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Effective ventilation is vital for indoor air quality and occupant comfort. However, room layout and furniture placement can influence ventilation distribution, leading to inconsistent airflow. This study investigates the relationship between ventilator placement and ventilation profiles in a room. Experimental simulations were performed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with varying placements of ventilator fans were conducted. The 8 different placements were made at high and medium height configurations across the walls either opposite or perpendicular to the inlet section in the enclosed space which in this case, is a room. The boundary conditions set at ambient atmospheric pressure of 101325 Pascals and the ambient temperature is set at a room temperature of 293.2 K. The results show that ventilator placement significantly affects ventilation distribution, with some areas experiencing inadequate or inconsistent airflow and ventilation coverage. The results obtained had determined that the higher placement of ventilator and located strategically at the opposite of the inlet section would be the most optimized configuration where the air flow will have a more complete distribution and coverage of the space in the enclosed space. These findings would promote better room designs to optimize ventilation and enhance occupant comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the presence of humans significantly impacts indoor air quality, necessitating continuous monitoring of pollutant gases, especially CO2, for a healthy living environment. The proposed framework leverages machine learning, specifically the Random Forest algorithm, known for its versatility and accuracy, to predict CO2 levels in real-time. By optimizing the window size through extensive experimentation, the framework achieves the lowest Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 12.0045 at 13. On the other hand, Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) analysis affirm the framework's high accuracy, consistently maintaining a percentage error below 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A historic school building was recently retrofitted. Due to its high architectural quality, the building is listed as National Architectural Patrimony, and therefore the rehabilitation process has met very challenging requirements regarding its conservation to maintain the original layout. In view of its age, the building is done with thick stone walls which help energy conservation and enhance thermal inertia. Its primitive architecture enables natural lighting, increases solar radiation gains, and favors natural ventilation, assuring, consequently, an improved energy efficiency. The implemented rehabilitation actions tried to preserve the original architecture and the building restorations were designed to conserve as much as possible the ancient distinctive architectural style. Given the imposed constraints, matters like Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in rooms and offices for administration and staff were not met. The current situation has resulted in justifiable complaints from the building users, reporting poor rooms IAQ due to a lack of air renovation. Because of the impossibility to install mechanical ventilation ducts, the building rooms are operated through natural ventilation, which makes the adoption of constant air flow regimes difficult to implement. To evaluate the problem and promote measures to deal with it, an experimental campaign to assess IAQ and building thermal comfort was implemented during the Winter of 2022. In the framework of the campaign, two identical rooms with similar occupancy, size, volume, building typology, heating regime, and with the same equipment installed, were measured in situ for 3 months, by monitoring continuously the following variables: indoor radon concentration, air temperature and relative humidity, under distinct regimes of ventilation. By using statistical analysis of the experimental data, the results show, as expected, that the room with a permanent air renovation has an improved IAQ than the other monitored room, operated with a restricted ventilation schedule, without jeopardizing the energy efficiency. Based on the results, natural ventilation in a steady state mode is the key to balancing IAQ and energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional building are built to suit the climate, the users and their surroundings. One of the famous traditional building in Malaysia is Masjid Kampung Laut, a public mosque that located in Nilam Puri, Kelantan, Malaysia. This building is an iconic building as still standing and fully utilised while its age is 400 years old. This study aims to investigate the factor of good indoor air quality (IAQ) in Masjid Kampung Laut, and to prove the hypothesis that it was because of the cross ventilation system within the building. The methodology used in the investigation is mix method, involving several ways including measurement on site, interview, direct observation, participant observation, and physical artifact. The intention of this study hereby to make an awareness among the core players in building industry such as architects, designers, developers, engineers and the authorities to preserve our traditional buildings, at the same time take traditional design as the model to make a better design that suit our culture and climate. As conclusion, we conclude that traditional buildings was built excellently understand the climate, promotes cross ventilation to ensure the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in optimum condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current work numerical and experimental study are conducted to investigate the flow behaviour and thermal comfort in climate-controlled conference hall situated at University of Anbar. In the first part of the study, numerical investigation is conducted to understand the impact of the air conditioning supply and extracts openings locations on the physical characteristics of the air flow within the conference hall. Moreover, the study investigates the optimal location of the air conditioning units within the system. In this work the main emphases are to study the flow dynamics of the air and the thermal behaviour inside the conference hall with large number of audiences inside it. Typically, the efficiency of an air flow system is evaluated by the successful removal of sensible and latent loads from the system under control. In addition, to maintain the level of air pollutant at a prescribed accepted level to assure the optimal human thermal comfort conditions. This will improve the indoor air quality and the thermal comfort for the audience which is the main goal of the present study. The numerical part of the study is carried out using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation approach. To attain this part, commercially available CFD software ANSYS\Fluent is used. The numerical modelling techniques solved the continuity, momentum, and energy conservation equations. The k – ε model is used to tackle the turbulent