In this study, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air conditioned residential buildings in a dry desert climate is examined from the perspective of occupants via two aspects: thermal comfort and indoor air qual...In this study, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air conditioned residential buildings in a dry desert climate is examined from the perspective of occupants via two aspects: thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The study presents statistical data about the domestic-occupant thermal comfort sensations together with data describing the indoor air quality in Kuwaiti residential buildings. With respect to the latter, the overall IEQ acceptance using two measurements namely: physical measurements and subjective information collected via questionnaires, was used to evaluate 111 occupants living in twenty five air-conditioned residential buildings in the state of Kuwait. The operative temperature based on Actual Mean Vote (AMV) and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) was identified using linear regression analysis of responses on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale and was found to be 25.2°C and 23.3°C, respectively, in the summer season. Indoor air quality (IAQ) with respect to carbon dioxide concentration level was compared with the acceptable limits of international standards, i.e. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 [1]. The proposed overall IEQ acceptance findings in residential buildings show CO2 concentration level between 909 and 1250 ppm. However, this may be considered a higher level of CO2 concentration, which may require increasing ventilation rate through window operation or mechanical ventilation.展开更多
Determining required sample size is one of the critical pathways to reproducible,reliable and robust results in human-related studies.This paper aims to answer a fundamental but often overlooked question:what sample s...Determining required sample size is one of the critical pathways to reproducible,reliable and robust results in human-related studies.This paper aims to answer a fundamental but often overlooked question:what sample size is required in surveys of occupant responses to indoor environmental quality(IEQ).The statistical models are introduced in order to promote determining required sample size for various types of data analysis methods commonly used in IEQ field studies.The Monte Carlo simulations are performed to verify the statistical methods and to illustrate the impact of sample size on the study accuracy and reliability.Several examples are presented to illustrate how to determine the value of the parameters in the statistical models based on previous similar research or existing databases.The required sample size including“worst”and“optimal”cases in each condition is obtained by this method and references.It is indicated that 385 is a“worst case”sample size to be adequate for a subgroup analysis,while if the researcher has an estimate of the study design and outcome,the“optimal case”sample size can potentially be reduced.When the required sample size is not achievable,the uncertainty in the result can properly interpret via a confidence interval.It is hoped that this paper would fill in the gap between statistical analysis of sample size and IEQ field research,and it can provide a useful reference for researchers when planning their own studies.展开更多
Objective:To discuss the effect of lesser-known potential risk factors,such as bedroom showers,on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis.Methods:A cross-sectional,population-based study was performed using both survey an...Objective:To discuss the effect of lesser-known potential risk factors,such as bedroom showers,on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis.Methods:A cross-sectional,population-based study was performed using both survey and fungal culturing in southern Taiwan.There were 998 participants enrolled in the survey,and 513 sets of fungal culture obtained.With score for allergic rhinitis(SFAR) more than 7,the patient was defined to have allergic rhinitis.Risks of allergic rhinitis were calculated as odds ratios for various predicted risk factors by logistic regression.Correlation between predicted risk factors and fungal level were examined with linear regression.Results:The adjusted odds ratio of frequently using bedroom shower to having allergic rhinitis was 1.572(95% confidence interval:1.090-2.265),and 0.962 for people with older age to have AR(95% confidence interval:0.949-0.976).As to the 24-hour fungal level,the standardized coefficient was 0.254 for frequent use of bedroom shower,and 0.106 for window open hours.Conclusions:Use of bedroom shower is a potential risk factor for allergic rhinitis development.展开更多
