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Thermal comfort and environmental quality in buildings are critical factors in achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to health, energy efficiency, and sustainable constructions. The present paper aims to establish a scientific framework for sustainable construction, focusing both on the thermal comfort and indoor/outdoor quality of the air. With the average person spending 87% of their day indoors, understanding thermal comfort, defined as the subjective experience of a satisfactory thermal environment, is essential. Two primary models, the stable model and the adaptive model, are employed to analyze thermal comfort, accounting for various factors such as ambient temperature, air circulation, and individual differences. This study uses bibliometric analysis and scientific mapping to evaluate 14,179 articles from the Web of Science database indexed in the last 4 years (2020/2024). Current findings indicate a significant interest in this topic, with China and the USA leading in research output. The study reveals a strong focus on improving thermal comfort through innovative materials, mixed-mode ventilation, and vegetation integration in urban environments. Additionally, there is a notable emphasis on the air quality' s influence on human health. Present analysis underscores the international collaboration implications, highlighting strong links between major research countries. This comprehensive bibliometric study provides insightful observations about the field's prospects and existing trends, highlighting the necessity of ongoing research and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance thermal comfort and environmental quality in sustainable construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is harmful to human health and an adequate assessment of its concentrations, both in outdoor and indoor environments, is necessary in the context of sustainable policies designed to mitigate health risks. In this research, ground indoor and outdoor HCHO measurements are integrated with the analysis of tropospheric total columns obtained by satellite surveys to assess the concentrations of HCHO in a number of environments, exploiting the proximity of a World Meteorological Organization—Global Atmosphere Watch (WMO/GAW) observation site in Calabria, Southern Italy to a National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) department in the municipality of Lamezia Terme. The meteorological parameters used by the WMO station are also used to provide additional data and test new correlations. Using statistical significance tests, this study demonstrates the presence of a correlation between indoor and outdoor HCHO concentrations, thus showing that an exchange between indoor and outdoor formaldehyde does occur. Rooms located in the local INAIL building where indoor measurements took place also demonstrate degrees of susceptibility to HCHO exposure, which are correlated with the orientation of prevailing wind corridors in the area. The new findings constitute an unprecedented characterization of HCHO hazards in Calabria and provide regulators with new tools with which to mitigate formaldehyde-related risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to review the literature on the link between urban environment and childhood asthma with the outdoor air quality as the intervening variable. Our systematic literature review of 234 articles in Scopus, WOS, and PubMed databases returned 51 relevant research articles. Findings show that particular environments have detrimental effects on outdoor air quality, which in turn have a negative impact on childhood asthma. A larger number of studies focused on the relationship between traffic-related air pollution and childhood asthma. The results of this review inform researchers about the gaps in the literature and outline recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, we have examined the air quality within a revitalized, post-industrial urban area in Łódź, Poland. The use of Dron technology with mobile measurement equipment allowed for accurate assessment of air quality (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants) and factors influencing air quality (wind speed and direction) on a local scale in an area of 0.18 km2 and altitudes from 2 to 50 m. The results show that the revitalization carried out in the Lodz special economic zone area contributed to eliminate internal air pollution emitters through the use of ecological and effective heat sources. The exceedances permissible concentration values were local, and concerned mainly the higher measurement zones of the troposphere (more than 30 m above ground level). In the case of gaseous pollutants, higher wind speeds were associated with a decrease in the concentration of SO2 and an increase in H2S concentration. In both cases, the wind contributed to the occurrence of local areas of accumulation of these gaseous pollutants in the spaces between buildings or wooded areas.

