Article
Construction & Building Technology
Youngtae Choe, Jun-shup Shin, Jinhyeon Park, Eunchae Kim, Narae Oh, Kihong Min, Dongjun Kim, Kyunghwa Sung, Mansu Cho, Wonho Yang
Summary: IAQ management is crucial in school classrooms, where air purifiers can reduce PM concentrations but most classrooms have CO2 levels exceeding standards and inadequate ventilation. Students perceive CO2 as having a greater impact than PM in classrooms.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Priti Yewale, Neeta Wagle, Shaurya Lenka, Pramila Bannigol, Manisha Junnarkar, Divya Prakash, Abul Mandal, Cecilia Stigh, Tushar Sahasrabudhe, Tejas Vannalwar, Prasad Thakare, Dhiraj Nikam, Sarika Pawar, Neelu Nawani
Summary: Biosmotrap is a novel biological air filter that effectively removes pollutants from vehicular emissions and indoor smoke, protecting human cells from oxidative DNA damage. It is an economic, efficient, and eco-friendly filter superior to existing air filtration methods.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kyungmo Kang, Taeyeon Kim, Hyungkeun Kim
Summary: The study revealed that indoor air pollution from particles, mainly caused by indoor activities like cooking, leads to prolonged indoor particle concentrations. Outdoor sources were found to be the predominant sources of particle exposure, suggesting that reducing outdoor penetration is crucial in lowering indoor PN concentration by improving building airtightness through the addition of air filtration.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Antigona Ukehaxhaj, Naser Ramadani, Hanns Moshammer, Drita Zogaj
Summary: There is scientific evidence of the adverse health effects of indoor exposure to chemicals in children. Nitrogen dioxide and benzene were found to be too high in at least one school. Formaldehyde levels were higher indoors and in newer schools. Improving air circulation and temperature control, as well as identifying and eliminating sources of pollution, would benefit the health and learning of school children.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Farouk Daghistani
Summary: This study presents a novel design for removing particulate matter from the air in building courtyards using water. The experimental results showed that the proposed design successfully reduced PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 92.46% and 92.96% respectively.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Surabhi Shah, Eunji Kim, Kyoung-Nam Kim, Eunhee Ha
Summary: This study found that there is relatively scarce evidence supporting the effect of individual protective measures (IPMs) on air pollution. After performing a systematic review and meta-analysis, it was found that air purifiers are effective in reducing cardiopulmonary inflammation, while the effects of air-purifying respirators and cookstove changes are insufficient. Therefore, air purifiers can serve as efficient IPMs against air pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Feng Yuan, Runming Yao, Wei Yu, Sasan Sadrizadeh, Hazim Awbi, Prashant Kumar
Summary: This review article explores the mechanisms and effects of particulate matter (PM) resuspension from indoor surfaces. It proposes a roadmap for research into the dynamic characteristics of PM resuspension and suggests that the mechanism behind the opposite effect caused by multiple influential factors deserves further exploration. More advanced strategies and collaboration between multiple disciplines can improve the purification process of PM.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Malgorzata Basinska, Michal Michalkiewicz, Katarzyna Ratajczak
Summary: The use of air purification devices in Polish school buildings did not lead to significant improvements in indoor air quality. Despite measurements of microbiological and particulate matter concentrations before and after device installation, there was no clear difference observed in the effectiveness of the air purification devices.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sun Un Lee, Ji Yun Lee, Sun Ho Lee, Gi Wan Jeon
Summary: A water-vortex-based air purification method efficiently captures particulate matter of any size by utilizing the increased surface area and circulation of water. The captured particles settle to the bottom due to centrifugal force, allowing the air purifier to maintain 90% of its performance even after trapping 7.0 g of particles. In contrast, a HEPA filter, which uses a deep-bed filtration mechanism, reduces its performance to less than 50% after trapping 3.5 g of particles.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruoyi Xie, Yiyang Xu, Jinhui Yang, Shaozhi Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the indoor air quality in an old badminton hall during the humid season, revealing significant differences in results obtained through objective and subjective approaches. While indoor PM, TVOC, and CO2 concentrations were normal, many participants still complained about the smell of building materials and obvious sweaty odor.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Mahmoud Fathy ElSharkawy
Summary: This study aimed to assess indoor air quality (IAQ) by monitoring various air pollutants in selected homes in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The findings showed that the highest levels of PM10, CO2, and NO2 were found in kitchens, while the highest level of CO was found in living rooms. PM10 levels exceeded air quality guidelines in homes near industrial and agricultural areas.
