Nur Atekah, Abdul Rahman and Nor Ashikin, Sopian and Nor Husna, Mat Hussin and Fatmawati, Adam and Noor Fatihah, Mohamad Fandi and Juliana, Jalaludin and Tualeka, Abdul Rohim (2025) Impact of natural lemongrass and agarwood essential oil diffusion on indoor airborne pollutants: A case study of office environments. Building and Environment, 270 (112514). pp. 1-10. ISSN Print: 0360-1323 ; Online: 1873-684X. (Published)
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Abstract
This research explores the use of natural-based essential oils to enhance the quality of indoor air (IAQ) in an office environment using an experimental approach. Lemongrass and agarwood essential oils were studied for their potential to contribute to a healthier and sustainable indoor environment due to their antibacterial properties. The essential oil droplets were released using an Ultrasonic Diffuser, and air quality measurements were taken before and after the diffusion of essential oils. The concentration of airborne bioaerosols, VOCs, PM, and other physical parameters were monitored throughout the sampling period. Lemongrass essential oil significantly reduced the total bacterial and fungal count by 74.19% and 76.34% respectively, while agarwood only significantly reduced the total fungal count by 55.20%. This study found that physical parameters such as air velocity and relative humidity have a substantial impact on the efficiency of essential oil diffusion. With a correlation of more than 47%, lemongrass diffusion showed substantial relationships between air velocity and VOC, PM10, and PM2.5. Diffusion of agarwood showed strong correlations of more than 57% between relative humidity and VOC, TSP, PM10, and PM2.5. Temperature, as controlled by air conditioning, did not affect diffusion. The study adds to our understanding of the antibacterial and antifungal activities of lemongrass and agarwood essential oils. Diffusing essential oils, particularly lemongrass, improved IAQ as the total microbial count was able to be reduced without impacting other parameters, demonstrating a practical and efficient improvement. The beneficial effect on IAQ highlights the potential of essential oil diffusion for healthier indoor environments, hence helping the promotion of good IAQ following safety and health regulations.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Indexed by Scopus & WOS |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Agarwood; Essential oil; Indoor air quality; Lemongrass; Microbial reduction |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor T Technology > TP Chemical technology |
| Faculty/Division: | Faculty of Industrial Sciences And Technology Institute of Postgraduate Studies Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology |
| Depositing User: | Amelia Hasan |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2025 02:58 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jan 2025 04:23 |
| URI: | http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/43602 |
| Download Statistic: | View Download Statistics |
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