nature of the flow studied in this case. The second part of this study is achieved by measuring the velocity, air temperature and relative humidity experimentally by means of the calibrated instruments. The validation of the used approaches is carried out through comparing the attained numerical and experimental results. Good agreement is found between the numerical and experimental predictions obtained during the present work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, soil-based building materials have been a popular choice for construction. However, in recent years, a greater focus has been put on using eco-friendly materials for new construction, such as adobe and rammed earth, to promote sustainable architecture. Concrete and fired clay brick industries impact the ecological footprint due to their use of clinker and the firing process. Adobe is a promising alternative because it has the potential to significantly reduce the ecological footprint of conventional building materials. In addition, the use of fibers for adobe reinforcement is a critical factor in improving adobe performance. By using residues from the paper and pulp industry to replace traditional fibers, the ecological footprint can be further reduced. As a part of an undergraduate research project, this article intends to explain a methodology to assess the thermo-hydrometrical properties of adobe bricks by building prototypes on the Keene State College campus. The second goal is to measure comfort conditions by analyzing heat sources in a full-scale prototype. The probes and sensors will provide data on the prototype throughout the year to assess comfort, energy consumption, and indoor air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the International HVAC&R Congress is the property of Union of Mechanical & Electrotechnical Engineers & Technicians of Serbia (SMEITS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Proceedings of the International HVAC&R Congress is the property of Union of Mechanical & Electrotechnical Engineers & Technicians of Serbia (SMEITS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year in 2020, including over 237,000 deaths of children under the age of 5. A large number of these death cases was particularly recorded in developing countries where many people rely heavily on biomass for energy. Burning biomass emits carbon monoxide and other pollutants resulting in indoor air pollution, exacerbations of asthma, hospitalizations for heart attacks and respiratory illness, birth defects, neurological diseases, and even mortality, which are all brought on by indoor air pollution. Because women and children typically do most of the cooking, they are most affected by indoor air pollution. In this research, an active sampling technique was adopted in estimating the amount of three major criteria gaseous pollutants (CO, H2S, and SO2) in the air in rural household kitchens within the Jos metropolis. The Attair 5X gas detector was used. The power button was pressed and the equipment was allowed to initialize for few minutes while the readings were taken downwind in-situ at a distance of 1 m, 2 m, 3 m, 4 m, and 5 m respectively from the emission source at the expiration of one (1) minute for each distance to check the impact of emissions on the environment and people in such areas. The results obtained shows that CO, H2S, and SO2 were higher from firewood emission sources when compared with charcoal emission sources from the 14 different rural kitchens in the Bauchi ring road, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Hence, this study serves as a ready reference for environmentalists to make target decisions on air pollution reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban regeneration is not only an opportunity for the city to adapt according to criteria of resilience to climate change, but also a significant opportunity to build a city based on an approach to health that places the human person at the center of the whole system. According to the World Health Organization, health is not only the absence of disease, but the broader well-being understood as a complex of socio-economic, biological, and environmental relationships. We want to present some results of applying this human-centered approach where the urban fabric's shape, texture, and materials are essential to building the boundary conditions for developing a healthy city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducted by the nonprofit organization Breathe Mongolia—Clean Air Coalition, this study investigated ambient air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, focusing on the significant role of coal briquette combustion within ger areas. This combustion not only contributes to outdoor air pollution but also significantly degrades indoor air quality within these traditional dwellings, leading to substantial health concerns. To address this challenge, the study assessed indoor air pollution in gers—traditional Mongolian yurts—that had implemented Cooking, Heating, and Insulation Packages (CHIP), a program offering subsidized electrical heating, cooking, and insulation materials. The study encompassed 28 gers, among which 25 were equipped with CHIP while 3 were not, enabling a comparative analysis. Employing cost-effective technology, carbon monoxide levels were monitored across all 28 gers using Binary System monitors. Fine particulate matter concentrations were measured using AirVisual monitors in 14 of these gers. Data collection occurred during the winter of 2022–2023. To comprehensively assess indoor air quality within gers and ascertain the efficacy of interventions like CHIP in diminishing indoor air pollution, Breathe Mongolia intends to continue monitoring efforts within ger areas. These initiatives strive to address data gaps and inform strategies aimed at enhancing indoor air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variability of the North Atlantic Subtropical High and its influence on the behavior of tropical cyclogenesis are characterized and analyzed. The database of the Center for Environmental Prediction and the Center for Atmospheric Research was consulted for the months of May to October between 1950 and 2019. The variables used were the central pressure to determine the position of the North Atlantic Subtropical High on the surface and the geopotential to obtain the position of the anticyclonic center at 850 hPa, as well as the geopotential at 500 and 200 hPa over the region of the anticyclone on the surface. This system weakens at the surface level and intensifies at other tropospheric levels. The relationship with tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic basin was assured and updated. Low levels play an important role in tropical cyclogenesis; the position and extension of the anticyclonic ridge at this level are the parameters with the highest coincidence, and in the present century, the anticyclone parameters in the months of June and July have increased their significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper indoor air quality and thermal comfort ensure healthy indoor environment where people live and work. The