Indoor Environments最新文献

{"title":"Exposure risk and source analysis of toxic metal(loid)s in indoor dust of Eastern Nigeria during COVID-19 lockdown","authors":"Chideraa Courage Offor ,&nbsp;John Kanayochukwu Nduka ,&nbsp;Henrietta Ijeoma Kelle","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Outbreak and emergency occasioned by coronavirus virus disease forcefully led to imposition of lockdown in Nigeria; a situation that consequently exposed humans to heavy metal(loid)s laden dust. Hence, this study measured the concentration of heavy metal(loid)s in indoor dust from households of three selected semi-urban areas (Rumuodomaya-Ogale, Ekwulobia and Awka) of Eastern Nigeria. Dust samples (n = 144) were collected from household’s windows and floors using clean brush, filtered, digested by standard method and analyzed for Cd, Co, Ni, Hg, As, Mn, Al, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Fe using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (Model: Varian AA240, USA). Results show that Fe was dominant when compared to other metals assessed. Whereas the total heavy metal(loid)s concentration (THMC) of the floor dusts was higher than that of window dusts from Ekwulobia, there was no significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) in total heavy metal(loid)s level in window and floor dust of the three semi-urban areas across the months. Awka showed the least THMC in the window (1.17 – 1.52 mg kg⁻¹) and floor (1.08 – 2.35 mg kg⁻¹) dusts in comparison with Ekwulobia (window: 1.23 mg/kg to 9.05 mg kg⁻¹; floor: 1.27 mg kg⁻¹ to 9.22 mg kg⁻¹) and Rumuodomaya-Ogale (window: 1.49 – 2.70 mg kg⁻¹; floor: 1.24 – 2.23 mg kg⁻¹). The cancer and non-cancer risk of exposure to the heavy metal(loid)s dusts was insignificant while most of the heavy metal(loid)s could be related to anthropogenic origin based on the Positive Matrix Factorization and Principal Component Analysis models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100113"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144662103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Remediation of indoor environments impacted by wildfire smoke: A review of available information and research needs","authors":"Hugo Destaillats,&nbsp;Wanyu R. Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is growing interest in better understanding wildfire smoke contamination in the indoor environment, the associated human exposures and health impacts. Most efforts have been devoted to developing guidelines protecting occupants during a wildfire event, <em>e.g.,</em> on the proper use of building ventilation and filtration. However, there is also a need to understand the long-term impacts of wildfires on indoor contamination, and which are the most effective mitigation options. We reviewed the scientific literature and additional available documentation to identify the main chemical contaminants found in buildings impacted by wildfire smoke. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace metals have been reported on indoor surfaces and dust after exposure to smoke, and are of particular concern due to the health effects associated with continuous exposures. Described mitigation approaches included cleaning using dry and wet media, vacuuming and ozonation. While little information is available on their effectiveness in long-term removal of wildfire smoke contaminants, similar remediation methods have been described to remove other types of persistent contamination indoors, including thirdhand tobacco smoke and mold, providing a reference to predict the expected efficacy and limitations of those methods. Gaps in the available information and research needs were identified to develop a research agenda addressing wildfire smoke’s persistent contamination and mitigation options.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving indoor air quality and mitigating health risks with sheep wool as a sustainable material","authors":"Katrin Kabun ,&nbsp;Karin Reinhold","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sheep wool as a natural fiber is an increasingly important alternative to synthetic materials in the green economy. The study evaluates the effectiveness of sheep wool based materials in enhancing indoor air quality (IAQ) and mitigating health risks in occupational settings. Two test cabins - one with conventional synthetic materials and another with sheep wool based materials - were designed to compare the performance of these materials in terms of noise insulation, volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, CO₂ levels and humidity regulation. A survey of the room occupants' perception of the material was also carried out. Results show that sheep wool panels provide sound insulation comparable to synthetic materials, especially at mid-range frequencies. Sheep wool's natural ability to regulate humidity contributed to a more stable indoor climate, while VOC levels remained low in both