In this study, we have examined the air quality within a revitalized, post-industrial urban area in Łódź, Poland. The use of Dron technology with mobile measurement equipment allowed for accurate assessment of air quality (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants) and factors influencing air quality (wind speed and direction) on a local scale in an area of 0.18 km2 and altitudes from 2 to 50 m. The results show that the revitalization carried out in the Lodz special economic zone area contributed to eliminate internal air pollution emitters through the use of ecological and effective heat sources. The exceedances permissible concentration values were local, and concerned mainly the higher measurement zones of the troposphere (more than 30 m above ground level). In the case of gaseous pollutants, higher wind speeds were associated with a decrease in the concentration of SO2 and an increase in H2S concentration. In both cases, the wind contributed to the occurrence of local areas of accumulation of these gaseous pollutants in the spaces between buildings or wooded areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were measured indoors and outdoors using passive samplers in Tymar village (20 homes), an industrial area, and Haji Wsu (15 homes), a non-industrial region, in the summer and the winter seasons. In comparison to Haji Wsu village, the results showed that Tymar village had higher and more significant mean SO2 and NO2 concentrations indoors and outdoors throughout both the summer and winter seasons. The mean outdoor concentration of SO2 was the highest in summer, while the mean indoor NO2 concentration was the highest in winter in both areas. The ratio of NO2 indoors to outdoors was larger than one throughout the winter at both sites. Additionally, the performance of machine learning (ML) approaches: multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural network (ANN), and random forest (RF) were compared in predicting indoor SO2 concentrations in both the industrial and non-industrial areas. Factor analysis (FA) was conducted on different indoor and outdoor meteorological and air quality parameters, and the resulting factors were employed as inputs to train the models. Cross-validation was applied to ensure reliable and robust model evaluation. RF showed the best predictive ability in the prediction of indoor SO2 for the training set (RMSE = 2.108, MAE = 1.780, and R2 = 0.956) and for the unseen test set (RMSE = 4.469, MAE = 3.728, and R2 = 0.779) values compared to other studied models. As a result, it was observed that the RF model could successfully approach the nonlinear relationship between indoor SO2 and input parameters and provide valuable insights to reduce exposure to this harmful pollutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone is one of the most important pollutant gases. The excellent sensitivity and low limit of detection of gas sensors based on Semiconducting Metal Oxides (SMOXs) make them ideal candidates to accurately monitor outdoor air quality. We present a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture that is trained on the resistance readout of a multi-pixel SMOX gas sensor array operated in temperature modulation. The trained model outperforms a ridge regressor in the quantification of ozone concentrations in real outdoor air.

Copyright of Legado de Arquitectura y Diseño is the property of Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico 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.)

The rise of gas-sensing applications and markets has led to microwave sensors associated to polymer-based sensitive materials gaining a lot of attention, as they offer the possibility to target a large variety of gases (as polymers can be easily functionalised) at ultra-low power and wirelessly (which is a major concern in the Internet of Things). A two-channel microstrip sensor with one resonator coated with 1,2 epoxybutane-functionalised poly(ethyleneimine) (EB-PEI) and the other left bare was designed and fabricated for humidity sensing. The sensor, characterised under controlled laboratory conditions, showed exponential response to RH between 0 and 100%, which is approximated to −1.88 MHz/RH% (−0.03 dB/RH%) and −8.24 MHz/RH% (−0.171 dB/RH%) in the RH ranges of 30–80% and 80–100%, respectively. This is the first reported use of EB-PEI for humidity sensing, and performances, especially at high humidity level (RH > 80%), as compared with transducer working frequencies, are better than the state of the art. When further tested in real outdoor conditions, the sensor shows satisfying performances, with 4.2 %RH mean absolute error. Most importantly, we demonstrate that the sensor is selective to relative humidity alone, irrespective of the other environmental variables acquired during the campaign (O3, NO, NO2, CO, CO2, and Temperature). The sensitivities obtained outdoors in the ranges of 50–70% and 70–100% RH (−0.61 MHz/%RH and −3.68 MHz/%RH, respectively) were close to lab results (−0.95 MHz/%RH and −3.51 MHz/%RH, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in underground subway stations is an emerging concern regarding the