measurements in the paper were performed in the public utility, smart building as known "Energis" located on the campus of Kielce University of Technology (Poland). A group of student volunteers took part in the study. The anonymous questionnaires were used to assess their thermal sensations, preferences and acceptability before and after the lecture. At the same time carbon dioxide level, air and ambient temperatures, relative humidity as well as air velocity were recorded using the Testo 400 microclimate meter. The relationship between the changing air parameters throughout the one hour period of measurements, together with the test results from the questionnaire survey provides information on the possibility of providing high thermal comfort and indoor air quality in the smart buildings, which are still quite rare throughout the world and especially in developing countries like Central and Eastern Europe. The analysis of the obtained results showed that, despite the increase in CO2 in the room, the students felt better at the end of the class than at the beginning. No other sources of discomfort were observed during the test (rising temperature, draft, too warm or light clothing, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper indoor air quality and thermal comfort are part of the healthy indoor environment. The tests performed in the public utility, intelligent building „Energies" of Kielce University of Technology (Poland) with a group of students are the focus of the paper. The anonymous questionnaire survey was used to determine their thermal sensations, preferences and acceptability before the lecture and after it. In the meantime CO2 level, air and globe temperatures, relative humidity and air velocity were measured with the Testo 400 microclimate meter. The comparison of the changing air parameters throughout the time of 1.2h with the questionnaire survey provides information on the possibility of providing high thermal comfort and indoor air quality in the intelligent buildings, which are still quite rare in Central Europe. Consequently, obtaining experimental data there is valuable and important. It turned out that the building did not provide good quality parameters during the study, because the people felt too warm or hot in the room and wanted to change the temperature to a much cooler environment. What is more, the assessment of air quality according to the students at the beginning of classes at relatively low CO2 contents turns out to be an interesting phenomenon, where 36% of students subjectively assessed it in their questionnaires as being unacceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings are places where indoor air quality, moisture and temperature should be controlled at the specified levels. Indoor CO2 contaminants as one of the indoor air quality parameters that can be generated by residents' breathing and the initial concentration of outdoor air can be measured. Another issue that buildings have these days is the moisture, specifically in humid climates. The high humidity can increase the risk of mold growth in the building envelope at the meantime can reduce the thermal comfort conditions. In order to increase the performance of a building in the fields of indoor air quality and moisture, field-testing along with modeling tools should be used. With the help of modeling tools, the available values of indoor air quality, moisture and temperature measures can be predicted and then the strategies for controlling their quantitative values can be analyzed. In this context, two methods have been used to analyze and predict the indoor air quality, moisture and thermal comfort measures. In the first method, the CONTAM single model is used to calculate indoor air quality and WUFI is used to calculate moisture performance and thermal comfort. In the second method, an integrated model that coupled CONTAM and WUFI is developed. In the integrated model, all three measures of indoor air quality, moisture performance and thermal comfort are calculated. Indoor CO2 is assumed as a measure for indoor air quality, indoor relative humidity is assumed as measure of moisture performance and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) is assumed as measure of thermal comfort. A three-story house has been selected for the location of Vancouver, BC, Canada. The two scenarios of airtight fan off and airtight fan on are assessed in order to compare the simulation results in both single models and integrated model methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global haze problem is becoming increasingly prominent, and indoor air pollution is becoming more and more serious, resulting in an increase in the number of patients with "sick building syndrome" living in closed rooms. Under the bad indoor and outdoor air environment, scholars from various countries have actively explored the use of indoor plants to purify the air. Windows are not only a channel for the exchange of air between indoors and outdoors, they are also a channel for outdoor pollution to enter the house. By integrating plants with windows and using trace irrigation technology, the author designed and built a maintenance-free plant window device - Green Window System (GWS). This paper introduces the detailed structure, irrigation technology and plant screening of the GWS.9 experiments were set up to compare the absorption capacity of indoor and outdoor particulate between the GWS and the same amount of indoor plants under the same conditions. The study found that under indoor air circulation conditions, the GWS adsorbed 1.3% and 1.71% more PM2.5 and PM10 respectively than ordinary plants. Under indoor and outdoor ventilation conditions on a hazy day, the PM2.5 and PM10 in the room with the GWS were 26.53% and 40.18% lower respectively than in an ordinary room, indicating that the GWS is more effective in adsorbing PM2.5 and PM10, and proving that the GWS is more effective in purifying PM10 than PM2.5. The green window system saves space in the room and enhances the photosynthetic efficiency of the plants. The GWS creates closed airtight ducts and a more humid environment that facilitates the adsorption of plants and the settling of particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and layout of office space is one of the fundamental factors influencing the indoor environmental quality and thus also the performance and satisfaction of the users themselves. The paper deals with the evaluation of selected indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors, specifically thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters, in two office buildings. Both buildings are identical in terms of design and technical equipment, they differ in the design of the layout. While the first office building consists of closed office spaces, the second has an open-space layout. Measurements of selected IEQ risk factors were carried out on different floors in selected office spaces representative of all occupied areas under typical operating conditions. The results of real measurements show that the office rooms of both office buildings meet the criteria set by the legislation. In