Search results

1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 24 February 2012

Jasem M. Alhumoud, Fawzia M. Al‐Ruwaih, Sami H. Ali and Mohammad H. Redhaee

This study aims to evaluate the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the indoor and outdoor air quality in Kuwait due to vehicular traffic.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the indoor and outdoor air quality in Kuwait due to vehicular traffic.

Design/methodology/approach

About 700 VOCs samples were collected from randomly selected residences within Kuwait. For simplicity, the study was divided into three areas: area A between the first and third ring roads, area B between the third and fifth ring roads and area C between the fifth and sixth ring roads. Hazardous Air Pollutants on Site (HAPSITE), a portable Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS), was used to gather air samples inside and outside of the residences selected in the study area for a period of three months during 2008.

Findings

Median indoor air quality levels in the study area were similar to the outdoor levels. Indoor/outdoor ratios varied from 0.5 to 8 for most compounds, suggesting that the indoor air quality was less than the outdoor air quality. It was found that none of the indoor VOC concentrations measured exceeded the upper limits of the indoor air quality set by the Kuwait Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA), with the exception of only one residence where the benzene concentration was observed to be in excess of 17 per cent of the KEPA limit. Moreover, the indoor air quality for the study areas was found to be in accordance with level 1 set by KEPA, indicative of very good air quality.

Originality/value

This is the first study conducted in Kuwait to collect VOCs samples and to explore the air quality inside and outside of residential buildings.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 23 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 September 2008

Edwin H.W. Chan, K.S. Lam and W.S. Wong

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the indoor environmental quality among residential buildings in dense urban living environment, after the outbreak of Severe Acute…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the indoor environmental quality among residential buildings in dense urban living environment, after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which called for a review on the relationship between health issues and the authors' built facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Environmental tests include thermal comfort, noise, daylight and air quality inside the residence of typical housing units were carried out. Based on inferences drawn from test results, the paper developed systematic conclusions.

Findings

It was observed that most of the occupants (over 70 per cent of 125 households) were tolerating the higher air temperature and dimmer daylight inside their residence, which was proven to fall behind Hong Kong Standard. On the contrary, people reflected that they were also trying to abate noise and dust concentration in their daily life.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the flat occupants' exclusive property rights in law, there were limited access to the residents' flats and only 32 occupants out of 125 allowed us to conduct the survey. Yet, the data set was justified.

Practical implications

The results provides practical guidance for the design of future housing to enhance health and comfort of occupants.

Originality/value

Originality of the findings is based on on‐site data collected in dense urban housing condition. Rating data were also collected from the occupants concerned about their habituation conditions in Hong Kong after the outbreak of SARS, which was a major crisis that called for fundamental review of the authors' built facilities.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2021

Yasser Baharfar, Mahmoud Mohammadyan, Faramarz Moattar, Parvin Nassiri and Mohammad Hassan Behzadi

This paper aims to present the most influential factors on classroom indoor PM2.5 (Particulate Matter < 2.5 µ), determining the level of PM2.5 concentration in five pre-schools…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present the most influential factors on classroom indoor PM2.5 (Particulate Matter < 2.5 µ), determining the level of PM2.5 concentration in five pre-schools located in the most densely populated district of the Tehran metropolitan area (district 6) as a case study to consider the children's exposure to air pollutants and introducing a suitable model, for the first time, to predict PM2.5 concentration changes, inside pre-schools.

Design/methodology/approach

Indoor and outdoor classes PM2.5 concentrations were measured using two DUSTTRAK direct-reading instruments. Additional class status information was also recorded; concurrently, urban PM2.5 concentrations and meteorological data were obtained from the fixed monitoring stations and Meteorological Organization. Then, the predicted concentrations of the indoor PM2.5, from introduced multiple linear regression model via SPSS, compared with the nearest urban air pollution monitoring stations data.