health of passengers. Outdoor air quality (OAQ) is strongly correlated with IAQ; thus, indoor air should be considered comprehensively with outdoor air. However, lack of OAQ monitoring stations resulted no outdoor measurements at various subway stations. To tackle this issue, the high-fidelity IAQ prediction (HiFi-IAQ) model was developed with spatiotemporal OAQ interpolation using geographic information system (GIS). First, a city-wide OAQ measurements were collected, and a graph convolutional network (GCN) model was developed to interpolate spatiotemporal OAQ at a target subway station. Based on the interpolated GIS-driven OAQ (InterGIS-OAQ), the HiFi-IAQ model was developed and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) was used for the interpretation and improvement of the fidelity of a model. The results reveal that InterGIS-OAQ prediction at the target subway station can capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of OAQ from the citywide 23 OAQ monitoring stations and the HiFi-IAQ model with InterGIS-OAQ exhibits outstanding predictive performance with R2, mean absolute error, and root mean squared error of 0.89, 3.02, and 5.96, respectively. Hence, the HiFi-IAQ offers a high-fidelity and explainable prediction and guides operator toward efficient ventilation in subway stations. [Display omitted] • GIS data-driven OAQ interpolation was suggested for a sensor-devoid subway station. • AI-driven High-fidelity IAQ prediction model was developed by interpolated OAQ. • High fidelity prediction performance was confirmed by explainable AI technique. • The high-fidelity IAQ model with GIS-interpolated OAQ showed 90 % of R2. • XAI can prove prediction performance with strong correlation between IAQ and OAQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted due to the verbal complained from residents at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) buildings about dust released from nearby factories, buildings and heavy traffics which potentially impact human health Thus, this study compared PM2.5 levels on different floors of a building to the New Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Guideline (NAAQG). Met One E-Sampler was used to measure PM2.5 and the meteorological characteristics at different floor levels. Data was collected daily for 24 hours at each floor, except on public holidays, at two monitoring locations: FKAAB and FSKTM. On the ground level of FKAAB and the third floor of FSKTM, the average PM2.5 concentration was 29 μg/m³ and 31 μg/m³, respectively. The 2nd floor FKAAB reveals similar levels as the ground floor, 28 μg/m³. 2nd floor FKAAB was 3rd floor FSKTM. Both levels have the greatest PM2.5 concentration in UTHM air. PM2.5 concentrations were below the NAAQG (35 μg/m³). The greatest PM2.5 concentration was detected at 8:00 p.m. with 39 μg/m³ on the bottom level of FKAAB. The highest PM2.5 concentration on the third floor of FSKTM was 51 μg/m³ at 8:00 a.m. and 11 μg/m³ at 4:00 p.m. include the meteorological data. (Human activity such as nearby industries, buildings, and heavy traffic altered the concentrations)-this not discussed thoroughly in chapter 3, so suggested to discard. As conclusion, the PM2.5 concentration to the occupant at the study area after 24 hrs exposure is negatively impact the health since all data comply to the PM2.5 permissible limit. In future, human activities contribute to the most to UTHM air pollutants will be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle emissions are a major source of pollution in urban communities and idling may contribute up to 34% or more to local air pollution levels. Reduced idling has been found to be an effective policy tool for improving air quality, especially around schools, where it may also improve outcomes for asthmatic children. We studied two anti-idling campaigns in Salt Lake County, Utah to understand if reduced engine idling leads to behavioral change and subsequent reduction in traffic-related air pollution exposure of the related school. We found a 38% decrease in idling time following an anti-idling campaign and an 11% decrease in the number of vehicles idling at the school drop-off zones. The air quality measurements showed improvement in the middle of the campaign, but seasonal variability as well as atmospheric inversion events had substantial effects on overall ambient pollutant concentrations. This study provides an encouraging starting point to develop more effective anti-idling campaigns to protect the health of children, school staff, and the surrounding community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In several European rural communities, woody biomass is counted among the most important energy sources for heating and cooking. However, the use of old-fashioned fireplaces may affect indoor and outdoor air quality. To depict this situation and to plan the necessary improvement interventions, a pilot action was implemented in a typical mountainous Mediterranean area (Anogeia, Crete). The action involved: (1) identification of the quantities, use and source of the woody biomass used in the community based on the analysis of data collected through a