Abstract
Objectives: The purposes of the study were to analyze the temporal variation of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and particulate matter (PM) in daycare centers and evaluate the appropriateness of the official test method of one-time measurement. Methods: Indoor air quality in 46 daycare centers in the Seoul Metropolitan Area was measured as specified in the official test method of Indoor Air Quality Management law. In addition, indoor air quality in the 46 daycare centers was measured over 37 days using a real-time monitor (AirGuard K). Results: The daily means of $CO_2$ and PM in the 46 daycare centers were $1042.74{\pm}134.45ppm$ and $67.60{\pm}18.25{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. Indoor air quality in the daycare centers showed significant temporal fluctuation. Measurements for single days were significantly different from the 37-day average exposure. Relative error of short term exposure decreased with an increase in the number of sampling days. The noncompliance rate for $CO_2$ using the official testing method was 2.17%, and none exceeded the $PM_{10}$ standard of $100{\mu}g/m^3$. With monitoring over 37 days, the daily noncompliance rate for $CO_2$ was 50.4% and the daily noncompliance rate for PM was 13.8%. Conclusions: When the official test method evaluates the indoor air at daycare centers one day per year, the results may not represent actual indoor air quality over a longer period of time. Real-time monitoring devices could be an alternative for managing indoor air quality.