High concentrations of environmental fungi in the archives repositories are dangerous for the documents preserved in those places and for the workers'health.The aims of this work were to evaluate the behavior of t...High concentrations of environmental fungi in the archives repositories are dangerous for the documents preserved in those places and for the workers'health.The aims of this work were to evaluate the behavior of the fungal concentration and diversity in the indoor air of repositories of 3 archives located in Havana,Cuba,and to demonstrate the potential risk that these taxa represent for the documentary heritage preserved in these institutions.The indoor and outdoor environments were sampled with a biocollector.From the I/O ratios,it was evident that two of the studied archives were not contaminated,while one of them did show contamination despite having temperature and relative humidity values very similar to the other two.Aspergillus,Penicillium and Cladosporium were the predominant genera in the indoor environments.New finds for archival environments were the genera Harposporium and Scolecobasidium.The principal species classified ecologically as abundant were C.cladosporioides and P.citrinum.They are known as opportunistic pathogenic fungi.All the analyzed taxa excreted acids,the most of them degraded cellulose,starch and gelatin while about 48%excreted different pigments.But 33%of them showed the highest biodeteriogenic potential,evidencing that they are the most dangerous for the documentary collections.展开更多
Voluntary green-rating systems exist in different forms worldwide to certify the sustainability of residential and commercial buildings and help national policies promote energy-efficient design practices.Despite the ...Voluntary green-rating systems exist in different forms worldwide to certify the sustainability of residential and commercial buildings and help national policies promote energy-efficient design practices.Despite the general assumption that sustainable buildings also provide high comfort and healthy conditions,existing studies on green-rated buildings led to controversial conclusions in this regard. This paper aims to report the results of a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) conducted on four Swiss green buildings certified with the Minergie label to analyse their ability in providing comfort to their occupants.The POE protocol included winter and summer environmental monitoring campaigns (long-term and instantaneous measurements) as well as extensive and point-in-time comfort surveys. From the study it was found that,although the observed environmental factors were most of the time complying with the norm prescriptions,the indoor conditions were never attaining the commonly used 80 % satisfaction threshold by the users.Temperature and air quality appeared,in particular,as the most critical factors,with satisfaction rates never greater than 50 % in three out of the four case studies. Design factors related to the personal control on the indoor environment as well as personal factors like gender,climate of origin and duration of residence in the country were also found to have an impact in the comfort rating. Professionals involved in the design and management of these buildings all agreed that feedback of this kind from building in use could help inform the design and operational process and move towards more effective green building certification systems and regulations.展开更多
Indoor environmental quality(IEQ)significantly affects human health and wellbeing.Therefore,continuous IEQ monitoring and feedback is of great concern in both the industrial and academic communities.However,most exist...Indoor environmental quality(IEQ)significantly affects human health and wellbeing.Therefore,continuous IEQ monitoring and feedback is of great concern in both the industrial and academic communities.However,most existing studies only focus on developing sensors that cost-effectively promote IEQ measurement while ignoring interactions between the human side and IEQ monitoring.In this study,an intelligent IEQ monitoring and feedback system-the Intelligent Built Enviroment(IBEM)-is developed.Firstly,the IBEM hardware instrument integrates air temperature,relative humidity,CO_(2),particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter no greater than _(2.5)μm(PM_(2.5)),and illuminance sensors within a small device.The accuracy of this integrated device was tested through a co-location experiment with reference sensors;the device exhibited a strong correlation with the reference sensors,with a slight deviation(R^(2)>0.97 and slopes between 1.01 and 1.05).Secondly,a wireless data transmission module,a cloud storage module,and graphical user interfaces(i.e.,a web platform and mobile interface)were built to establish a pathway for dataflow and interactive feedback with the occupants of the indoor environments.Thus,the IEQ parameters can be continuously monitored with a high spatiotemporal resolution,interactive feedback can be induced,and synchronous data collection on occupant satisfaction and objective environmental parameters can be realized.IBEM has been widely applied in 131 buildings in 18cities/areas in China,with 1188 sample locations.Among these applications,we report on the targeted IEQ diagnoses of two individual buildings and the exploration of relationships between subjective and objective IEQ data in detail here.This work demonstrates the great value of IBEM in both industrial and academic research.展开更多
