Associations of indoor carbon dioxide concentrations, air temperature, and humidity with perceived air quality and sick building syndrome symptoms in Chinese homes

Hou, Jing; Sun, Yuexia; Dai, Xilei; Liu, Junjie; Xiong, Shuidong; Tan, Hongwei; Yin, Haiguo; Huang, Kailiang; Gao, Yao; Lai, Dayi; Hong, Weiping; Zhai, Xinping; Norbäck, Dan; Chen, Qingyan

doi:10.1111/ina.12810

Cited by 48 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Ventilation work has helped to normalize the symptoms of SBS. Carbon dioxide and poor ventilation seem to be the main causes of SBS 6,36 . In line with the literature, we demonstrated the impact of insufficient ventilation on symptoms 37 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

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Assessment of sick building syndrome using visual analog scales

et al. 2022

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Background Despite there is no recommendations for assessing symptoms of sick building syndrome, the use of visual analog scales (VAS) seems attractive and appropriate. We aimed to demonstrate the benefits of using VAS for evaluating subjective symptoms of sick building syndrome. Method We compared an exposed group to a control group with a one‐year follow‐up. To assess chronology of symptoms, employees were asked to complete four VAS at different times: after vacations (time 1), beginning of the week—beginning of the day (time 2), beginning of the week—end of the day (time 3), and end of the week—end of the day (time 4). Measurements were repeated before and after ventilation work for the exposed group and at the same time in the control group without intervention. Confounding factors were assessed. Results We included 36 employees (21 in the exposed group and 15 in the control group). Both groups were comparable. Prior to ventilation work, the exposed group had more subjective symptoms than the control group with a chronology of symptoms. After ventilation work, symptoms did not differ between groups, and most symptoms decreased within the exposed group. Practical Implication The use of VAS provided reliable data for assessing sick building syndrome and showed a dose‐response relationship between occupational exposure and symptoms.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Carbon dioxide and poor ventilation seem to be the main causes of SBS. 6,36 In line with the literature, we demonstrated the impact of insufficient ventilation on symptoms. 37 38,39 The dose-response relationship is typically evaluated to investigate the causes of the onset of SBS symptoms.…”

Section: Sick Building Syndrome Work Environment and Ventilation Worksupporting

confidence: 88%

Assessment of sick building syndrome using visual analog scales

et al. 2022

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“…[156][157][158][159] In an extensive 1-year study in 165 Chinese residences, it was shown that, in addition to temperature and humidity, the carbon dioxide content also influences the perceived air quality. 160 This again underlines that carbon dioxide is also a key parameter in assessing air quality. Several studies have shown that the cognitive abilities of people decrease with increasing carbon dioxide content in the breathing air.…”

Section: Human Perception Of Temperaturementioning

confidence: 95%

Temperature and indoor environments

Salthammer

Morrison

2022

Indoor Air

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From the thermodynamic perspective, the term temperature is clearly defined for ideal physical systems: A unique temperature can be assigned to each black body via its radiation spectrum, and the temperature of an ideal gas is given by the velocity distribution of the molecules. While the indoor environment is not an ideal system, fundamental physical and chemical processes, such as diffusion, partitioning equilibria, and chemical reactions, are predictably temperature‐dependent. For example, the logarithm of reaction rate and equilibria constants are proportional to the reciprocal of the absolute temperature. It is therefore possible to have non‐linear, very steep changes in chemical phenomena over a relatively small temperature range. On the contrary, transport processes are more influenced by spatial temperature, momentum, and pressure gradients as well as by the density, porosity, and composition of indoor materials. Consequently, emergent phenomena, such as emission rates or dynamic air concentrations, can be the result of complex temperature‐dependent relationships that require a more empirical approach. Indoor environmental conditions are further influenced by the thermal comfort needs of occupants. Not only do occupants have to create thermal conditions that serve to maintain their core body temperature, which is usually accomplished by wearing appropriate clothing, but also the surroundings must be adapted so that they feel comfortable. This includes the interaction of the living space with the ambient environment, which can vary greatly by region and season. Design of houses, apartments, commercial buildings, and schools is generally utility and comfort driven, requiring an appropriate energy balance, sometimes considering ventilation but rarely including the impact of temperature on indoor contaminant levels. In our article, we start with a review of fundamental thermodynamic variables and discuss their influence on typical indoor processes. Then, we describe the heat balance of people in their thermal environment. An extensive literature study is devoted to the thermal conditions in buildings, the temperature‐dependent release of indoor pollutants from materials and their distribution in the various interior compartments as well as aspects of indoor chemistry. Finally, we assess the need to consider temperature holistically with regard to the changes to be expected as a result of global emergencies such as climate change.

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“…The analysis flowchart is presented in Figure 1. The correlations among the health risk and the indoor parameters were approved, and the monitoring of the relative humidity (RH), CO 2 , and T was suggested for improving the IAQ [37]. The main factors that affect IAQ in the vehicles included the humidity percentage, CO 2 , T, the airflow rate and direction, the type of the utilized air filter [38][39][40], the seat arrangement, and the displacement of ventilation [19,41].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

CFD Investigation of Vehicle’s Ventilation Systems and Analysis of ACH in Typical Airplanes, Cars, and Buses

et al. 2021

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The simulation of the ventilation and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of vehicles could be used in the energy demand management of vehicles besides improving the air quality inside their cabins. Moreover, traveling by public transport during a pandemic is a concerning factor, and analysis of the vehicle’s cabin environments could demonstrate how to decrease the risk and create a safer journey for passengers. Therefore, this article presents airflow analysis, air changes per hour (ACH), and respiration aerosols’ trajectory inside three vehicles, including a typical car, bus, and airplane. In this regard, three vehicles’ cabin environment boundary conditions and the HVAC systems of the selected vehicles were determined, and three-dimensional numerical simulations were performed using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling. The analysis of the airflow patterns and aerosol trajectories in the selected vehicles demonstrate the critical impact of inflow, outflow, and passenger’s locations in the cabins. The CFD model results exhibited that the lowest risk could be in the airplane and the highest in the bus because of the location of airflows and outflows. The discrete CFD model analysis determined the ACH for a typical car of about 4.3, a typical bus of about 7.5, and in a typical airplane of about 8.5, which were all less than the standard protocol of infection prevention, 12 ACH. According to the results, opening windows in the cars could decrease the aerosol loads and improve the low ACH by the HVAC systems. However, for the buses, a new design for the outflow location or an increase in the number of outflows appeared necessary. In the case of airplanes, the airflow paths were suitable, and by increasing the airflow speed, the required ACH might be achieved. Finally, in the closed (recirculating) systems, the role of filters in decreasing the risk appeared critical.

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Associations of indoor carbon dioxide concentrations, air temperature, and humidity with perceived air quality and sick building syndrome symptoms in Chinese homes

Cited by 48 publications

References 64 publications

Assessment of sick building syndrome using visual analog scales

Assessment of sick building syndrome using visual analog scales

Temperature and indoor environments

CFD Investigation of Vehicle’s Ventilation Systems and Analysis of ACH in Typical Airplanes, Cars, and Buses

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