systematic survey; (2) on-site indoor and outdoor measurements of air quality (CO2, CO, NOX, PM), during winter and summer. Based on this survey, around 70% of the study area households in Anogeia using woody biomass for heating purposes in low energy efficiency systems resulted in high firewood consumption. Fifty-three per cent of occupants did not consider indoor air quality as a result of wood burning. The air quality analysis showed very high concentrations of indoor air pollutants in most old buildings with seniors using traditional heating systems. The type of main/supplementary heating system used in a dwelling depends on factors such as the size of the dwelling, year of construction, education level and age of occupants. The results also demonstrate a strong correlation between the heating season (summer/winter) and the concentrations of air pollutants in the sampling sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of ozone (O3) is a major air problem in urban areas, which creates a serious threat to human health. Urban street canyon morphology plays a key role in air pollutant dispersion and photochemical reaction rate. In this study, a one-year observation at three height levels was performed to investigate the O3 distribution vertically in a street canyon of Shenyang. Then, field investigation and ENVI-met modelling were conducted to quantify the influence of street canyon morphology and microclimatic factors on O3 distribution at the pedestrian level. All O3 concentrations at the three height levels were high from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both O3 concentrations at pedestrian level and the middle level in the canyon were 40% higher than at roof level. O3 accumulated in the canyons rather than spread out. The in-canyon O3 concentrations had significantly positive correlations with building height, aspect ratio, sky view factor, air temperature, and wind speed. Both field investigation and ENVI-met modelling found high O3 concentrations in medium canyons. Photochemical reaction intensity played a more important role in in-canyon O3 distribution than dispersion. Wide canyons were favorable for removing O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rapid urbanization around the world, high concentrations of vehicular pollutants have deteriorated the outdoor air quality, which can affect the physical and psychological well-being of humans. Numerous strategies have been proposed to overcome these harmful impacts by improving the dispersion of air pollutants. Consequently, a question arises regarding the potential effects of building morphology on the dispersion of pollutants. Subsequently, transient three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to examine the effect of building morphology on PM10 dispersion. Eleven cases with various prototypes and morphological methods are compared with a simple building form to identify the patterns of PM10 dispersion within a given time sequence under a prevailing inflow condition. The results indicate that the different designs of building morphology with varying Relative compactness (RC) indicator highlight the importance of considering morphological factors to improve outdoor air quality. In addition, the proposed prototypes can reduce PM10 concentrations by approximately 30%–90% at specific points in the studied time sequence. In particular, the vertical, horizontal, and grid folded prototypes can be considered more effective as an approximate decrease between 70% and 90% in PM10 concentrations is observed, which reflects the influence of building morphology on improving outdoor air quality.

The rise of gas-sensing applications and markets has led to microwave sensors associated to polymer-based sensitive materials gaining a lot of attention, as they offer the possibility to target a large variety of gases (as polymers can be easily functionalised) at ultra-low power and wirelessly (which is a major concern in the Internet of Things). A two-channel microstrip sensor with one resonator coated with 1,2 epoxybutane-functionalised poly(ethyleneimine) (EB-PEI) and the other left bare was designed and fabricated for humidity sensing. The sensor, characterised under controlled laboratory conditions, showed exponential response to RH between 0 and 100%, which is approximated to −1.88 MHz/RH% (−0.03 dB/RH%) and −8.24 MHz/RH% (−0.171 dB/RH%) in the RH ranges of 30–80% and 80–100%, respectively. This is the first reported use of EB-PEI for humidity sensing, and performances, especially at high humidity level (RH > 80%), as compared with transducer working frequencies, are better than the state of the art. When further tested in real outdoor conditions, the sensor shows satisfying performances, with 4.2 %RH mean absolute error. Most importantly, we demonstrate that the sensor is selective to relative humidity alone, irrespective of the other environmental variables acquired during the campaign (O3, NO, NO2, CO, CO2, and Temperature). The sensitivities obtained outdoors in the ranges of 50–70% and 70–100% RH (−0.61 MHz/%RH and −3.68 MHz/%RH, respectively) were close to lab results (−0.95 MHz/%RH and −3.51 MHz/%RH, respectively).

