Search results for "indoor"

Bioaerosols in the Earth system: Climate, health, and ecosystem interactions

2016

Abstract Aerosols of biological origin play a vital role in the Earth system, particularly in the interactions between atmosphere, biosphere, climate, and public health. Airborne bacteria, fungal spores, pollen, and other bioparticles are essential for the reproduction and spread of organisms across various ecosystems, and they can cause or enhance human, animal, and plant diseases. Moreover, they can serve as nuclei for cloud droplets, ice crystals, and precipitation, thus influencing the hydrological cycle and climate. The sources, abundance, composition, and effects of biological aerosols and the atmospheric microbiome are, however, not yet well characterized and constitute a large gap i…

Indoor air pesticide in dwellings of breastfeeding mothers of the Valencian Region (Spain): Levels, exposure and risk assessment

2021

This study assessed the inhalation risk associated with indoor pesticide concentrations in the dwellings of 41 lactating mothers living in the Valencian Region, Spain, who were participants in the BETTERMILK project. Twenty-eight substances were investigated, including pyrethroid (PYRs), organophosphate (OPPs), and organochlorine (OCPs) pesticides. Bifenthrin, cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, malathion, permethrin and pyrimethanil were detected with frequencies ranging from 2% (malathion) to 80% (cypermethrin), and with an arithmetic mean concentration ranging from 4.1 ng m(-3) (bifenthrin) to 12.1 ng m-(3) (cypermethrin). The indoor air analysis was combined with several surveys to assess…

2013

Abstract. Bioaerosols are relevant for public health and may play an important role in the climate system, but their atmospheric abundance, properties, and sources are not well understood. Here we show that the concentration of airborne biological particles in a North American forest ecosystem increases significantly during rain and that bioparticles are closely correlated with atmospheric ice nuclei (IN). The greatest increase of bioparticles and IN occurred in the size range of 2–6 μm, which is characteristic for bacterial aggregates and fungal spores. By DNA analysis we found high diversities of airborne bacteria and fungi, including groups containing human and plant pathogens (mildew, s…

Thermal sensation and cell adaptability

2013

Whole person adaptive comfort is discussed with reference to recent findings in molecular scale systems biology. The observations are upscaled to hypotheses relating to less traditional interpretations of thermal processes, which have new implications for indoor climate management and design. Arguments are presented for a revision of current focus, model and paradigm. The issue is seen as a problem of integrating theoretical development, conceptual modeling and as an investigation of the extent to which environments and acclimatization can be used to achieve individual fitness and health, not only at the subjective comfort level, as hitherto promoted. It is argued that there are many questi…

Cooking Particulate Matter: A Systematic Review on Nanoparticle Exposure in the Indoor Cooking Environment

2022

Background: Cooking and fuel combustion in the indoor environment are major sources of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), which is an excellent carrier of potentially harmful absorbed inorganic and organic compounds. Chronic exposure to RSPM can lead to acute pulmonary illness, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer in people involved in cooking. Despite this, questions remain about the harmfulness of different particulate matter (PM) sources generated during cooking, and the factors influencing PM physico-chemical properties. The most reliable methods for sampling and analyzing cooking emissions remain only partially understood. Objectives: This review aims to compreh…

Polydimethylsiloxane (silicone rubber) brooch as a personal passive air sampler for semi-volatile organic compounds

2018

Exposure assessments conducted using a personal sampler include the contribution of human activities to exposure that is neglected when using a stationary air sampler. This study evaluated the uptake characteristics and application of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS or silicone rubber) brooch as a personal passive air sampler (PPAS) for measuring concentrations of two groups of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), namely phthalates and organophosphate esters (OPEs), indoors in proximity to the breathing zone. Uptake rates of the PDMS brooch were calibrated against a personal low volume active air sampler (PLV-AAS) co-deployed on each of five study participants working in offices for 8 hs…

Investigating energy saving potential in a big shopping center through ventilation control

2019

Abstract This paper investigates energy saving measures for the ventilation system of large shopping centers. This kind of buildings is characterized by high yearly energy consumptions, because of the high level of operating hours and the frequent use of obsolete technologies. In the analyzed case studies, three big Do It Yourself (DIY) shops, located in Italy, are considered. Two different approaches are considered, they are aimed at reducing the annual energy consumption for the indoor air exchange of the sales area. The first considered retrofit solution consists in the installation of heat recovery exchangers, reducing the energy demand for the air thermal treatment without changing the…

Investigating Energy Saving Potential in a Big Shopping Centre through Ventilation Control

2018

This work shows an example of energy saving interventions on the ventilation system of a big shopping center. This kind of buildings is characterized by high energy consumptions, because of the high level of yearly operating hours and the use of obsolete technologies. In the case study, a big Do It Yourself (DIY) shop located in the southern part of Italy is analyzed, proposing two different approaches aimed at reducing the annual energy consumption for the indoor air exchange of the sales area. In the AS-IS scenario, a centralized HVAC plant, composed by six rooftops, is installed on the roof of sales area, working with fixed airflow value. The first retrofit solution involves the installa…

Environment, wealth, inequality and the burden of disease in the Accra metropolitan area, Ghana

2005

The study examines environmental problems and adverse impacts on the health of urban households in the Accra metropolitan area, Ghana. Accra is faced with severe inadequacy of urban infrastructure in the face of rapid population growth in the metropolis. More than half of the city's population do not have access to solid waste collection services. Only 39.8% of households have indoor pipe and over 35.0% of households depend on unsanitary public latrines whilst 2.5% do not have access to toilet facilities. Human excrement, garbage and wastewater are usually deposited in surface drains, open spaces and streams in poor neighbourhoods. The resultant poor sanitation has serious health impacts as…

Indoor Air Quality including Respiratory Viruses

2021

The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments is a cause of increasing concern. In this study, three sampling methodologies have been used in order to collect SARS-CoV-2 and 17 other respiratory viruses in indoor air, combined with a new analytical process to analyze respiratory viruses. Different areas of an ophthalmological hospital were investigated for the presence of these airborne viruses. Moreover, indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters (carbon dioxide, CO2; carbon monoxide, CO; nitrogen dioxide, NO2; volatile organic compounds, VOCs; formaldehyde, HCHO; and particulate matter, PM) have been examined to study the relationship between IAQ and airborne viruses. All indoor air and sur…