Findings

The average outdoor PM2.5 concentration (43 ± 0.32 µg m−3) was higher than the mean indoor (32 ± 0. 21 µg m−3), and both were significantly (p < 0.001) surpassing the 24-h EPA standard level. The indoor PM2.5 concentrations had the highest level in the autumn (48.7 µg m−3) and significantly correlated with the outdoor PM2.5 (r = 0.94, p < 0.001), the number of pupils, ambient temperature, wind speed, wind direction and open area of the doors and windows (p < 0.001). These parameters, as the main determinants, have led to present a 7-variable regression model, with R2 = 0.705, which can predict PM2.5 concentrations in the pre-school classes with more than 80% accuracy. It can be presumed that the penetration of outdoor PM2.5 was the main source of indoor PM2.5 concentrations.

Research limitations/implications

This study faced several limitations, such as accessibility to classrooms, and limitations in technicians' numbers, leading to researchers monitoring indoor and outdoor PM concentrations in schools once a week. Additionally, regarding logistical limitations to using monitoring instruments in pre-schools simultaneously, correction factors by running the instruments were applied to obtain comparable measurements.

Originality/value

The author hereby declares that this submission is his own work and to the best of its knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 February 2023

Danladi Chiroma Husaini, Kemberly Manzur and Jorge Medrano

This systematic review examined the emerging threat of indoor and outdoor pollutants to public health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Abstract

Purpose

This systematic review examined the emerging threat of indoor and outdoor pollutants to public health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Design/methodology/approach

Pollutants and pollution levels are becoming an increasing cause for concern within the LAC region, primarily because of the rapid increase in urbanization and the use of fossil fuels. The rise in indoor and outdoor air pollutants impacts public health, and there are limited regional studies on the impact of these pollutants and how they affect public health. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Web of Science and ScienceDirect databases. Significant search terms included “indoor air pollution,” “outdoor air pollution,” “pollution,” “Latin America,” “Central America,” “South America” and “Caribbean was used.” The systematic review utilized the Rayyan systematic software for uploading and sorting study references.

Findings

Database searches produced 1,674 results, of which, after using the inclusion–exclusion criteria and assessing for bias, 16 studies were included and used for the systematic review. These studies covered both indoor and outdoor pollution. Various indoor and outdoor air pollutants linked to low birth weight, asthma, cancer and DNA impairment were reported in this review. Even though only some intervention programs are available within the region to mitigate the harmful effects of pollution, these programs need to be robust and appropriately implemented, causing possible threats to public health. Significant gaps in the research were identified, especially in the Caribbean.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the study include limited available research done within LAC, with most of the research quantifying pollutants rather than addressing their impacts. Additionally, most studies focus on air pollution but neglect water and land pollution’s effects on public health. For this reason, the 16 studies included limited robustness of the review.

Originality/value

Although available studies quantifying pollution threats in LAC were identified in this review, research on the adverse impacts of pollution, especially concerning public health, is limited. LAC countries should explore making cities more energy-efficient, compact and green while improving the transportation sector by utilizing clean power generation. In order to properly lessen the effects of pollution on public health, more research needs to be done and implemented programs that are working need to be strengthened and expanded.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 42 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 September 2019

Rajasekar Velswamy, Sorna Chandra Devadass, Karunakaran Velswamy and Jeyakrishnan Venugopal

The purpose of this paper is to classify the given image as indoor or outdoor with higher success rate by mixing various features like brightness, number of straight lines, number…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to classify the given image as indoor or outdoor with higher success rate by mixing various features like brightness, number of straight lines, number of Euclidean shapes and recursive shapes.

Design/methodology/approach

For annotating an image, it is very easy, if the image is categorized as indoor or outdoor. Many methods are proposed to classify the given image in these criteria but still the rate of uncategorized images occupies considerable area. This proposed work is the extension of the existing works already proposed by experts in this field. Some of the parameters mainly focused to classify are color histogram, orientation of edges, straightness of edges, discrete cosine transform coefficients, etc. In addition to that, this work includes finding of Euclidean shapes i.e. closed contours and recursive shapes in the given image. When the Euclidean shaped object dominates the recursive shapes then it is classified as indoor object and if the recursive shapes dominates, it is categorized as outdoor object.

Findings

This work is carried out on the standard image data sets. The data sets are Microsoft Research Cambridge (MRC) object recognition image database 1.0. and Kodak and Coral image data set. Totally 540 images are taken into account and the images are classified 95.4 percent correctly.