In this study, simultaneous monitoring of indoor and outdoor Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) was carried out in a school, by both Radiello® cartridges and real-time monitors (Corvus, IonScience Ltd., Fowlmere UK). Moreover, an outdoor air quality assessment was performed with data from an air quality monitoring station (ARPA Puglia) located close to the school. In particular, VOCs, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xilenes concentrations, obtained by using Radiello® diffusive samplers, were monitored in two classrooms, two bathrooms, and outside of the school building for three weeks during winter 2019. Simultaneously, the Total VOC (TVOC) concentrations were measured by means of real-time monitors inside and outside the classroom in order to individuate the activation of sources during the sampling campaign days. The results evidence that indoor TVOC concentrations were bigger than those outdoors; this suggests the presence of indoor pollutant sources, both in the classrooms and the bathrooms. The results of our study can help the school management by the following recommendations: increasing ventilation in classrooms during school activities and after cleaning; involving students in discussions regarding the use of acrylic paints, permanent markers, perfumes and deodorants, and the limitation of smoking activities both in bathrooms and outdoor spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragranced laundry products emit numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including terpenes such as limonene. Fragrance emissions have been associated with adverse health effects such as asthma attacks and breathing difficulties. Further, fragrance terpenes are primary indoor air pollutants that can react with other compounds and contribute to both indoor and outdoor air pollution. This paper examines volatile emissions and exposures from fragranced laundry products, and the implications for air quality and health. The paper synthesizes and analyzes data from studies conducted across the United States (US) and Australia (AU), providing results in three main themes: adverse health effects associated with exposure to fragranced laundry products, volatile emissions from fragranced and fragrance-free laundry products, and reductions in VOC emissions by switching from fragranced to fragrance-free products. Across the US and AU, 12.5% and 6.1% of the general population and 28.9% and 12.1% of asthmatics report health problems (respectively) when exposed to scented laundry products coming from a dryer vent. Among the volatile emissions from products, terpenes were the most prevalent VOCs detected in all fragranced laundry products; however, terpenes were absent in all fragrance-free products. By switching from fragranced to fragrance-free laundry products, dryer vent emissions of limonene can be reduced up to 99.7%. As context for significance, switching from fragranced to fragrance-free laundry detergent could reduce limonene emissions from dryer vents per household by an estimated 1.68 g/year. For the study area of metropolitan Melbourne, this represents a reduction in limonene emissions by an estimated 1.58 tons/year. Results from these analyses point to a promising way to reduce emissions and exposures to volatile compounds, and create potential improvements for air quality and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragrance is used in consumer products around the world. However, fragrance has been associated with adverse effects on indoor and outdoor air quality and human health. Questions arise, such as the following: Why does fragrance in products pose problems? What are sources of emissions and exposures? What are health and societal effects? What are possible solutions? This paper examines the issue of fragranced consumer products and its science and policy dimensions, with a focus on the implications for air quality and human health. Results include new findings and new questions for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of ozone (O3) is a major air problem in urban areas, which creates a serious threat to human health. Urban street canyon morphology plays a key role in air pollutant dispersion and photochemical reaction rate. In this study, a one-year observation at three height levels was performed to investigate the O3 distribution vertically in a street canyon of Shenyang. Then, field investigation and ENVI-met modelling were conducted to quantify the influence of street canyon morphology and microclimatic factors on O3 distribution at the pedestrian level. All O3 concentrations at the three height levels were high from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both O3 concentrations at pedestrian level and the middle level in the canyon were 40% higher than at roof level. O3 accumulated in the canyons rather than spread out. The in-canyon O3 concentrations had significantly positive correlations with building height, aspect ratio, sky view factor, air temperature, and wind speed. Both field investigation and ENVI-met modelling found high O3 concentrations in medium canyons. Photochemical reaction intensity played a more important role in in-canyon O3 distribution than dispersion. Wide canyons were favorable for removing O3.