addition, the requirements set by the internationally recognized LEED and WELL certification systems were also met in both buildings. Based on the results of measurements of thermal comfort and indoor air quality parameters can be concluded that, spaces in both buildings provide their users with a healthy and comfortable working environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of construction industry, it is necessary to maintain the quality of indoor air at a higher lev-el, preventing a decrease in the energy efficiency of heat supply for construction projects. Indoor air quality is character-ized by the composition of the building's indoor air environment. The creation of specified conditions is possible with a set of technical means: built-in air source heat pumps with forced ventilation and modern devices for analyzing air purity. The use of additional funds to improve air quality will increase the cost of developing design work. Taking these re-quirements into account when designing the production of works will lead to a rise in cost by 13%, however, the rational-ization of the planning scheme of the design process for low-rise buildings will allow this solution to remain competitive. Improving the indoor climate of the premises will have a positive effect on the well-being and working capacity of the people in it, therefore, a slight increase in the cost of developing design work can be considered justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a bind of ways to improve indoor air conditions in the basement premises of the restored and reconstructed historical buildings. The features of the functional purpose of these basements are given and connected with religious architectural traditions of Russia. The measures are affecting the indoor air quality in the premises and building envelope conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the widespread spread of the SARS and SBS (Sick Building Syndrome) viruses in a building's air conditioning system, there has been a recent emphasis on enhancing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Proper air ventilation requires a system capable of balancing the energy requirements and air quality. A liquid dryer air cooling system is an alternative to conventional air dehumidification technology, it may improve air quality and decrease its primary energy consumption. Consequently, a crossflow liquid desiccant dehumidification system is investigated in this study. The experiment's structured packing consists of a cooling coil with finned tubes. Where ionic liquid flows vertically from top to bottom through the cooling coil, while air flows horizontally in a cross-flow configuration, and water flows inside the tube. Lastly, the effect of varying solution inlet condition flow rate and air is presented on system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need of a clean indoor environment has received a lot of attention in recent years as a result of the rise of diseases and viruses around the world, and acceptable indoor air quality and maximum thermal comfort are particularly essential markers of passenger comfort. This research focuses on resolving indoor air quality (IAQ) issues in office environments, as well as analysing the principle of the influence of occupant density under mixing ventilation on office room thermal comfort. Two office rooms were simulated under a mixing ventilation system using the program ANSYS 15.0 (ICEPAK). The relative humidity, air temperature distribution, carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) and thermal efficiency were numerically estimated for each room and a comparison was made between the two rooms to show the effect of the diffuser type on the comfort of the occupants. Three tests were conducted for each room, depending on the number of persons in the room (3,4,6 persons). The air supply temperature and flow rate of the two rooms differ according to the heat acquired from the external environment, where the air temperature and flow rate (19.8 oC) and (0.45 m3/s), respectively, were recorded in the office room (under-linear slot diffuser), while in the office room (under-round ceiling diffuser) were the air supply temperature and flow rate (16 oC) and (0.1766 m3/s), respectively. The results of the tests found that the indicators of thermal comfort (ADPI), (PPD), (PMV) improves with reducing the number of person in the room. When comparing the two rooms, the results show that the office room (under-round ceiling diffuser) gives better indicators of thermal comfort than the office room (under-linear slot diffuser). In the present office area, the air distribution efficiency of the (MV) system using round ceiling diffuser was an average of (10%) greater than a similar system utilizing linear slot diffuser; this disparity reduces by around (2%) with each increase in the number of persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Indoor Air Quality monitoring based on the non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) used as an optical method of detecting gases. The Co2 concentrations measured in indoor environments surrounding the human beings by a Portable CO2 Detector (CH016Q-BriSunshine). Four tests achieved on several locations such as: places of worship (the mosque), meeting room, transport car, the primary schools. For the first indoor environment (Mosque), the highest gas concentrations around (1400 ppm) with closed air vacuums. This result controlled to reach (750 ppm) concentrations for a period of time 33 minutes in the presence of two air vacuums. The second environment (meeting room) requires only one vacuum to reduce the highest gas concentration from (1800 ppm) to (750 ppm) within 40 minutes. As for the third and most important environment (the school), the fluctuating rise in CO2 emission between (800-1500 ppm). After 23 minute from opening the first window, the highest gas concentrations decreased to (950 ppm). Also, the gas ratios rise rapidly resulting from the increase in students' movement during break time. As for the last environment (the car), Co2 emission rise to (4500 ppm) with an average FWHM time of 18 minutes which is bad the air quality, it can be treated through small air vents or opening one of the car windows. It is noticed a decrease in Co2 gas concentrations and a remarkable speed. The importance of the obtained results used to solve the problem of the Co2 direct impact on human health through monitoring air quality small systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper treats monitoring and predicting the indoor radon activity concentration level in a ventilated room using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), which is a numerical technique derived from the kinetic theory for simulating fluid flows and modeling fluid physics. Four different configurations of ventilated square cavities have been investigated. The numerical results confirm that the indoor radon activity concentration is affected by the ventilation rate and the location of the outlet. Hence, excellent indoor air quality needs to decrease the indoor radon activity concentration, which requires increasing