cabins, below the analytical determination limit for some parameters. The Synthetic cabin showed a slightly lower VOC level. The sheep wool cabin showed more rapid CO₂ fluctuations, demanding further study. User surveys indicated a preference for the sheep wool cabin, with participants noting comfort and an overall more pleasant environment. This novel approach, which simultaneously measures IAQ indicators and examines the room users' perception of IAQ, shows that sheep wool based materials, being both sustainable and biodegradable, provide a healthier alternative to synthetic materials, supporting the goals of reducing health risks and promoting environmental sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An efficient method for fabricating nanofiber air filters with minimized pressure drop for effective indoor particle removal","authors":"Zhuolun Niu ,&nbsp;Chun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrospun nanofiber air filters can achieve high particle filtration efficiency with lower pressure drop compared with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Therefore, they can potentially be used for effective indoor particle removal. To support practical applications, this study proposed an efficient method for producing electrospun nanofiber air filters that achieve a minimized pressure drop while meeting the target particle filtration efficiency. Specifically, this method decoupled the influence of applied voltage and electrospinning time, enabling the identification of the optimal applied voltage to minimize pressure drop and the calculation of the electrospinning time needed to achieve the target filtration efficiency. Compared with the previous approach, this method eliminated the need to measure structural parameters, thereby significantly simplifying the optimization process. Experimental measurements were conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can effectively achieve the target particle filtration efficiency with relative errors all less than 1% compared to the target values. Furthermore, the pressure drop of the optimized nanofiber air filters was up to 40.6% lower than that of the randomly selected filters in the verification cases. Finally, the benefits of using the optimized nanofiber air filters for indoor particle removal were numerically assessed. The results show that using the nanofiber air filters optimized by the proposed method in an air cleaner reduced indoor PM_0.3–0.4 of outdoor origin in a typical public housing apartment in Hong Kong by up to 22.7% compared to the randomly selected nanofiber air filters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144597160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental investigation of the quantitative distribution of bioaerosols in public indoor spaces – A case study in Korea","authors":"Ji-You Kwoun,&nbsp;Seok Won Kang,&nbsp;Yanjun Wang,&nbsp;Tae Jung Lee,&nbsp;Young Min Jo","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bioaerosols, including airborne bacteria and fungi, are widely distributed in the indoor environments causing adverse effects on human health. Bioaerosols suspended in six types of public indoor spaces categorized by the government were investigated in 12 facilities in a large metropolitan area of Korea. A total of 245 samples provided evidence of a close dependency on indoor humidity in addition to the numbers of occupants. Childcare centers had high concentrations of bioaerosols (26 CFU/m³ to 2916 CFU/m³), indicating high risk of exposure with 120.2 CFU/kg. The indoor bioaerosol level was high mostly in summer rather than winter. The results of this study provide valuable information on air quality management and microbial pollution control in urban public spaces.</div></div><div><h3>Implications and impacts</h3><div><ul><li><span>−</span><span><div>Bio-contamination of public indoor spaces is being of interests particularly in metro-cities.</div></span></li><li><span>−</span><span><div>Field identification of bioaerosol levels will help in establishing the preventive policy.</div></span></li><li><span>−</span><span><div>Consistent accumulation of field data is essential for improving the indoor environment.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100109"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144481169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Low-E glass on local skin temperature and thermal sensation in vehicle cabins under cold winter environments","authors":"Hikari Ryuzaki ,&nbsp;Yoshiichi Ozeki ,&nbsp;Akihisa Nomoto ,&nbsp;Reika Miura ,&nbsp;Kan Shindo ,&nbsp;Yasuki Moriya ,&nbsp;Hiromu Hiruma ,&nbsp;Shin-ichi Tanabe","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effects of Low-E glass on the thermal environment inside a vehicle cabin under winter conditions and its impact on occupants’ thermal physiology and sensation. A human subject experiment was conducted, where participants seated near either Low-E