University Cafeteria Air Quality Study Finds Health Risks From Inhalable Dust, Heat, and CO2

Researchers Find Inhalable Dust and CO2 Levels Exceed Safety Limits in Campus Dining Halls

Headaches, dizziness, trouble concentrating. For students and staff grabbing lunch on a university campus, those symptoms can feel like just another draining day. But a new study points to something in the air, literally. Researchers measured conditions inside two university cafeterias and found that inhalable dust particles and temperatures exceeded official indoor air quality limits, with a formal risk assessment classifying both locations as medium risk and calling for planned and temporary interventions.

Students and staff who filled out surveys reported symptoms consistent with the air quality findings, a pattern suggesting poor air quality in these spaces may translate into real, felt experiences. That raises a pointed question: if dining hall air is contributing to dizziness or brain fog before people finish their meal, what does repeated daily exposure mean for the health and productivity of an entire campus community?

Published in the journal New Contaminants, this study was conducted at two cafeterias on a university campus where facility management had already received complaints about temperature and air quality.

Researchers Tracked PM10, CO2, Bacteria, and More

Researchers set up five measurement points in each cafeteria and ran readings for eight hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., across four measurement cycles. Key targets included temperature, carbon dioxide, and inhalable dust particles known as PM10, along with air samples to count airborne bacteria and fungi. A total of 63 people in the larger cafeteria and 60 in the smaller one voluntarily completed questionnaires about conditions and symptoms.

Both cafeterias shared two violations: temperatures above the 26°C acceptable limit and PM10 levels above the threshold set by the Malaysia Industry Code of Practice for Indoor Air Quality 2010. Each space had its own additional problem as well.

In the larger cafeteria, carbon dioxide levels spiked past the acceptable limit, but only during the lunch rush, between noon and 2 p.m. When large numbers of people crowd into an enclosed space, every breath adds carbon dioxide to the air. Doors propped open during peak hours pulled hot outdoor air inside, and fans installed to improve airflow created uneven temperatures instead of solving the heat problem.

In the smaller cafeteria, the standout issue was airborne bacteria. One sampling point near a food preparation station recorded bacteria counts above 500 colony-forming units per cubic meter of air, the standard threshold for acceptable airborne bacteria levels, and PM10 concentrations there were higher on average than in the larger cafeteria. Warm temperatures and humidity inside food preparation areas are well-known conditions that encourage bacterial growth.

Reported Symptoms Were Consistent With University Cafeteria Air Quality Readings

In the larger cafeteria, where high temperatures and carbon dioxide were the main problems, the most commonly reported symptoms were dizziness (18%), coughing (16%), and a feeling of heaviness in the head (16%). In the smaller cafeteria, where PM10 and bacteria were the bigger issues, people reported difficulty concentrating (19%), headaches (10%), and drowsiness (10%).

None of those complaints are surprising given what was in the air. Carbon dioxide buildup is known to cause fogginess and dizziness. Inhalable dust irritates the airways and sets off coughing. Elevated airborne bacteria have been tied to headaches and respiratory problems. Researchers stopped short of saying the air caused the symptoms outright, but the alignment between the two was close enough to be notable.

Both Cafeterias Scored ‘Medium Risk’ on a Formal Assessment Scale

Both cafeterias received a formal risk score of 9 out of a possible 25, placing them in the “medium risk” category. Researchers then calculated a separate non-cancer health risk score for inhaled PM10, essentially asking whether regular exposure could cause harm short of cancer. Any score above 1.0 signals a potential risk. Under Malaysian guidelines, the smaller cafeteria scored 1.04, just over the line. Under stricter World Health Organization 2021 guidelines, that number jumped to 3.48, more than three times the threshold, pointing to PM10 in the smaller cafeteria as the more pressing concern. Elevated bacteria add a separate layer of risk on top of that. Because no established method exists for calculating cancer risk from this particle type, the study looked only at non-cancer health effects.

None of it needs to stay that way. Better air conditioning tuned to actual lunch-hour occupancy would bring temperatures and carbon dioxide down. Keeping kitchen and entrance doors closed blocks outdoor heat from flooding in. Routine cleaning, with floor mats at entrances to trap incoming dust, could reduce PM10 levels noticeably. Managing temperature and humidity within acceptable ranges would discourage bacterial growth on its own.

For students who spend their lunch breaks inside a campus cafeteria, this research makes a clear case: the air in those rooms may pose measurable health risks, and the fixes are within reach.

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Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or occupational health advice.

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