Indoor environmental quality is suspected to be at least part of the cause of the increasing prevalence of childhood asthma and allergy.This study is part of the China,Children,Homes,Health(CCHH)project,which was desi...Indoor environmental quality is suspected to be at least part of the cause of the increasing prevalence of childhood asthma and allergy.This study is part of the China,Children,Homes,Health(CCHH)project,which was designed to identify the risk factors indoors that are associated with prevalence of asthma and allergy among children in China.A cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out in Wuhan in 2011.The questionnaire was a modified(to Chinese building characteristics)version of a questionnaire used first in Sweden.The parents of 2193 children,aged 1–8 years,replied,a response rate of 91.4%(2193/2400).Prevalences of asthma and allergic symptoms were calculated,and a Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used to identify risk factors.Prevalences of health outcomes are"wheezing last 12 months"18.5%,"cough at night last 12 months"15.4%,"doctor-diagnosed asthma"6.0%,"rhinitis last 12 months"48.7%,"doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis"17.5%.Factors associated with increased risk for asthma,allergy and related symptoms include living in an urban area,dampness(significant),use of gas for cooking,new dwelling decoration(paint and furniture obtained during pregnancy),keeping pets and breast feeding less than 3months.Factors associated with reduced risk as installing an exhaust fan in the bathroom.Home environmental factors are significantly associated with the prevalence of childhood asthma and rhinitis in Wuhan.Urbanization and dampness problems at home are significant risk factors for doctor diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis among children in Wuhan.展开更多
The built environment sector is responsible for almost one-third of the world’s final energy consumption. Hence, seeking plausible solutions to minimise building energy demands and mitigate adverse environmental impa...The built environment sector is responsible for almost one-third of the world’s final energy consumption. Hence, seeking plausible solutions to minimise building energy demands and mitigate adverse environmental impacts is necessary. Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as machine and deep learning have been increasingly and successfully applied to develop solutions for the built environment. This review provided a critical summary of the existing literature on the machine and deep learning methods for the built environment over the past decade, with special reference to holistic approaches. Different AI-based techniques employed to resolve interconnected problems related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and enhance building performances were reviewed, including energy forecasting and management, indoor air quality and occupancy comfort/satisfaction prediction, occupancy detection and recognition, and fault detection and diagnosis. The present study explored existing AI-based techniques focusing on the framework, methodology, and performance. The literature highlighted that selecting the most suitable machine learning and deep learning model for solving a problem could be challenging. The recent explosive growth experienced by the research area has led to hundreds of machine learning algorithms being applied to building performance-related studies. The literature showed that existing research studies considered a wide range of scope/scales (from an HVAC component to urban areas) and time scales (minute to year). This makes it difficult to find an optimal algorithm for a specific task or case. The studies also employed a wide range of evaluation metrics, adding to the challenge. Further developments and more specific guidelines are required for the built environment field to encourage best practices in evaluating and selecting models. The literature also showed that while machine and deep learning had been successfully applied in building energy efficiency research, most of the studies are still at the experimental or testing stage, and there are limited studies which implemented machine and deep learning strategies in actual buildings and conducted the post-occupancy evaluation.展开更多
Currently the indoor environment quality is described or evaluated mainly by the subjective or objective data.However,research increasingly has demonstrated that objective and subjective data both had some weaknesses ...Currently the indoor environment quality is described or evaluated mainly by the subjective or objective data.However,research increasingly has demonstrated that objective and subjective data both had some weaknesses to characterize the indoor environment quality,and they can compensate for each other's relative weaknesses.Hence,this study aims to develop an integration model to allow indoor subjective and objective data to be combined based on the structural equation modeling approach,using the Northeast China residential indoor environmental survey data.The results indicated that the integration model had a good fit for the survey data,and the model validity was confirmed.Moreover,in contrast to the subjective data(R^(2)=0.363)and objective data(R^(2)=0.239),the integrated data(R^(2)=0.553)improved the explanatory power on the satisfaction with the overall indoor environment.Furthermore,this integration model demonstrated that indoor subjective data assigned more weights to the integrated data than the corresponding objective data.The association strength of thermal environment and indoor air quality(0.43 or 0.47)was the strongest among the interactions of thermal,air quality,acoustic,and lighting environments.Consequently,the main contribution of this paper was that it provided a comprehensive model to accomplish the integration of indoor environmental subjective and objective data,promoting the ability to describe and assess the indoor environment quality.展开更多