or Normal glass and voted their local and whole-body thermal sensations. Their local skin temperatures and the thermal environment in the vehicle were measured. The plane radiant and equivalent temperatures near Low-E glass were 11.0 °C and 4.5 °C higher, respectively, than near Normal glass. Local skin temperatures decreased less in the Low-E condition compared to the Normal condition. Local thermal sensations were generally warmer in the Low-E condition, particularly for the cheek and hand, even though the impact on whole-body thermal sensation was limited. Females were more sensitive to the improved radiative environment provided by Low-E glass than males. These findings show the effectiveness of Low-E glass in enhancing radiant environment in the vehicle and occupant comfort, which could help improving energy efficiency of vehicles and innovative vehicle designs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100108"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144314022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictability of time-resolved cross-envelope pressures driving natural infiltration in low-rise residential buildings","authors":"Dominic Bledsoe ,&nbsp;Will Clagett ,&nbsp;Misael Soto ,&nbsp;Ellison M. Carter ,&nbsp;Paul W. Francisco ,&nbsp;Tami C. Bond","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural infiltration in residential buildings has two major drivers: indoor-outdoor temperature differences (stack effect) and wind effect. While residential infiltration models are long established, their validity has not been evaluated with measurements, and they have rarely been deployed to explain time-resolved indoor-outdoor exchange. Pressure differentials (ΔP) across building envelopes are an intermediate step in modeling; if they cannot be well predicted from the driving forces, then neither can infiltration. We report nearly 16,000 h of environmental and ΔP data, in nine homes, at one-minute resolution that reflects the transient nature of air exchange. Under conditions of low wind (less than 0.25 m/s) and heating (outdoor temperature below indoor), stack pressure is predicted exceptionally well. Biases between observed and predicted values average 0.11 Pa or less across all sites. Biases increase by about a factor of two under cooling conditions, but observations under these conditions were of insufficient length to diagnose the causes. Wind influence on pressure, and hence on infiltration, is not well predicted even with practical, site-based measurements. Airport and site wind speeds, and site wind and envelope pressure, are correlated only modestly, even accounting for wind direction. Simple terrain and shielding classifications cannot reproduce intersite variation. Infiltration models overestimate the influence of wind on pressure even when the most extreme shielding and terrain classes are used in scaling airport data. In addition to evaluating infiltration drivers, this study establishes the difference between time-resolved, cross-envelope pressure differentials at separate points in a single zone (Δ−ΔP) as a building diagnostic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between indoor air pollution and inflammation in children – A scoping review","authors":"Alice Oloo ,&nbsp;Vinh Vo ,&nbsp;P.S. Ganesh Subramanian ,&nbsp;Vishal Verma ,&nbsp;Brenda D. Koester ,&nbsp;Jenna L. Riis ,&nbsp;Naiman Khan ,&nbsp;Sheena E. Martenies","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Indoor air pollutants (IAPs) significantly contribute to the global heath burden for children, in part due to their underdeveloped physiological systems. Despite the growing evidence of the health impacts of IAPs, the association between IAP and biomarkers of inflammation, which is involved in several disease processes, remains underexplored. The main objective of this scoping review is therefore to identify, evaluate, and summarize the current body of literature on the association between IAP exposures and biomarkers of inflammation among children. Additionally, this review examines the extent to which identified studies have explored the potential role of diet, nutrition, or weight status in modifying this relationship. A scoping review of the literature was conducted in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) guidelines. Studies published in the last 20 years and that measured IAPs and inflammatory biomarkers in children under 18 years of age were included. In total, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of these studies indicated positive associations between IAPs, including particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, and inflammatory biomarkers such as fraction exhaled of nitric oxide (FeNO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). While some studies suggested the potential modifying role of nutrition and weight status, and the findings suggests that anti-inflammatory nutrients such as omega-fatty acids can