In 2018, my HDB(Housing Development Building) estate received letters from the government informing us that they will be providing upgrading of washrooms in our estate, which is considered slightly mature and dense with the elderly. During and after the renovation, I have witnessed a lot of dust which really terrified me …
Pictures after toilet tiles were hacked.
I was shocked to see that the workers didn’t really have good protection from the dust produced from the renovation. They used cloths to cover their noses and when they exited the site, they were covered with dust all over.Ā
Moreover, while they were hacking and demolishing the tiles in the washrooms, I hid in my room that has no washroom and I saw dust sieving out from the windows of the washrooms.
View of the window that dust escapes into the air
That was when it hit me that renovation produces a lot of dust and it is also when I started to dislike renovation works even more(apart from the noise pollution that it produces). Apart from being concerned about the effects on the environment, Iām also worried about the health impacts on the workers…especially if they were to do this for a long period of time.
Renovation not only produces dust but also fungi(considered as a type of dust).
(Showing the increase in diversity of fungi caused by renovation.) (Hameed, Khoder & Yasser, 2004)
As seen from the pie chart above, the presence of moisture and dust during renovation, it has caused an increase in the types of fungal in the air. Moreover, during renovation, microbial ļ¬ora(a combination of bacteria and microorganisms) is more prevalent in dust than in the air. Also, it is interesting to know that the risk of fungi varies and though some types of fungi are small in concentration, it may be more harmful. And with the fungi size ranging from less than PM 5-10, inhalation of these risk allergies, pneumonia, and even hypersensitivity. Thus it is important to protect oneself from breathing in these pollutants (Hameed, Khoder & Yasser, 2004)
Also, another experiment consisting of 10 participants who were exposed to chemicals(including formaldehyde which is a colorless but intense smelling gas used to produce building material and household products) during a renovation in their office, has reflected a deterioration in mainly their cognitive aspect(such as their simple and choice reaction time, eye movement, color distinguishing function, and verbal recollection. Worse still, some even experience partial visual impairment and an increase in mood swings (Kilburn, 2016).
All these have reminded us that while a newly renovated home always seems nice, the process of achieving it puts oneās health at serious risk. It is the duty of companies to be ethical and provide sufficient protection to their workers to safeguard their health. Governments could also have more spot checks on-site to ensure the safety of the workers is not compromised. Last but not least, it is also crucial to explore new ways of minimizing the production of dust during renovation for cleaner air and a healthier life.
Your environmental buddy,
Zhi Yong
References:
Hameed, A. A., Khoder, I. M., & Yasser, I. H. (2004). Indoor air quality during renovation actions: A case study. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 6(9), 740. doi:10.1039/b402995j
Kilburn, K. (2016, January 05). Indoor Air Effects after Building Renovation and in Manufactured Homes. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002962915408353