the ventilation rate and placing the air outlet in a suitable position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia and many other Asian nations where rice is the principal crop, rice straw is routinely burned openly after harvesting. Open biomass burning of crop leftovers is a typical practise that emits a substantial amount of air pollutants which has serious implications for indoor air quality, public health, and climate change. As a result, emissions from open rice straw burning may contribute significantly to local air pollution levels. Most Malaysian farmers are unaware of the numerous alternatives for managing rice straw, and thus believe that burning is the best option. This necessitates massive awareness campaigns to educate farmers about the availability of economically viable options and the cumulative effects of rice straw burning. The articles in this review were chosen based on predefined criteria and demonstrated that the biological and chemical components of particulate matter that are emitted from the rice straw burning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a multipurpose auditorium is challenging since it must accommodate conversation and music functions. Meanwhile, in the COVID-19 pandemic era, well-ventilated rooms and air circulation are essential. However, problems will arise when an auditorium is designed with high ventilation rates, both natural and mechanical. Both natural and mechanical ventilation are significant room noise sources. This paper demonstrates research steps to evaluate auditorium performance that emphasizes healthy indoor air quality apart from good acoustic quality. An ideal auditorium should be located in a noise-free location. This ideal condition is not always situated. If environmental noise becomes an issue, a noise propagation study should be conducted. This research used primary SPL data that was collected in June 2021. 2D mapping software is used to process noise data in the UGM campus area. Results showed that the Auditorium has the potential for 62 – 65 dBA level environmental noise intrusion. This paper recommends design approach to create a building with low-risk COVID-19 transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green buildings play a strategic role in making an essential contribution to sustainability by increasing energy efficiency, improving indoor air quality, and treating effective waste. However, the implementation of green buildings will be much more effective if the community participates and collaborates in implementing the green building concept in the built environment. The level of community involvement is likely to be influenced by green building literacy, which can be implemented through formal and informal education. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the literacy level of green buildings in Indonesian society, especially among undergraduate students who will later play a significant role in the transition towards massive green building implementation in Indonesia. In order to determine the green buildings literacy, a framework based on the cognitive, affective, and behavior domains is used. We surveyed 466 students across Indonesia from various universities and then analyzed them by gender, year of study, and the type of university (private or public). The results indicate that the cognitive level is still low, where about two-thirds of the participants show a lack of knowledge of green building and expertise related to green building. Nevertheless, 78.2% of participants wish to seek more in-depth information about green buildings, especially to design their own houses, share knowledge about green buildings through their social media, and be involved in organizations that campaign to implement green buildings. The result of correlation analysis implies that behavior is the most important domain compared to cognitive and affective domains. Based on this finding, green buildings literacy can be done in the realm of formal and non-formal learning, with an emphasis on providing a strong behavioral understanding so that the public can participate in the implementation of green building in the future and explore the cognitive domain more deeply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital has a high risk of disease transmission because they are a gathering place for healthy and sick people. Indoor air quality in hospitals is different from other work environments because it has its complexities, so it must be considered because it impacts workers, patients, and visitors. The surgery room is a very high-risk category, especially in Health Care-Associated Infections (HAIs) transmission. The surgery room must have ideal environmental conditions such as healthy, safe, and comfortable. This research aims to measure the indoor air quality of surgery rooms in hospital X, Bogor, West Java. This research was conducted using quantitative methods with a cross-sectional approach. The research data were obtained by making field measurements and observations. The results show that the indoor air quality in the surgery room below standards for airborne bacteria, temperature, and humidity, while the lighting still fulfills the standards. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct routine sterilization and disinfection evaluations by the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people spend most of their time indoors. However, not many buildings in Indonesia have an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring system that provides IAQ information to their residents. Furthermore, the available IAQ monitoring systems do not consider indoor personal thermal comfort and are difficult to understand since they do not based on any standard measurement. This study aims to design a low-cost Enhanced IAQ Index (EIAQI)-based monitoring system that measures temperature, CO2 concentration, and dust concentration in an indoor environment. The sensors are selected based on the price and availability in the market. The proposed system converts the measurements to EIAQI before transmitting them to a cloud-based ThinkSpeak for visualization and data analytics. This conversation to EIAQI requires a least common multiple of reading time from all sensors. After the system calibration, the testing results using a measurement chamber indicate that the proposed monitoring system provides easy-to-understand IAQ information while enabling the personalized thermal comfort adjustment at the indoor room level. This system is an Internet of Things-based IAQ monitoring system. It provides EIAQI data not only at a room or a house level but also aggregated EIAQI data at schools, universities, and office level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of indoor air quality, a compact gas-discharge generator with plasma electrodes based on surface discharges has been developed and tested. The generator has a low aerodynamic drag and may be integrated into modern ventilation systems. The gas-discharge generator has a wide range of energetic impact on gaseous media due to the excitation of surface discharges and the assisted bulk discharge. A germicidal effect for air