Copyright of Gestión y Ambiente is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia 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.)

Due to rapid urbanization around the world, high concentrations of vehicular pollutants have deteriorated the outdoor air quality, which can affect the physical and psychological well-being of humans. Numerous strategies have been proposed to overcome these harmful impacts by improving the dispersion of air pollutants. Consequently, a question arises regarding the potential effects of building morphology on the dispersion of pollutants. Subsequently, transient three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to examine the effect of building morphology on PM 10 dispersion. Eleven cases with various prototypes and morphological methods are compared with a simple building form to identify the patterns of PM 10 dispersion within a given time sequence under a prevailing inflow condition. The results indicate that the different designs of building morphology with varying Relative compactness (R C) indicator highlight the importance of considering morphological factors to improve outdoor air quality. In addition, the proposed prototypes can reduce PM 10 concentrations by approximately 30%–90% at specific points in the studied time sequence. In particular, the vertical, horizontal, and grid folded prototypes can be considered more effective as an approximate decrease between 70% and 90% in PM 10 concentrations is observed, which reflects the influence of building morphology on improving outdoor air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of outdoor air in many places, especially in urbanized areas, is bad; therefore, a series of studies aimed at assessing the impact of outdoor air parameters on indoor air quality was conducted. Four nurseries (three buildings) located in different parts of Poznań, Poland were selected as research sites. During the research period, the concentrations of CO2, PM2.5, and PM10 inside and outside the buildings over time were analyzed. Measurements outside the buildings were supplemented with an analysis of traffic near nurseries and an assessment of pollutant emissions from vehicles of various categories. Measurements were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in a weekly series during winter (December)—(W), spring (April)—(S), and at the end of spring (June)—(LS). Testing and analyses indicated poor indoor air quality in three out of four nurseries. To ensure indoor air quality at the proper level, it is necessary to supply rooms with outside air. Ventilating rooms by airing, when the outside air is polluted, reduces the CO2 concentration but worsens the indoor air quality in terms of particulate matter (PM). Seasonality in the concentration of particulate matter in outdoor air and its connection with the outside air temperature was noticed. No relationship between traffic and the values of PM10 and CO2 concentrations inside nurseries was observed.

In this study, simultaneous monitoring of indoor and outdoor Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) was carried out in a school, by both Radiello® cartridges and real-time monitors (Corvus, IonScience Ltd., Fowlmere UK). Moreover, an outdoor air quality assessment was performed with data from an air quality monitoring station (ARPA Puglia) located close to the school. In particular, VOCs, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xilenes concentrations, obtained by using Radiello® diffusive samplers, were monitored in two classrooms, two bathrooms, and outside of the school building for three weeks during winter 2019. Simultaneously, the Total VOC (TVOC) concentrations were measured by means of real-time monitors inside and outside the classroom in order to individuate the activation of sources during the sampling campaign days. The results evidence that indoor TVOC concentrations were bigger than those outdoors; this suggests the presence of indoor pollutant sources, both in the classrooms and the bathrooms. The results of our study can help the school management by the following recommendations: increasing ventilation in classrooms during school activities and after cleaning; involving students in discussions regarding the use of acrylic paints, permanent markers, perfumes and deodorants, and the limitation of smoking activities both in bathrooms and outdoor spaces.

