Co-exposure of PM2.5 and noise among automotive workers and their cardiovascular health status at a selected automotive manufacturing industry in Selangor, Malaysia

Suffian, Aneesah Amani (2024) Co-exposure of PM2.5 and noise among automotive workers and their cardiovascular health status at a selected automotive manufacturing industry in Selangor, Malaysia. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular health can be affected by various factors, one of which is high blood pressure, which can be caused by acute exposure to loud noise above 85 decibels and exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during working hours. To begin with, PM2.5 is particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, while noise is an unwanted sound or a combination of sounds that can have a detrimental health effect on workers. These effects range from disruptions in cognitive processing to impairing mental and physical health, depending on the characteristics, intensity, and nature of the noise. The combined exposure to both of these factors can worsen the effects on our cardiovascular health, particularly regarding blood pressure and heart rate. Objectives: This study aims to assess the association between PM2.5 and occupational noise exposure among automotive workers with their cardiovascular health status in a selected automotive manufacturing industry in Selangor, Malaysia. Methodology: This study was conducted at an automotive manufacturing factory located in Shah Alam Selangor, Malaysia, where the company mainly manufactures plastic products for many automotive industries. A set of questionnaires was distributed to 37 workers at the Painting line Block B Assembly at this factory in which were used to assess the worker’s sociodemographic background, work characteristics, indoor air quality assessment (IAQ), noise exposure assessment, and the worker’s cardiovascular health status. PM2.5 DustTrak II Handheld Aerosol Monitor model 8523 (μg/m3) and Sound Level Meter (SLM) were used to measure PM2.5 and noise levels, respectively. The respondents’ cardiovascular health status was also assessed using an automatic digital sphygmomanometer to measure their blood pressure levels (Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, and Pulse) for before and after their work. Sound Level Meters were also employed in this study to measure the background noise with the purpose of assessing the effects of polishing activity to the workers who worked near the work unit. All the measurements were taken from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on 5 non-consecutive working days. Results and Discussion: The median for PM2.5 concentration recorded at the indoor polishing work unit exceeded the limit recommended by the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), i.e., 53.6 μg/m3. Contrarily, the median for noise level was found complied with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) limits, i.e., 78.5 dB(A). The association between these two variables was found to have a positive and moderate correlation (r = 0.40). The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was the only one to be found within the normal range for the pre-working measurements (121.5 ± 10.7), while the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and Pulse rate were found to be slightly lower than their normal recommended value (70.8 mmHg ± 9.8 and 76.9 pulse/min ± 10.8 respectively). Conversely, for the post-working measurements, only the pulse was discovered to be within the normal range (80.0 ± 12.5) while SBP and DBP were below the normal value (116.7 mmHg ± 13.2 and 65.3mmHg ± 10.2). Our study found no association between the coexposure of PM2.5 F1 vi and noise level with the cardiovascular health status of the workers. Conclusion: The combined exposure of PM2.5 and noise level does not affect the cardiovascular health status of the selected workers, suggesting that this study deserved further investigation by increase number of sample size, number of sampling days and conducted in different areas of automotive manufacturing department. Of these shall comprehend a thorough understanding concerning the co-exposure of particulate matter (PM2.5) and noise on cardiovascular health status. Keywords: Cardiovascular health status, particulate matter (PM2.5), noise, automotive manufacturing workers, coexposure

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Depositing User:	Ms Norafizah Radzuan
Date Deposited:	29 Apr 2025 03:49
Last Modified:	29 Apr 2025 03:49
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2374

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