flow purification is observed at the flow velocity V=6-7mps and anode voltage U=+10kV. Under these conditions, the ozone concentration produced by discharges doesn't exceed 170 µg/m3 at the distance of 1000 mm from the gas-discharge generator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on acoustic, thermal, indoor air quality, and lighting conditions have been collected from 220 classrooms in the midwestern United States. Gathered acoustic data include sound levels logged every 10 seconds and room impulse responses from which reverberation times were extrapolated. K-means clustering was used to group the logged sound data into times when speech was or was not occurring; then acoustic metrics were calculated from the clustered data. When comparing the measured acoustic conditions to ANSI S12.60, 91% of the classrooms did not meet the recommended maximum background noise level for unoccupied conditions, while 15% did not meet the recommended maximum reverberation time. The field measurements also revealed that only 20% of the classrooms met ASHRAE Standard 62.1 ventilation rate requirements, while all classrooms met recommended IES illuminance level for reading and writing. Multivariate linear regression analyses between the environmental conditions and student achievement data, while controlling for student demographics, have identified a number of significant relationships. This presentation summarizes key results, describes how acoustic conditions were correlated to building mechanical systems, and considers how indoor environmental quality may be optimized to benefit occupants in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to recent changes in IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) and energy efficiency requirements, MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) has become increasingly common in Spanish new build dwellings. Regarding acoustics, Spanish Decree RD 1367/2007 sets out limits for sound pressure levels due to building services and describes the noise measurement and assessment procedure, which applies also to ventilation noise. The assessment procedure consists of a series of measurements of different noise parameters and the calculation of corrections due to tonal, low frequency and impulsive components. This paper shows an example of a MVHR fan unit installed in the ceiling of a common dwelling, where some measurements were performed. Based on these measurements, this paper discusses the noise measurement and assessment procedures and proposes some improvements for the Spanish acoustic regulations. In addition, it also analyses the available calculation methods (ASHRAE and VDI 2081) and their application to comply with Spanish requirements [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being comfortable and healthy in one's home is of the utmost importance and a contributing factor to the quality of their life, and it is greatly affected by the air quality of the residence. Therefore, the subject of this paper centres around the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a standard household in central Athens and how these components influence human health. The air quality assessment is conducted using particulate matter (PM) on-site continuous measurements taken from low-cost sensors (PurpleAir) installed both inside and outside the house. Focusing especially on PM2.5 data from September 2021 to September 2022, the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the number of exceedances are evaluated in detail, investigating the association between indoor and outdoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor Radon is the second cause of deadly lung cancer and is suspected of inflicting further health risks and synergies with other air pollutants. Radon mapping is based on long-term average concentrations, but the spatiotemporal concentration variability can be very high, delivering higher radiation doses than expected. Continuous monitoring, appropriate indices, and reliable models, aided by digital technologies may improve the assessment and management of indoor Radon risk, especially for vulnerable populations. Further epidemiological studies, research and modelling in dosimetry, new monitoring technologies and methods, and synergies with air quality research, are expected to contribute towards a unified strategy for Radon risk assessment, management, and perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air quality (radon, pollution, thermal fatigue, ventilation) is crucial for health and performance, especially for children. It is necessary to increase public awareness about the significance of air quality, particularly radon. Environmental school networks can enhance public awareness and provide research opportunities for scientists. SINDAIR, a school network based on SIMA-AEP, provides a flexible platform for larger scale educational and research projects. SINDAIR is in its pilot phase, involving various schools around Greece. With the assistance of UniWA, SINDAIR has started a pilot radon measuring campaign. Preliminary results show increased radon concentrations in certain school rooms, higher than expected, justifying further radon risk and air quality assessment, management, and perception programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high amount of energy consumption in residential buildings can considerably be reduced by adopting passive design strategies (PDS), for its positive impact on the environment by reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, cost savings and provide occupants' comfort. This paper summarized the outcomes from a structured literature review. Five broad types of PDS were identified, targeting reduced energy consumption, improved comfort, indoor air quality and materials used. The study also revealed sets of motivators and challenges for adopting PDS. The most common challenges to adopting PDS are high initial cost, lack of expertise and lack of rules and regulations. Also, it was found that the key motivators to stimulate the adoption of PDS include energy efficiency, financial benefits and occupant comfort, health and well-being. This will form the basis for exploring the degree of benefits of considering certain PDS features in residential buildings and their consequent selection/use in specific climate zone, with relevant adjustments to incorporate any local context and priority. The outcomes of this paper are also expected to contribute to raising awareness among stakeholders to increasingly practice PDS considering their relevant benefits, and gradually move to their adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor indoor air quality inside the cabin of a coach can be due to indoor air pollutants or to inadequate ventilation. Exposure to surrounding airborne particulate matter inside a long hour journey may increase health risk of the coach passengers. In this study, a one-minute gaseous (carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2)), physical parameters (relative humidity, airflow, temperature), coach speeds, and number of occupants' data were gathered two days trips for each route travelled coaches via