The presence of microscopic spores in the air affects the quality of air inhaled by animals including humans.Microbial contamination of air impacts the well-being of occupants of an indoor environment,sometimes with d...The presence of microscopic spores in the air affects the quality of air inhaled by animals including humans.Microbial contamination of air impacts the well-being of occupants of an indoor environment,sometimes with dire consequences.The study investigated fungal contaminations of indoor and outdoor air of the Hospital,Library and Senior Common Room(SCR)of the University of Cape Coast,Ghana.Indoor and outdoor air was sampled using the Koch’s sedimentation method.Colony forming units per cubic meter of air(cfu/m^(3))were determined with the Omeliansky formula.The isolated fungi were identified based on morphological and growth characteristics.For indoor air,the least colony counts were recorded in the SCR for both morning and afternoon samples,whilst the Hospital air had the highest colony counts.For outdoor air,the colony counts were lower in SCR and the Library for both morning and afternoon samples compared to the Hospital.The results further indicated that indoor concentrations of fungi,for morning and afternoon,ranged between 4.0x10^(4) and 2.1x10^(5) cfu/m^(3),whereas outdoor concentrations of fungi ranged between 1.1x105 and 3.0x10^(5) cfu/m^(3),revealing an overall higher levels of contamination of outdoor air than indoor air at all the three buildings.Consequently,estimated indoor/outdoor(I/O)concentration ratios of fungi revealed an exogenous source of indoor contaminations at all the three buildings sampled.Fungi isolated from indoor and outdoor air were of the genera Aspergillus,Curvularia,Cylindrocarpon,Fusarium,Mucor,Neurospora,Penicillium and Rhodotorula.We conclude that indoor and outdoor air of the buildings sampled were contaminated with airborne fungi;however,based on estimated I/O ratios,the indoor ambient conditions of the buildings were good.The implication of findings of this study is that the presence of airborne fungal contaminants of indoor and outdoor workplace environment may pose serious occupational health consequences,hence low productivity.展开更多
文摘In this study, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air conditioned residential buildings in a dry desert climate is examined from the perspective of occupants via two aspects: thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The study presents statistical data about the domestic-occupant thermal comfort sensations together with data describing the indoor air quality in Kuwaiti residential buildings. With respect to the latter, the overall IEQ acceptance using two measurements namely: physical measurements and subjective information collected via questionnaires, was used to evaluate 111 occupants living in twenty five air-conditioned residential buildings in the state of Kuwait. The operative temperature based on Actual Mean Vote (AMV) and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) was identified using linear regression analysis of responses on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale and was found to be 25.2°C and 23.3°C, respectively, in the summer season. Indoor air quality (IAQ) with respect to carbon dioxide concentration level was compared with the acceptable limits of international standards, i.e. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 [1]. The proposed overall IEQ acceptance findings in residential buildings show CO2 concentration level between 909 and 1250 ppm. However, this may be considered a higher level of CO2 concentration, which may require increasing ventilation rate through window operation or mechanical ventilation.
基金This work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFC3803201)。
文摘Determining required sample size is one of the critical pathways to reproducible,reliable and robust results in human-related studies.This paper aims to answer a fundamental but often overlooked question:what sample size is required in surveys of occupant responses to indoor environmental quality(IEQ).The statistical models are introduced in order to promote determining required sample size for various types of data analysis methods commonly used in IEQ field studies.The Monte Carlo simulations are performed to verify the statistical methods and to illustrate the impact of sample size on the study accuracy and reliability.Several examples are presented to illustrate how to determine the value of the parameters in the statistical models based on previous similar research or existing databases.The required sample size including“worst”and“optimal”cases in each condition is obtained by this method and references.It is indicated that 385 is a“worst case”sample size to be adequate for a subgroup analysis,while if the researcher has an estimate of the study design and outcome,the“optimal case”sample size can potentially be reduced.When the required sample size is not achievable,the uncertainty in the result can properly interpret via a confidence interval.It is hoped that this paper would fill in the gap between statistical analysis of sample size and IEQ field research,and it can provide a useful reference for researchers when planning their own studies.