mitigate inflammation, whereas pro-inflammatory nutrients may exacerbate IAP-related inflammation, the evidence remains limited. Further research is needed to explore these relationships and their long-term health consequences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100104"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rethinking heat in thousands of school classrooms through continuous monitoring and novel exposure metrics","authors":"M. Pilar Botana Martinez ,&nbsp;Priam Dinesh Vyas ,&nbsp;Katherine H. Walsh ,&nbsp;Lauren Main ,&nbsp;Lauren Bolton ,&nbsp;Yirong Yuan ,&nbsp;Masanao Yajima ,&nbsp;M. Patricia Fabian","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As global temperatures rise, heat exposure in classrooms is becoming a growing concern for the millions of students attending school, in particular those learning in buildings without air conditioning (AC). With limited resources and competing interests, school decision-makers need health-related data-based approaches to inform cooling solutions and prioritize investments. In collaboration with a large school district in Northeastern United States (US), we analyzed minute-level temperature data in &gt; 3600 classrooms across 125 school buildings during the 2023 hot season. Using a first-of-its-kind commercial-grade indoor sensor network and data science methods, we quantified heat exposure through novel heat metrics capturing intensity, frequency, and duration, and characterized spatial variability within and across buildings with three types of AC. On average, intra-building temperature variability was 2.3 degrees Celsius (°C), with a maximum value of 14.3°C. On a hot day, classrooms exceeded extreme caution thresholds by 0.1 %, 1.1 %, and 8.4 % in schools with central, window, and no AC, respectively. Classrooms on the top floor were 0.3°C, 0.5°C, and 5.7°C warmer than classrooms on the first floor, for central, window, and no AC groups, respectively. Novel and traditional heat exposure metrics were weakly correlated, with implications for school rankings. Findings identified schools with the greatest cooling needs and investigated key predictors of classroom overheating. Our results underscore the need for continuous temperature monitoring in all classrooms and highlight the importance of access to mechanical cooling in locations that have historically not been prepared for extreme heat. Our work shows how data analyses informed by researcher-school partnerships can support critical climate resilience needs in schools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing actual and community expectations on CO2 concentrations within indoor spaces – A reasonably practicable methodology using CO2 concentration to assess ventilation quality to indoor spaces","authors":"Peter McGarry ,&nbsp;Lidia Morawska ,&nbsp;Savinda Arambawatta Lekamge ,&nbsp;Simon Witts","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ability to quickly assess the performance of a ventilation system to deliver an adequate amount of clean air to the space relative to the number of occupants is important as part of the overall goal of ensuring healthy indoor air. Current debate within the scientific community clearly aims to influence government to legislate a CO₂ concentration as an indoor air quality standard. However, to properly consider this, government will likely demand quantitative data on contemporary indoor CO₂ concentrations and a tested and reasonably practicable method for use by building occupants. Our study addresses this research gap with the aim of testing and documenting how to operationalise CO₂ monitoring for use by occupants as an infection risk reduction tool within mechanically ventilated spaces. The related research objectives were 1) to inform the current scientific debate on an indoor air CO₂ concentration action level for improved ventilation quality and infection risk control, 2) to pilot and document a method for characterising indoor CO₂ concentrations within occupied spaces serviced by heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and demonstrate it was reasonably practicable in terms of instrument cost and deployment utility, 3) assess the performance of a ventilation systems to deliver an adequate amount of clean air to indoor spaces relative to the number of space occupants, and 4) to action improvements in ventilation quality where identified. The method was informed by a literature review of various standards that described optimal number, location, and layout of sensors, resulting in demonstration of deployment of CO₂ sensors. Sensors were deployed within 1439 teaching and office spaces across 78 mechanically ventilated buildings. In 1025 (72 %) rooms, CO₂ concentration was &lt; 800 ppm, in 267 (18 %) between 800 ppm and 1000 ppm, and in 147 (10 %) &gt; 1000 ppm, during room occupancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144314023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}