motorways and local routes. The Route 1 journey started from Terminal Kota Bharu (TKB) to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) and Route 2 link between Terminal Kuala Terengganu (TKT) and Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS). Data were analysed to understand variability of the variables by using R software and its packages were applied temporally and statistically. An advance and a computational intelligence technique named the Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) was used to examine Relative Variable Importance (RVI) and estimation the Strength of Interaction Effects (SIE) inside cabin coaches. Results demonstrates significant variation in PM10 are distance (39.19%), elevation (15.19%) temperature (10.56%) humidity (6.65%) for Route 1 and 46.7% for CO (13.77 %), humidity (8.92 %), and elevation (8.01 %) for Route 2. It was found that strength of interactions (SIE) index was determined for humidity and temperature for both routes which range between 0.23 to 0.32, followed by humidity and airflow interactions (0.05) and CO and airflow (0.18) for Route 2. Since SIE or H-values fall within range from 0 to 1 which value of zero indicates that there are no interactions between the variables, the interaction between variables will be stronger if the value is closer to 1. It appears and promises that this machine learning method in particular BRT is able to examine in cabin pollutants and physical environment data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air quality is a determining factor in maintaining occupant comfort, especially in educational environments such as classrooms. Traditional methods of monitoring indoor air quality and occupancy, such as casual inspections or periodic measurements, do not provide timely and accurate information for those who must make decisions about ventilation and controlling the number of occupants. Internet of Things (IoT) technology has opened new possibilities for monitoring and controlling indoor air quality in real time. In this paper, an IoT-based system for monitoring indoor air quality and occupancy in a classroom is presented. The system consists of low-cost sensors that collect data on temperature, humidity, dust, carbon dioxide levels and occupancy, which is then transmitted to a cloud-based platform for analysis and visualization. Evaluation of the system in a real-world classroom environment has shown its effectiveness in detecting changes in air quality and the number of occupants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy indoor environment is becoming an increasingly important issue. As the use of various materials in inhabited interiors increases, so does the concentration of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in these spaces. The actual trend of reducing energy consumption in buildings, such as by using perfectly sealing windows and doors, contributes to this increase. Consequently, people moving around in these interiors experience a rise in health problems due to the elevated concentrations of VOCs. This study aimed to assess the indoor air quality (IAQ) in naturally ventilated primary schools located in the southern Czech region. Two classrooms were selected from each primary school based on similar characteristics, such as building construction, volume, windows structure, area of windows, number of occupants, activities, type of furniture, and internal covering including flooring, wall, and ceiling. The classrooms were continuously occupied during school hours for a total of 25-35 hours per week and unoccupied during afternoons and weekends. The study focused on measuring the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the classrooms, as well as assessing their impact on health. The study highlights the importance of monitoring IAQ in naturally ventilated primary schools and can be useful for policymakers and school administrators in developing strategies to improve IAQ and promote the health and well-being of students and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are pollutants that can reduce indoor air quality and the leading cause of respiratory disorders such as Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). Because of that, the indoor air must be cleaned by degrading VOCs. One of the non-thermal plasma applications to degrade VOCs is negative ion plasma or Negative Air Ion (NAI), i.e., ionized air becomes negatively charged. Superoxide is one of the most widely produced NAI and can be a degrading agent for VOCs in the air. The ability of plasma negative ions in degrading VOCs was further investigated using case studies in 1500 ppm ethanol and 600 ppm toluene. The research was conducted by injecting ethanol and toluene gas into the prototype, equipped with a negative ion plasma generator that produces a DC voltage of 5.6 kV. The measured negative ion density in the prototype is 8 x 106 – 1.2 x 107 ion/m3. The Removal efficiency of ethanol reached 99.94% during a contact time of 4 hours with a final concentration of 0.97 ppm, while that of toluene reached 99.77% during a contact time of 5 hours with a final concentration of 1.33 ppm. Fan blowing speed can increase the performance of negative ion plasma, where the fan speed of 1600 RPM at a voltage of 12VDC gives the best results in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air-conditioning accounts for up to 60% of the energy use in buildings in Kuwait. Also, air-conditioning consumes about 70% of the electricity during peak hours. Widespread air-conditioning system installation increases the total energy consumption resulting in a large carbon footprint and raising the peak load demand, causing excessive strains on the power grid. Heat-driven air-conditioning systems that use solar energy are now emerging as alternatives to electricity-driven convectional refrigerated air conditioners. These systems are more energy-efficient, with lower carbon emissions while also ensuring better indoor air quality and comfort when optimally designed. Among the heat-driven air- conditioning systems, the desiccant cooling system and vapor absorption refrigeration system are among the most potential systems. This paper presents a numerical investigation on the design optimization of various solar desiccant cooling systems for Kuwait's climate. The numerical model of the system is developed using validated components. Various design configurations analyzed include solar heating system, regeneration air for the desiccant wheel. It is found that an evacuated tube solar collector in conjunction with returning air from the building to regenerate the desiccant wheel provides the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basement parking building in office building X is a closed space where the parking area has an inadequate ventilation system, so the air in the room feels hot. To provide a comfortable room, an analysis of the ventilation system was carried out. This ventilation system analysis is carried out to find out what causes the hot air in the room. To analyze indoor air quality, total vehicle emissions in the parking lot are calculated using air pollutant