文摘Objective:To discuss the effect of lesser-known potential risk factors,such as bedroom showers,on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis.Methods:A cross-sectional,population-based study was performed using both survey and fungal culturing in southern Taiwan.There were 998 participants enrolled in the survey,and 513 sets of fungal culture obtained.With score for allergic rhinitis(SFAR) more than 7,the patient was defined to have allergic rhinitis.Risks of allergic rhinitis were calculated as odds ratios for various predicted risk factors by logistic regression.Correlation between predicted risk factors and fungal level were examined with linear regression.Results:The adjusted odds ratio of frequently using bedroom shower to having allergic rhinitis was 1.572(95% confidence interval:1.090-2.265),and 0.962 for people with older age to have AR(95% confidence interval:0.949-0.976).As to the 24-hour fungal level,the standardized coefficient was 0.254 for frequent use of bedroom shower,and 0.106 for window open hours.Conclusions:Use of bedroom shower is a potential risk factor for allergic rhinitis development.
文摘High concentrations of environmental fungi in the archives repositories are dangerous for the documents preserved in those places and for the workers'health.The aims of this work were to evaluate the behavior of the fungal concentration and diversity in the indoor air of repositories of 3 archives located in Havana,Cuba,and to demonstrate the potential risk that these taxa represent for the documentary heritage preserved in these institutions.The indoor and outdoor environments were sampled with a biocollector.From the I/O ratios,it was evident that two of the studied archives were not contaminated,while one of them did show contamination despite having temperature and relative humidity values very similar to the other two.Aspergillus,Penicillium and Cladosporium were the predominant genera in the indoor environments.New finds for archival environments were the genera Harposporium and Scolecobasidium.The principal species classified ecologically as abundant were C.cladosporioides and P.citrinum.They are known as opportunistic pathogenic fungi.All the analyzed taxa excreted acids,the most of them degraded cellulose,starch and gelatin while about 48%excreted different pigments.But 33%of them showed the highest biodeteriogenic potential,evidencing that they are the most dangerous for the documentary collections.
文摘Voluntary green-rating systems exist in different forms worldwide to certify the sustainability of residential and commercial buildings and help national policies promote energy-efficient design practices.Despite the general assumption that sustainable buildings also provide high comfort and healthy conditions,existing studies on green-rated buildings led to controversial conclusions in this regard. This paper aims to report the results of a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) conducted on four Swiss green buildings certified with the Minergie label to analyse their ability in providing comfort to their occupants.The POE protocol included winter and summer environmental monitoring campaigns (long-term and instantaneous measurements) as well as extensive and point-in-time comfort surveys. From the study it was found that,although the observed environmental factors were most of the time complying with the norm prescriptions,the indoor conditions were never attaining the commonly used 80 % satisfaction threshold by the users.Temperature and air quality appeared,in particular,as the most critical factors,with satisfaction rates never greater than 50 % in three out of the four case studies. Design factors related to the personal control on the indoor environment as well as personal factors like gender,climate of origin and duration of residence in the country were also found to have an impact in the comfort rating. Professionals involved in the design and management of these buildings all agreed that feedback of this kind from building in use could help inform the design and operational process and move towards more effective green building certification systems and regulations.