INDOOR AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Young Joo Son, Zachary C. Pope, Jovan Pantelic
Summary: Cooking and cleaning are major contributors to home pollutant emissions. To address this, an automated indoor air quality (IAQ) control intervention was developed, operating based on real-time sensor readings of particulate matter (PM2.5). A study was conducted with 14 participants, comparing an Advanced Control condition with automated IAQ interventions to a Standard Control condition with manual IAQ control. Results showed similar IAQ satisfaction and perception between the two conditions, despite lower PM2.5 concentrations in the Advanced Control Condition.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohammad Aldekheel, Abdulmalik Altuwayjiri, Ramin Tohidi, Vahid Jalali Farahani, Constantinos Sioutas
Summary: This study investigated the effectiveness of air purifiers and ventilation systems in reducing indoor air pollution in various classrooms. The results showed that the ventilation systems adequately diluted indoor CO2 concentrations, and the in-line filters and air purifiers efficiently captured particles. This study emphasizes the importance of air purifiers and ventilation systems in reducing indoor air pollution.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Management
Steffen Kuenn, Juan Palacios, Nico Pestel
Summary: Decision making on the job is becoming increasingly important, and there is a growing demand for workers with problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. This paper explores the impact of indoor air quality on the quality of strategic decision making, using data from official chess tournaments. The study finds that poor indoor air quality hampers players' decision making, especially when under time pressure.
MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victoria Mazoteras-Pardo, Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias, Israel Casado-Hernandez, Cesar Calvo-Lobo, Angel Morales-Ponce, Alfredo Medrano-Soriano, Sergio Coco-Villanueva, Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo
Summary: This study aimed to analyze the indoor air quality of a sports training center catering to small groups and rehabilitation. The results showed that CO2 and relative humidity levels were higher indoors than outdoors. Temperature was higher outside than inside and in the evening compared to the morning. TVOC, AQI, and PM showed minimal variation, though they were higher outdoors in the morning. CO levels were highest indoors. The study concluded that the indoor air quality of the training center was good and met current regulations, with some components even exhibiting better levels than fresh air.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Amar Aganovic, Guangyu Cao, Jarek Kurnitski, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: In this study, we improved the Wells Riley model by incorporating new data on viral load, aerosol droplet sizes, and removal mechanisms. We introduced several novel elements, including a new model for calculating respiratory fluid volume, a viral dose-based generation rate model for dehydrated droplets, a quanta-RNA relationship for various SARS-CoV-2 strains, and a method for accounting for incomplete mixing conditions. These improvements allowed for more accurate estimation of quanta emission rates and the potential impact of ventilation and removal mechanisms.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Senwen Yang, Liangzhu (Leon) Wang, Paul Raftery, Michael Ivanovich, Christian Taber, William P. Bahnfleth, Pawel Wargocki, Jovan Pantelic, Jiwei Zou, Mohammad Mortezazadeh, Chang Shu, Runzhong Wang, Scott Arnold
Summary: This study conducted computational-fluid-dynamics simulations to study the impacts of fan operations and worker locations on airborne exposures to infectious aerosols in large industrial buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that creating a breeze from large-diameter ceiling fans can effectively dilute airborne aerosols in sparsely occupied warehouses. Operating fans at the highest feasible speed while maintaining thermal comfort is the most effective strategy.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yan Yan, Li Lan, Mengyuan Kang, Haodong Zhang, Xiaojun Fan, David Peter Wyon, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: This study measured and examined the mechanisms impacting carbon dioxide emission rates (CERs) in elderly sleeping individuals. The results showed that the CERs in older adults were slightly lower than those in young adults and children. These findings provide important information for estimating ventilation rates in bedrooms.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Lidia Morawska, William Bahnfleth, Philomena M. Bluyssen, Atze Boerstra, Giorgio Buonanno, Stephanie J. Dancer, Andres Floto, Francesco Franchimon, Charles Haworth, Jaap Hogeling, Christina Isaxon, Jose L. Jimenez, Jarek Kurnitski, Yuguo Li, Marcel Loomans, Guy Marks, Linsey C. Marr, Livio Mazzarella, Arsen Krikor Melikov, Shelly Miller, Donald K. Milton, William Nazaroff, Peter Nielsen, Catherine Noakes, Jordan Peccia, Xavier Querol, Chandra Sekhar, Olli Seppanen, Shin-ichi Tanabe, Raymond Tellier, Tham Kwok Wai, Pawel Wargocki, Aneta Wierzbicka
