Indoor airPub Date : 2024-07-04DOI: 10.1155/2024/6086442
Terje Grøntoft, Oliwia Buchwald-Zięcina
{"title":"Method Development to Assess the Ventilated and Nonventilated Sources of Indoor Dust Deposits, Applied in a Museum","authors":"Terje Grøntoft, Oliwia Buchwald-Zięcina","doi":"10.1155/2024/6086442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6086442","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A method was developed to analytically distinguish between the ventilated (v) and nonventilated (nv) fractions of water-soluble ions in deposits of particle indoors. The indicative method was based on low-cost passive outdoor and indoor sampling of the particle and ion deposits and NO<sub>2</sub> gas and analysis of the regression values and residuals of the correlations between these parameters. The method was applied to measurements in the Pieskowa Skała Castle Museum in Poland. A dominating source of “soil and building dust” was indicated all year round, probably partly from renovation works of the castle, with larger total infiltration in the winter–spring (W-S) but with a higher proportion of ventilation ingress in the summer–autumn (S-A). About 60%–80%, by mass, of the water-soluble ions in the soil and building dust were calcium and probably some magnesium bicarbonate (Ca(HCO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>, Mg(HCO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>) and about 10%–20% sulfates (SO<sub>4</sub><sup>−−</sup>) with calcium (Ca<sup>++</sup>) and several other cations. The other main source of the ion deposits was indicated to be air pollution, with chloride (Cl<sup>−</sup>), sulfate (SO<sub>4</sub><sup>−−</sup>), and nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>), from outdoor combustion sources, like traffic, residential heating, and industry. These were mainly v from outdoors in the colder parts of the year, but also to the more open locations in the S-A. A small source of nv sulfate (SO<sub>4</sub><sup>−−</sup>) was identified inside two showcases in the S-A. The study showed good enclosure protection of the museum objects against exposure to particle pollution, but also the need to avoid the trapping of particle pollution inside showcases or closed rooms. The identification of the probable different amounts and sources of v and nv ions in the castle aided preventive actions to reduce the pollution exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/6086442","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141536951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-07-02DOI: 10.1155/2024/5025616
Gang Zhou, Zengxin Liu, Wenqi Shao, Biao Sun, Lin Li, Jianguo Liu, Gang Li, Xueqiang Lv
{"title":"Study on the Effects of Dust Particle Size and Respiratory Intensity on the Pattern of Respiratory Particle Deposition in Humans","authors":"Gang Zhou, Zengxin Liu, Wenqi Shao, Biao Sun, Lin Li, Jianguo Liu, Gang Li, Xueqiang Lv","doi":"10.1155/2024/5025616","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5025616","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nowadays, dust exposure pollution is receiving a lot of attention due to its significant impact on public health. To investigate the impact of dust particle size and human respiratory strength on respiratory particle deposition patterns, data was collected through on-site surveys. The study analyzed the equivalent respiratory strength, dust environment characteristics, and bronchial particle escape and deposition patterns of humans in fully mechanized mining faces at various operating times. This was done using ergonomic energy consumption simulation experiments and a fluid–solid interaction method of CFD-DEM. The findings revealed that as humans worked continuously for 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min, their respiratory intensity corresponded to 8, 18, 30, 42, and 50 L/min, respectively. According to the field investigation and particle size analysis, the particle size distribution of 1~5, 5~10, 10~20, 20~30, and 30~40 <i>μ</i>m particles accounted for 36%, 26%, 15%, 11%, and 10%, respectively. In general, the deposition rate of dust was highest in the main bronchus of the respiratory tract, followed by the trachea area. Particles ranging from 5 to 10 <i>μ</i>m in size were observed to have a higher likelihood of escaping from the tertiary bronchioles and entering the secondary bronchial regions. Conversely, particles larger than 20 <i>μ</i>m exhibited a deposition rate of up to 80% in the tertiary bronchial regions. It was noted that the bronchial deposition rate of particles of varying sizes increased with respiratory strength, with smaller particles showing greater sensitivity to changes in respiratory strength in terms of the deposition fraction. Among the different particle sizes, the deposition rate of 5–10 <i>μ</i>m particles exhibited the most variation with increasing respiration intensity, ranging up to 17%.</p>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/5025616","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141536818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-06-24DOI: 10.1155/2024/7363613
Ryan McCord, Stephanie Parsons, Ashley S. Bittner, Charles B. L. Jumbe, Gillian Kabwe, Joseph Pedit, Nancy Serenje, Andrew P. Grieshop, Pamela Jagger
