque buildings (17 ACSUs and 8 non-ACSUs) with carpeted flooring on Zohor-Asar and Friday-Asar prayer sessions at Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Results revealed that the total bacterial counts, total fungal counts and mean PM10 concentrations were higher in mosques with ACSUs than in mosques with non-ACSUs at concentrations ranging from 166cfu/m3 to 660 cfu/m3, from 118 cfu/m3 to 660 cfu/m3 and from 11.15 ± 9.32 µg/m3 to 49.30 ± 13.13 µg/m3, respectively. The total bacterial counts exceeded the acceptable guideline limit by the Industrial Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (ICOP), but the total fungal counts and PM10 concentrations did not. In some mosques, the total bacterial and fungal counts did not decrease even after hoovering activities were completed. The dominant types of bacteria found in the mosque buildings were Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp. and Micrococci spp., whilst the dominant fungal species was Aspergillus niger. Although the findings were not alarming, care should be taken by mosques authorities especially while and after hoovering, to ensure that, the indoor air quality in mosques are being maintained within the permissible limit to protect worshippers from being exposed to bacterial and fungal.

Airborne Particulate Matters; Air Conditioning Split Units; Biological Contaminants; Indoor Air Quality; Ventilation System

Copy the following to cite this article:

Rasli N. B. I, Ramli N. A, Ismail M. R, Shith S, Yusof N. F. F. M, Zainordin N. S, El-Bayoumi M, Nazir A. U. M. Effects of Hoovering Activities on Biological Contaminants and Particulate Matter Levels in Main Prayer Halls of Malaysian Mosques. Curr World Environ 2019;14(1). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.14.1.12

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Rasli N. B. I, Ramli N. A, Ismail M. R, Shith S, Yusof N. F. F. M, Zainordin N. S, El-Bayoumi M, Nazir A. U. M. Effects of Hoovering Activities on Biological Contaminants and Particulate Matter Levels in Main Prayer Halls of Malaysian Mosques. Curr World Environ 2019;14(1). Available from: https://bit.ly/2tSA3b6

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