Originality/value

Many methods are proposed to classify the given image in these criteria but still the rate of uncategorized images occupies considerable area. This proposed work is the extension of the existing works already proposed by experts in this field. Some of the parameters mainly focused to classify are color histogram, orientation of edges, straightness of edges, discrete cosine transform coefficients, etc. In addition to that, this work includes finding of Euclidean shapes i.e. closed contours and recursive shapes in the given image. When the Euclidean shaped object dominates the recursive shapes then it is classified as indoor object and if the recursive shapes dominates, it is categorized as outdoor object. This work is carried out on the standard image data sets. The data sets are MRC object recognition image database 1.0. and Kodak and Coral image data set. Totally 540 images are taken into account and the images are classified 95.4 percent correctly.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 November 2013

Muhammad Awais Azam, Jonathan Loo, Usman Naeem and Muhammad Adeel

Recognizing daily life activities and human behaviour from contextual information is a challenging task. The purpose of the research work in this paper is to develop a system that…

Abstract

Purpose

Recognizing daily life activities and human behaviour from contextual information is a challenging task. The purpose of the research work in this paper is to develop a system that can detect indoor and outdoor daily life activities of low entropy mobile people such as elderly people and patients with regular routines using non-intrusive sensor and contextual information.

Design/methodology/approach

A framework is proposed that utilises a hierarchical approach in which high-level activities are divided into sub-activities and tasks and recognises the high-level outdoor and indoor activities of daily life. Tasks are recognised at lower level from sensor data and then used by the “activity recogniser” at higher level to recognise the high-level activities. For outdoor activities recognition, wireless proximity data are used, whereas for indoor activities, object usage data obtained through radio frequency identification sensors are used.

Findings

For outdoor tasks, results have shown 100 per cent recognition for experiment 1 and a decrease in recognition from 100 to 82.7 per cent, respectively, for experiment 2-9 due to increase in the entropy of individual tasks. Outdoor activity recognition ranges from 84.1 to 100 per cent. For indoor tasks, generating alternative tasks sequences approach effectively recognised the single tasks that were conducted with objects without any order. Average indoor activity recognition rate remains above 90 per cent. The reason why this approach is able to detect the activities without their distinct features is the planning capability of the Asbru that is used in the modelling of high-level activities.

Originality/value

The novelty of this research work is a framework that utilises different types of sensor data and recognises both indoor and outdoor daily life activities of individuals.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2009

Hongli Liu, Changxi Li and Li Li

The purpose of this paper is to establish mass balance model and predict the concentration and diameter distribution of indoor suspended particulate matters (SPM).

236

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish mass balance model and predict the concentration and diameter distribution of indoor suspended particulate matters (SPM).

Design/methodology/approach

Taking the small offices and residences for a research objective, this paper analyzes the major factors to affect the concentration and diameter distribution of indoor SPM, founds the deposition ratio model, the penetration factor model and the mass balance model to predict the concentration and diameter distribution of indoor SPM. According to the real‐time measuring data, the feature of building defence structure and the concentration and diameter distribution of outdoor SPM, the deposition model, the penetration model and indoor air capacity are used as input parameter of the mass balance model.

Findings

The size of defence in natural ventilation, the pressure difference of both sides and the friction velocity have less influence on the concentration and diameter distribution of indoor SPM, but the concentration and diameter distribution of outdoor SPM mainly affects that of indoor SPM. Indoor particle concentration change with outdoor particle concentration, and less than later because of indoor particle deposition. The prediction results are basically in agreement with the measuring data.

Research limitations/implications

Real‐time and accuracy of measuring data of outdoor SPM are the main limitations which the prediction model are simulated.

Practical implications

The prediction results can provide scientific theory basis for making environmental standards of particulate matter and the control of indoor air quality.