{"title":"Carbon Monoxide Exposure and Risk of Cognitive Impairment Among Cooks in Africa","authors":"Ryan McCord, Stephanie Parsons, Ashley S. Bittner, Charles B. L. Jumbe, Gillian Kabwe, Joseph Pedit, Nancy Serenje, Andrew P. Grieshop, Pamela Jagger","doi":"10.1155/2024/7363613","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/7363613","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We use air pollution exposure measurements and household survey data from four studies conducted across three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to analyze the association between carbon monoxide (CO) exposure from cooking with biomass and indicators of cognitive impairment. While there is strong evidence on the relationship between ambient air pollution exposure and cognitive impairment from studies in high-income countries, relatively little research has focused on household air pollution (HAP) in low-income country settings where risks of HAP exposure are high. This study is the first to our knowledge to focus on the association between HAP exposure (specifically CO exposure) and cognitive impairment across diverse settings in SSA. We use 24-hour measurements of primary cooks’ exposure to CO across four study sites: urban Zambia (<i>n</i> = 493); urban Malawi (<i>n</i> = 130); rural Malawi (<i>n</i> = 102); and urban Rwanda (<i>n</i> = 2,576). We model the estimated percent carboxyhemoglobin (%COHb) of cooks and map values to a toxicological profile for risk of cognitive impairment. We find that across all study settings, cooks’ average %COHb levels are below levels of daily concern, but that cooks who use charcoal for preparing greater than 40% of meals are more likely to spend additional time at higher levels of risk. For the urban Zambia sample, we compare %COHb and frequency of charcoal use to a series of cognitive test scores and find no consistent relationships between %COHb and cognitive test scores. High levels of daily CO exposure from cooks across SSA highlight the potential for longer-term negative cognitive (and other) health outcomes motivating additional research and efforts to characterize and mitigate risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/7363613","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141488709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-06-07DOI: 10.1155/2024/1707863
Lu Song, Jinbiao Ma, Guanyu Jiang, Can Wang, Yuan Zhang, Hong Chen, Ru-jin Huang
{"title":"Comparison of Airborne Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Chicken Farm during Winter and Summer","authors":"Lu Song, Jinbiao Ma, Guanyu Jiang, Can Wang, Yuan Zhang, Hong Chen, Ru-jin Huang","doi":"10.1155/2024/1707863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/1707863","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <p>Information regarding the abundance and dissemination of airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in chicken farms and their correlations with airborne bacteria is limited. In this study, we investigated the bacterial communities and quantified the ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in fecal and air samples in summer and winter. The concentrations of nearly all the airborne ARG and MGE subtypes in winter are three or four orders of magnitude higher than those in summer. Findings reveal that the indoor air of a chicken farm is a reservoir of ARGs. Based on the fecal samples, bacteria might be easily distributed in the air in the intensive chicken farm during winter. The mobility of target ARGs during winter might be stronger than during summer. These results may improve the understanding of airborne ARG transmission and its distribution characteristics and provide a reference for assessing the risks arising from chicken farms. More effort is needed to prevent and control the potential health risks induced by airborne ARGs.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/1707863","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141286816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-06-05DOI: 10.1155/2024/5503400
Jimin Kim, Jongmin Park, Perng-Jy Tsai, Chungsik Yoon
{"title":"The Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Electrostatic Changes in Respirators and Their Filtration Efficiency","authors":"Jimin Kim, Jongmin Park, Perng-Jy Tsai, Chungsik Yoon","doi":"10.1155/2024/5503400","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5503400","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <p>The filtering mechanism of respirators involves static electricity and physical mechanisms, such as inertial impaction, interception, and diffusion. Static electricity is used to reduce pressure resistance, but electrostatic effects and the environmental variables that affect them are not well studied. Therefore, this study evaluated the contribution of static electricity to the filtration efficiency of respirators and the effects of changes in temperature and humidity on static electricity and the resulting filtration efficiency. Eight respirators from four manufacturers—four for workers (1<sup>st</sup> class respirators) and four for citizens (KF-94 respirators)—were selected, all of which met legal standards in Korea. The filtration efficiency and pressure drop were evaluated at baseline and after removing static electricity with isopropanol. To study the effects of humidity and temperature on the efficiency of the respirators, the respirators were exposed to 30, 50, and 98% humidity while the temperature was fixed at 25°C and to temperatures of −30, 25, and 70°C while the humidity was fixed at 50%. Static electricity was measured using a surface-potential meter, and the filtration efficiency was measured using NaCl and paraffin oil. When static electricity was removed from the 1<sup>st</sup> class and KF-94 respirators, the filtration efficiency decreased by 21.7% and 19.5%, respectively. Humidity affected the change in static electricity slightly more than temperature, but since not all static electricity was removed, the filtration efficiency was not affected greatly. The changes in static electricity and filtration efficiency due to humidity were significant, but this was because the standard deviation was small. Even under 98% humidity, the filtration efficiency was only 1–2% lower than that at 30% humidity and still met the 94% filtration efficiency criterion for respirators.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/5503400","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141264575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-05-29DOI: 10.1155/2024/2415739