基金supported by the China National Key Research and Development(R&D)Program(2018YFE0106100)the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China(51825802)+3 种基金the Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51521005)the Strategic Research and Consulting Project of Chinese Academy of Engineering(2021XY-3)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2021M691789)Shuimu Tsinghua Scholar Program(2020SM001)。
文摘Indoor environmental quality(IEQ)significantly affects human health and wellbeing.Therefore,continuous IEQ monitoring and feedback is of great concern in both the industrial and academic communities.However,most existing studies only focus on developing sensors that cost-effectively promote IEQ measurement while ignoring interactions between the human side and IEQ monitoring.In this study,an intelligent IEQ monitoring and feedback system-the Intelligent Built Enviroment(IBEM)-is developed.Firstly,the IBEM hardware instrument integrates air temperature,relative humidity,CO_(2),particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter no greater than _(2.5)μm(PM_(2.5)),and illuminance sensors within a small device.The accuracy of this integrated device was tested through a co-location experiment with reference sensors;the device exhibited a strong correlation with the reference sensors,with a slight deviation(R^(2)>0.97 and slopes between 1.01 and 1.05).Secondly,a wireless data transmission module,a cloud storage module,and graphical user interfaces(i.e.,a web platform and mobile interface)were built to establish a pathway for dataflow and interactive feedback with the occupants of the indoor environments.Thus,the IEQ parameters can be continuously monitored with a high spatiotemporal resolution,interactive feedback can be induced,and synchronous data collection on occupant satisfaction and objective environmental parameters can be realized.IBEM has been widely applied in 131 buildings in 18cities/areas in China,with 1188 sample locations.Among these applications,we report on the targeted IEQ diagnoses of two individual buildings and the exploration of relationships between subjective and objective IEQ data in detail here.This work demonstrates the great value of IBEM in both industrial and academic research.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation ofChina(51076079,51136002)National Key Technologies R&D Program of China(2012BAJ02B03)
文摘Indoor environmental quality is suspected to be at least part of the cause of the increasing prevalence of childhood asthma and allergy.This study is part of the China,Children,Homes,Health(CCHH)project,which was designed to identify the risk factors indoors that are associated with prevalence of asthma and allergy among children in China.A cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out in Wuhan in 2011.The questionnaire was a modified(to Chinese building characteristics)version of a questionnaire used first in Sweden.The parents of 2193 children,aged 1–8 years,replied,a response rate of 91.4%(2193/2400).Prevalences of asthma and allergic symptoms were calculated,and a Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used to identify risk factors.Prevalences of health outcomes are"wheezing last 12 months"18.5%,"cough at night last 12 months"15.4%,"doctor-diagnosed asthma"6.0%,"rhinitis last 12 months"48.7%,"doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis"17.5%.Factors associated with increased risk for asthma,allergy and related symptoms include living in an urban area,dampness(significant),use of gas for cooking,new dwelling decoration(paint and furniture obtained during pregnancy),keeping pets and breast feeding less than 3months.Factors associated with reduced risk as installing an exhaust fan in the bathroom.Home environmental factors are significantly associated with the prevalence of childhood asthma and rhinitis in Wuhan.Urbanization and dampness problems at home are significant risk factors for doctor diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis among children in Wuhan.
基金supported by the Department of Architecture and Built Environment,University of Nottingham,and the PhD studentship from EPSRC,Project References:2100822(EP/R513283/1).