Originality/value

A new method to predict the concentration and diameter distribution of indoor SPM.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 38 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2020

Howook (Sean) Chang, Chang Huh, Tiffany S. Legendre and John J. Simpson

A growing number of travelers seek well-being when traveling. As concerning about outdoor air pollution in tourism destinations escalates, little is known about indoor air…

Abstract

Purpose

A growing number of travelers seek well-being when traveling. As concerning about outdoor air pollution in tourism destinations escalates, little is known about indoor air pollution in hotel guestrooms. The purpose of the present study is to assess particulate matter (PM) pollution in US hotel guestrooms and to provide baseline indoor PM readings in occupied and unoccupied rooms.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of field tests and experiments monitoring PM levels were conducted in the guestrooms overnight – with and without occupants – using the sophisticated, industrial-grade PM-monitoring equipment.

Findings

The results revealed that PM levels were very low when rooms were unoccupied or when guests were asleep. However, unhealthy PM mass concentrations were observed in occupied rooms when guests engaged in physical activity such as showering and walking around or while room attendants cleaned rooms. Among the physical activities, room cleaning caused hazardous indoor PM pollution, reaching 1,665.9 µg/m3 of PM10 and 140.4 µg/m3 of PM2.5 although they tended to be brief.

Research limitations/implications

Leveraging increasing guest demand in well-being is essential for sustainable business and further growth. Indoor air quality must be recognized as an important factor to be controlled for well-being and health of guests and employees. Major hotel brands should take it into consideration as they infuse well-being DNA into their products and culture.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first empirical investigation of PM pollution both in occupied and unoccupied hotel guestrooms in the USA, which reveals unhealthy PM pollution associated with the routine human activities in occupied guestrooms.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2021

Lei Pang, Qianran Hu and Kai Yang

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the harm to personnel and equipment caused by an external explosion during natural gas explosion venting. The external explosion…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the harm to personnel and equipment caused by an external explosion during natural gas explosion venting. The external explosion characteristics induced by the indoor natural gas explosion are the focal points of the investigation.

Design/methodology/approach

Computational fluid dynamics technology was used to investigate the large-scale explosion venting process of natural gas in a 6 × 3 × 2.5 m room, and the characteristics of external explosion under different scaled vent size (Kv = Av/V2/3, 0.05, 0.08, 0.13, 0.18) were numerically analyzed.

Findings

When Kv = 0.08, the length and duration of the explosion fireball are 13.39 and 450 ms, respectively, which significantly expands the degree and range of high-temperature hazards. The suitable flow-field structure causes the external explosion overpressure to be more than twice that indoors, i.e. the natural gas explosion venting overpressure may be considerably more hazardous in an outdoor environment than inside a room. A specific range for the Kv can promote the superposition of outdoor rupture waves and explosion shock waves, thereby creating a new overpressure hazard.

Originality/value

Little attention has been devoted to investigating systematically the external explosion hazards. Based on the numerical simulation and the analysis, the external explosion characteristics induced by the indoor large-scale gas explosion were obtained. The research results are theoretically significant for mitigating the effects of external gas explosions on personnel and equipment.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2022

Seomgyun Lee, Taeyeon Oh and Choong Hoon Lim

This study sought to determine if environmental barriers (i.e. air pollution, temperature and precipitation) affect outdoor (i.e. soccer and baseball) and indoor (i.e. basketball…

Abstract

Purpose

This study sought to determine if environmental barriers (i.e. air pollution, temperature and precipitation) affect outdoor (i.e. soccer and baseball) and indoor (i.e. basketball) professional sport attendance in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

By including actual air quality, temperature and precipitation data collected from each place where the sporting events take place, this study conducted a regression analysis to examine factors that influenced outdoor and indoor sport attendance.

Findings

In outdoor sports, the estimated results suggested that soccer and baseball attendance were not affected by air pollution. Indoor sport consumers did not change their consumption behaviors in attending sports despite the presence of air pollution. In addition, there was mixed evidence on the effect of weather-related variables on attendance. Average temperature had a positive effect on baseball (outdoor) and basketball (indoor) sport attendance, indicating that the warmer the temperature, the more likely those fans were to attend the games. Average precipitation was negatively associated with outdoor (soccer) sport spectators.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the sport environment literature by examining the impact of environmental barriers on spectators' behaviors in the context of outdoor and indoor professional sports.

Details

Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-678X

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000