Charlotte Minig, Klaas Reglitz, Martin Steinhaus
{"title":"Odor-Active Compounds in Flexible Polyurethane Materials","authors":"Charlotte Minig, Klaas Reglitz, Martin Steinhaus","doi":"10.1155/2024/2415739","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/2415739","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <p>Flexible polyurethane (PU) materials find extensive use in upholstery, mattresses, and automobiles, yet the molecular background of their odor is still inadequately understood. To address this gap, we aimed at identifying major odorants in fifteen samples representing eight common types of flexible PU materials. The volatiles isolated from the samples were subjected to activity-guided screening via gas chromatography-olfactometry. Structures were assigned by comparing odor, retention data, and mass spectra to those of authentic reference compounds. This approach led to the identification of 50 odorants, 39 of which had not previously been described in PU. The odorants belonged to a wide range of compound classes, including tertiary amines, fatty acid oxidation products, short-chain aldehydes, trioxocanes, pyrazines, aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocycles, chlorinated compounds, phenol derivatives, fragrance compounds, and nitriles. For some odorants, further insights were gained into their origins and release behavior. For example, the odorous 1,4-dimethylpiperazine had been used as a catalyst, and propanal was shown to be not only a PU odorant but also the precursor of an odor-active trioxocane. Additionally, the quantitation of acetaldehyde and propanal suggested their continuous regeneration from the samples. While the sources of other compounds still have to be clarified, the data obtained in this study could pave the way for odor reduction strategies in the production of PU materials, ultimately resulting in an improved odor and consumer experience.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/2415739","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relationships between Electroencephalogram and Thermal Perception of Passenger in Winter Vehicle Compartments","authors":"Xin Xu, Lanping Zhao, Yuxin Hu, Qinyue Zheng, Guomin Wu, Zhigang Yang","doi":"10.1155/2024/6816185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6816185","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <p>The development of electric vehicles (EVs) has prompted a critical examination of the trade-off between range and human thermal comfort. Therefore, an accurate, real-time assessment of human thermal perception inside vehicles is important. This study investigates an electroencephalogram- (EEG-) based method for evaluating human thermal comfort in the vehicle passenger compartment. Under transient winter heating conditions, the study experimentally investigates the correlation between objective physiological parameters (skin temperature and electroencephalogram) and subjective human thermal perception. The results reveal distinct patterns in EEG signals corresponding to changes in thermal perception. Specifically, the <i>δ</i> rhythm exhibits a U-shape variation with increasing thermal perception, while the <i>θ</i>, <i>α</i>, <i>β</i>, and <i>γ</i> rhythms display an inverted U-shape variation. Differences in each frequency band across thermal comfort states in humans are greater than differences in the frequency band across thermal sensation states. Furthermore, the relative power of the <i>θ</i> rhythm emerges as the most effective in discerning the thermal perception state of the human body. The EEG signal characteristics of the T7 and T8 channels align more closely with human thermal sensation, whereas the AF4 channel excels at discriminating the state of human thermal comfort. The insights gained from this study serve as a foundation for evaluating human thermal perception in vehicles, enhancing human-vehicle interaction, and addressing challenges related to human thermal comfort and vehicle range.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/6816185","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-05-22DOI: 10.1155/2024/9593123
Farzad Pourfattah, Weiwei Deng, Lian-Ping Wang
{"title":"How Does the Interaction of the Human Thermal Plume and Breathing Affect the Microenvironment and Macroenvironment of an Elevator Cabin?","authors":"Farzad Pourfattah, Weiwei Deng, Lian-Ping Wang","doi":"10.1155/2024/9593123","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2024/9593123","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <p>The details of the interaction of human thermal plume and breathing activities are simulated in the current study of an unsteady turbulent flow field in an elevator cabin. Air velocity and temperature distributions of the circulation flow pattern (i.e., the macroenvironment), the breathing-scale microenvironment’s characteristics, and the thermal plume’s fate are analyzed. The current study is aimed at showing how respiratory activities such as breathing and human thermal plumes affect the flow field and respiratory contaminants dispersion pattern in a nonventilated enclosed environment (the elevator cabin). The results from three cases, i.e., breathing thermal manikins, nonbreathing thermal manikins, and isothermal breathing manikins, are contrasted to unveil better the effects of human thermal plume and breathing on the flow field, including the velocity distribution, dispersion pattern of the exhaled contaminant, the human body’s heat transfer coefficient, and the large-scale flow pattern. Results reveal that breathing inhalation increases the upward velocity of the thermal plume on the one hand, which directly affects the microenvironment and indirectly impacts the macroenvironment due to the more vigorous reflected thermal plume. On the other hand, the upward thermal plume reduces the penetration length of the exhaled jet. Breathing activities create ring vortices that connect the microenvironment and the macroenvironment. The circulation flow features a downward flow in the cabin’s center, affecting the vortex strength and contaminant dispersion pattern. Overall, the human thermal plume and human breathing make comparable contributions to the resulting elevator-cabin flow characteristics.