Summary: This is an important account of a struggle in which a group of experts came together at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to warn the world about the risk of airborne transmission and the consequences of ignoring it. Their concerns were dismissed by the World Health Organization, but later acknowledged when published in an international journal. The delay in acknowledging this issue had widespread consequences throughout the pandemic.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shihan Deng, Josephine Lau, Zhihao Wang, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: This study monitored indoor environmental data in 144 classrooms in 31 schools in the Midwestern United States. The results showed that increased ventilation rates and reduced indoor particle levels were associated with reduced absence rates and improved attendance rates. These findings highlight the importance of indoor air quality in schools for both health and academic performance.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Frida Bejder Klausen, Ali Amidi, Soren K. Kjaergaard, Vivi Schlunssen, Peter Ravn, Kirsten Ostergaard, Vibeke Heitmann Gutzke, Marianne Glasius, Therese Koops Gronborg, Stefan Nygaard Hansen, Robert Zachariae, Pawel Wargocki, Torben Sigsgaard
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effect of CO2 during sleep on next-morning cognitive performance in young schoolchildren. The results showed no significant impact of CO2 on cognitive performance during sleep, but a slightly lower sleep efficiency was observed with high CO2 concentrations. Therefore, replication studies in actual bedrooms controlling for other external factors are needed to draw more general conclusions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Natalia Giraldo Vasquez, Gabriel Beko, Pawel Wargocki, Blanka Cabovska, Despoina Teli, Jan-Olof Dalenback, Lars Ekberg, Theofanis Psomas, Sarka Langer
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between children's perception of indoor environmental quality in classrooms, measured thermal and air quality factors, and the type of ventilation. The study found no significant differences in subjective perception between the three ventilation categories, but classrooms with ventilation category A had noticeably lower perception index compared to those with ventilation category B or C.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Akila Muthalagu, Helene Niculita-Hirzel, Shen Yang, Marouane Merizak, Michael Pikridas, Asif Qureshi, Pawel Wargocki, Gabriel Beko, Jonathan Williams, Martin Taubel, Dusan Licina
Summary: Bioaerosols emitted in indoor environments have both positive and negative impacts on human health. Establishing standard procedures for collecting bacteria in low biomass indoor environments can help advance the field. The performance of two sampling approaches, a personal environmental monitor (PEM) and a two-stage dry cyclone sampler, was compared in capturing bacterial emissions from human participants in a controlled chamber environment. The results showed significant differences in DNA yield, bacterial concentrations, and bacterial diversity between the two samplers. The choice of bioaerosol sampler is dependent on the research question.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Kazuki Kuga, Sara Hoshiyama, Pawel Wargocki, Kazuhide Ito
Summary: In this study, we numerically analyzed the transportation of odorants from a sniffing device to the olfactory region of the nasal cavity during breathing. We found that there are two peaks of odorant absorption flux during inhalation and exhalation, and the breathing conditions and airflow profiles have a significant impact on the absorption flux.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Jakub Kolarik, Nadja Lynge Lyng, Rossana Bossi, Rongling Li, Thomas Witterseh, Kevin Michael Smith, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: This study used cluster analysis to evaluate the ability of five commercially available metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors to detect pollutants in a residential setting. The results showed that clustering could help determine whether a particular sensor matched the intended emission scenario.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaojun Fan, Chenxi Liao, Kazuya Matsuo, Kevin Verniers, Jelle Laverge, Brecht Neyrinck, Ivan Pollet, Lei Fang, Li Lan, Chandra Sekhar, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: A four-week-long field intervention experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different ventilation rates on sleep quality and cognitive performance in bedrooms. The study found that lower ventilation rates resulted in significantly less deep sleep, more light sleep, and more awakenings. Additionally, a clear difference in deep sleep duration was observed between high and low ventilation rate conditions. However, no differences in cognitive performance were observed between the different ventilation conditions. These findings highlight the importance of proper ventilation control for optimal sleep quality.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yan Yan, Mengyuan Kang, Haodong Zhang, Zhiwei Lian, Xiaojun Fan, Chandra Sekhar, Pawel Wargocki, Li Lan
Summary: In a high-density city, opening windows for sleep may lead to increased indoor temperature, higher PM2.5 concentration, and noise disturbance, which can negatively impact sleep quality.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Jinjun Ye, Pawel Wargocki, Zhengtao Ai
Summary: This study aimed to refine the CFD methodology for predicting particle fate in duct flows by investigating key issues and providing recommendations. The use of a 2D duct was found to underestimate particle deposition behavior, but using the uncorrected RSM model can improve the predictive accuracy of particle fate.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Bahadir Erman Yuce, Amar Aganovic, Peter Vilhelm Nielsen, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: This study combines Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Taguchi method to analyze the influence of various factors on pathogen concentration in a room equipped with displacement ventilation. The findings highlight the significant impact of the inlet velocity and the limited effect of room volume. The results are compared against the Wells-Riley model and additional parameters are investigated to further understand their influence on pathogen concentration.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)