文摘The built environment sector is responsible for almost one-third of the world’s final energy consumption. Hence, seeking plausible solutions to minimise building energy demands and mitigate adverse environmental impacts is necessary. Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as machine and deep learning have been increasingly and successfully applied to develop solutions for the built environment. This review provided a critical summary of the existing literature on the machine and deep learning methods for the built environment over the past decade, with special reference to holistic approaches. Different AI-based techniques employed to resolve interconnected problems related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and enhance building performances were reviewed, including energy forecasting and management, indoor air quality and occupancy comfort/satisfaction prediction, occupancy detection and recognition, and fault detection and diagnosis. The present study explored existing AI-based techniques focusing on the framework, methodology, and performance. The literature highlighted that selecting the most suitable machine learning and deep learning model for solving a problem could be challenging. The recent explosive growth experienced by the research area has led to hundreds of machine learning algorithms being applied to building performance-related studies. The literature showed that existing research studies considered a wide range of scope/scales (from an HVAC component to urban areas) and time scales (minute to year). This makes it difficult to find an optimal algorithm for a specific task or case. The studies also employed a wide range of evaluation metrics, adding to the challenge. Further developments and more specific guidelines are required for the built environment field to encourage best practices in evaluating and selecting models. The literature also showed that while machine and deep learning had been successfully applied in building energy efficiency research, most of the studies are still at the experimental or testing stage, and there are limited studies which implemented machine and deep learning strategies in actual buildings and conducted the post-occupancy evaluation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51978121 and No.51578103)the Key Projects in the National Science&Technology Pillar Program during the 12th Five-year Plan Period of China(No.2012BAJ 02B05)the National Key R&D Program during the 13th Five-year Plan Period of China(No.2018YFD1100701).
文摘Currently the indoor environment quality is described or evaluated mainly by the subjective or objective data.However,research increasingly has demonstrated that objective and subjective data both had some weaknesses to characterize the indoor environment quality,and they can compensate for each other's relative weaknesses.Hence,this study aims to develop an integration model to allow indoor subjective and objective data to be combined based on the structural equation modeling approach,using the Northeast China residential indoor environmental survey data.The results indicated that the integration model had a good fit for the survey data,and the model validity was confirmed.Moreover,in contrast to the subjective data(R^(2)=0.363)and objective data(R^(2)=0.239),the integrated data(R^(2)=0.553)improved the explanatory power on the satisfaction with the overall indoor environment.Furthermore,this integration model demonstrated that indoor subjective data assigned more weights to the integrated data than the corresponding objective data.The association strength of thermal environment and indoor air quality(0.43 or 0.47)was the strongest among the interactions of thermal,air quality,acoustic,and lighting environments.Consequently,the main contribution of this paper was that it provided a comprehensive model to accomplish the integration of indoor environmental subjective and objective data,promoting the ability to describe and assess the indoor environment quality.
文摘The presence of microscopic spores in the air affects the quality of air inhaled by animals including humans.Microbial contamination of air impacts the well-being of occupants of an indoor environment,sometimes with dire consequences.The study investigated fungal contaminations of indoor and outdoor air of the Hospital,Library and Senior Common Room(SCR)of the University of Cape Coast,Ghana.Indoor and outdoor air was sampled using the Koch’s sedimentation method.Colony forming units per cubic meter of air(cfu/m^(3))were determined with the Omeliansky formula.The isolated fungi were identified based on morphological and growth characteristics.For indoor air,the least colony counts were recorded in the SCR for both morning and afternoon samples,whilst the Hospital air had the highest colony counts.For outdoor air,the colony counts were lower in SCR and the Library for both morning and afternoon samples compared to the Hospital.The results further indicated that indoor concentrations of fungi,for morning and afternoon,ranged between 4.0x10^(4) and 2.1x10^(5) cfu/m^(3),whereas outdoor concentrations of fungi ranged between 1.1x105 and 3.0x10^(5) cfu/m^(3),revealing an overall higher levels of contamination of outdoor air than indoor air at all the three buildings.Consequently,estimated indoor/outdoor(I/O)concentration ratios of fungi revealed an exogenous source of indoor contaminations at all the three buildings sampled.Fungi isolated from indoor and outdoor air were of the genera Aspergillus,Curvularia,Cylindrocarpon,Fusarium,Mucor,Neurospora,Penicillium and Rhodotorula.We conclude that indoor and outdoor air of the buildings sampled were contaminated with airborne fungi;however,based on estimated I/O ratios,the indoor ambient conditions of the buildings were good.The implication of findings of this study is that the presence of airborne fungal contaminants of indoor and outdoor workplace environment may pose serious occupational health consequences,hence low productivity.