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/9593123","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141110951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-05-21DOI: 10.1155/2024/6810701
Ru Wang, Wenyuan Wang, Wei Zhang, Zhengxue Li, Zhengyang An, Dongming Zhou, Yong Min
{"title":"Formaldehyde-Degrading Bacteria R1 Is Effective in Removing HCHO from the Air in an Indoor Environment","authors":"Ru Wang, Wenyuan Wang, Wei Zhang, Zhengxue Li, Zhengyang An, Dongming Zhou, Yong Min","doi":"10.1155/2024/6810701","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2024/6810701","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <p>Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a widespread air pollutant in the indoor environment. Previous studies have shown that some bacteria have potential application to remove indoor HCHO. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of <i>Methylobacterium</i> sp. strain R1 (S-R1) in removing formaldehyde (HCHO) from indoor air using biofilters. Three experiments confirmed S-R1’s ability to degrade HCHO in the air, with <sup>13</sup>C-NMR analysis revealing its involvement in the metabolic process. Optimal biofilter parameters, including 35 sponge layers, 30% humidity, and 9.50 m<sup>3</sup>/min air flow, resulted in a removal efficiency of up to 90% and an elimination capability of 24111-27000 <i>μ</i>g/(m<sup>3</sup>∗h) during a 60-minute test period. Long-term (31-day) operation of the biofilter with the optimal parameters effectively reduced HCHO levels from 1.60 mg/m<sup>3</sup> to 0.02-0.03 mg/m<sup>3</sup>, below China’s national standard, and maintained this level. Fluorescence microscope observation and downstream gas detection revealed stable S-R1 cell numbers and no bacterial leakage, respectively. Two conclusions can be drawn: (1) S-R1 is effective in removing HCHO in polluted air and (2) with optimum parameters, the S-R1 biofilter is engineering effective in purifying the indoor air environment.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/6810701","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141116151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor airPub Date : 2024-04-27DOI: 10.1155/2024/5531325
Ziyu Shu, Feng Yuan, Jie Wang, Jian Zang, Baizhan Li, Mehdi Shahrestani, Emmanuel Essah, Hazim Awbi, Mike Holland, Fangxin Fang, Christopher Pain, Prashant Kumar, Hua Zhong, Alan Short, Paul Linden, Runming Yao
{"title":"Prioritising Actions for Improving Classroom Air Quality Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process: Case Studies in China and the UK","authors":"Ziyu Shu, Feng Yuan, Jie Wang, Jian Zang, Baizhan Li, Mehdi Shahrestani, Emmanuel Essah, Hazim Awbi, Mike Holland, Fangxin Fang, Christopher Pain, Prashant Kumar, Hua Zhong, Alan Short, Paul Linden, Runming Yao","doi":"10.1155/2024/5531325","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5531325","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The air quality in classrooms significantly impacts school children’s health and learning performance. It has been reported worldwide that classroom air quality does not meet the required standard and actions are pledged for improvement. However, it poses a challenge for decision-making in terms of prioritising taking-up measures. The aim of this study is to propose a method of identifying the action measures for improving classroom air quality and prioritising them. Case studies in the UK and China were conducted, and the key measures were identified through literature studies, open-ended questionnaire surveys, and workshop discussions, which are classified into three categories: B1, policy; B2, technology; and B3, information sharing. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is applied in the prioritisation of the action measures. A total of 138 teachers and parents from China and the UK participated in this case study. The genetic algorithm-optimised Hadamard product (GAOHP) method is applied to justify the consistency ratio (CR) within the required threshold value in order to ensure the consistency of the subjective perception and the accuracy of comparative weights. The results show that item B2, technology, is the most desired measure by both Chinese and British parents and teachers, despite the deviation from the optimal choice in China and the UK. Among the proposed action measures, the UK respondents strongly expected air purifiers with natural ventilation as opposed to their Chinese counterparts preferring to share the real-time status of classroom air quality. Our work will provide strong support for the subsequent selection of indoor air quality improvement strategies for schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":13529,"journal":{"name":"Indoor air","volume":"2024 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141164960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}