parameters, namely CO and NO2. In addition to calculating the ventilation flow rate, it measures air velocity and temperature. The results of the research conducted are that the air pollutant parameters CO and NO2 are still within the safe threshold and the vehicle emission threshold standard for health is still below 29 mg/m3 for CO and 25 mg/m3 for NO2. The solution to overcome the problem in the parking lot is to install a booster fan so that the air in the room can flow better, and the air condition is not hot. After the application of the booster fan, the average air velocity increased from 0.69 m/s to 2.88 m/s and the average temperature decreased from 34.4°C to 31.5°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the problem of the occurrence of volatile organic compounds in the work environment, specifically in administrative public buildings in the context of the quality of the indoor environment (IAQ). The importance of indoor air quality has become an interest in research and development in the last 10 years, mainly due to the increasing quality of the airtight envelope of the building and the prevailing trend of forced ventilation. Indoor air quality is directly related to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). The occurrence of VOC emissions within 10 selected office buildings in the South Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic is demonstrated in the practical case study. Detection of volatile organic compounds was performed using ultra-fast electronic zNose Model 4200 Analyzer based on gas chromatography with patented SAQ detector. The results of the case study demonstrate how important a quality element and the necessary implementation of the building and the design of the indoor working environment is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne virus is a major concern in this pandemic era. Viruses can spread indoors even though health protocols have been implemented so the air quality in indoor environment need to be controlled. Air quality can be measured through several aspects, such as temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels. Each aspect can be analyzed for its concentration according to the predetermined threshold value of Air Quality Standard. This study offers an IoT-based smart indoor air sterilization system that can be used to monitor air quality by adding a HEPA filter, UV lamp, and carbon in air purifier. The proposed system can be monitored through the android application in real time. The test results show that the proposed system can run according to the specified parameter values given. For UV lamp is turn on, temperature produces an average temperature of 24C, CO2 level is around 314ppm, and humidity level is 45 – 65%. For further analysis, the air purifier need to be placed in different location to determine the coverage of air purifier and to examine the size of product that suit the need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The window is one of the most important aspects of a building. It aims to obtain good lighting and meet the requirements for Indoor Air Quality. A restroom is a place where most surfaces are wet, and it causes the relative humidity to become high. As a result, lighting must be considered in this space. The men's toilet on the second floor of the Bina Nusantara University campus in Malang is the subject of this research. Interviews with building operators, cleaners and firsthand surveys of the location were also undertaken. The author used the results of interviews to help specify the ventilation system. The author utilizes a lux meter to measure the lighting layout. According to the findings, this toilet uses mechanical ventilation in the form of an exhaust fan. On the other hand, this area employs downlights that meet lighting standards in terms of brightness and color temperature selection in the artificial lighting system. In the current situation, there is a shortage of energy efficiency. As a result, this study offers a method for preserving electrical energy. This study uses an Arduino Mega and several sensors to help automate the operation of these electrical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a research questionnaire of building occupants in selected commercial and office buildings in Hyderabad. A total of 614 building occupants participated in the study from selected 28 commercial and office buildings. Many researchers have used questionnaire as an effective tool to measure the comfort of building occupants. Hence, teams were formed for conducting the questionnaire survey in different buildings. The occupants were explained the purpose of the study and asked to give their feedback on the form. The data was collected and analyzed to know their level of satisfaction with the building environment. Results show that the participants were mainly young males who spend a considerable time indoors. HVAC system is operational for most part of the year in those buildings. Some occupants have reported health issues like nasal irritation, headache, throat irritation, dry mouth, and drowsiness. These symptoms were related to their health history or seasonal effects besides airconditioning issues. A majority of occupants have expressed their satisfaction with the building environments and all its environmental parameters. However, a small percentage of respondents have expressed dissatisfaction also which could be related to their individual backgrounds, medical issues, workloads, and attitudes. However, cigarette smoking remains an issue in commercial buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention to the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) has increased in recent years. It is a topic that has grabbed the interest of scholars, researchers, and the public. Unfortunately, research shows that many indoor locations such as houses, nurseries, schools and offices have been suffering from unhealthy indoor air. Current literature shows that the most significant indoor air contaminants are CO2, CO, NO2, O3, TVOCs, and particular matter along with thermal conditions such as temperature and humidity. The presence of those contaminants affects human health negatively. While different methods to improve indoor air do exist today, yet there is no one best solution. Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) frameworks has been used successfully to tackle the problems related to environmental issues in different fields. Accordingly, this paper tries to address a core question of the possibility of applying GLSS approach to improve indoor air quality within various facilities. The definition of GLSS and an overview of the developed GLSS frameworks and their applications will be presented through a review of the relevant articles available in the literature. The findings will highlight possible challenges and featured strong promising research opportunities regarding the use of GLSS approach to improve indoor air quality. The major finding is that there is a lack of implementation of GLSS in different fields and exploring new fields will most probably show positive feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]