The importance of controlling carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter emissions, which are closely linked to a number of harmful effects on human health, is reflected in the potential of global warming, taking into account that CO2, VOCs, and particulate pollution representing indicators of air quality. The aim of this research is to identify three important indicators of air pollution in urban children's playgrounds near the center of Novi Sad, Serbia. Measurement of the pollutant concentration, and the significant parameters of temperature and relative humidity, was carried out on three children's playgrounds. The intention was to detect any variations in air quality at the children's playground over time by measuring the concentration of the pollutants using MANOVA and ANOVA. Our findings indicate that air quality changes to a large extent depending on the factors studied. It is evident that the air quality depends largely on the time of day when the measurements were made. A significant increase in the concentration of pollutants was observed in the second and third time interval due to rising temperatures during the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The natural ventilation reduction varies from 5% to 70% across the US. • Most cities have less than 20% reduction except for four cities in the US. • PM2.5 is the most significant outdoor air pollutant compared to PM10 and Ozone. • We have developed an advanced indoor air pollutant control with emulators. Abstract Natural ventilation has emerged as a desirable feature of sustainable buildings given its potential positive impact on building energy performance and amenities for occupants. In some circumstances, natural ventilation can provide a higher ventilation rate compared to mechanical ventilation, thus improving the air quality of indoor space, resulting in lower indoor carbon dioxide and volatile organic compound concentrations. However, this increased ventilation rate also raises the issue of increased indoor pollutant concentration from outdoor sources, which has been proven to significantly affect occupant health. In this paper, we investigate the influence of three major outdoor air pollutants, PM2.5, PM10, and ozone, on natural ventilation usage across 12 major US cities and their corresponding climate zones utilizing the outdoor air pollutant records from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Firstly, a descriptive statistics study presents a general description of air pollutant records in these investigated cities and climate zones. Then two natural ventilation operation scenarios (considering outdoor air pollutants vs. not) are developed and compared to explicitly show the expected natural ventilation reduction in these areas. The investigation results indicate that the most polluted area for natural ventilation is Los Angeles (with a projected 70% reduction), followed by Chicago (approximately 40% reduction), and then Atlanta and San Francisco (20–30% reduction for each). The natural ventilation reduction caused by outdoor air pollutants ranges from 5% to 20% in all other tested cities. Among the three pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and ozone) we investigated, the influence of PM2.5 consistently emerges as the most critical to consider, while the impact of PM10 is typically trivial. The influence of ozone is not obvious in most cases. Nevertheless, in certain cases, its influence is non-negligible when natural ventilation is utilized. This study aims to provide a general guideline for decision makers to consider the influence of outdoor air quality on natural ventilation usage when adopting natural ventilation in different US locations. The results also confirmed the outdoor air pollutants, especially PM2.5, as a significant factor to consider in the natural ventilation design to shield the occupant from excessive air pollutant exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-step numerical strategy based on a district digital twin is presented to efficiently deploy a limited number of depolluting panels in urban areas. In a diagnosis stage, a detailed pollutant concentration map is computed using CFD to identify critical highly polluted areas. Then, in a remediation stage, the optimal placement of depolluting panels as regards of urban airflow is determined to locally mitigate the air pollution in the exposed areas. For this purpose, a spatial sensitivity indicator calculated from an adjoint framework is proposed. The approach is applied to two real case studies: the full-scale laboratory district "Sense-City" under controlled conditions and a district area in Paris using realistic NOx traffic emission and wind conditions. In both case studies, it is shown that depolluting panels should be placed on a part of the sidewalks, the building facades and the roads adjacent to the sidewalks to reduce the high NOx concentration on some sidewalks and on first-floor building windows, thus preventing outdoor/indoor pollutant transfer. It is also proven that the proposed strategy is more efficient than a non-smart massive deployment of depolluting panels to improve the air quality in exposed areas. In addition to practical recommendations, this numerical strategy can provide a help-decision tool for city managers to design depolluting panels-based mitigation actions. • CFD-based strategy from air quality diagnosis to remediation via depolluting panels. • Goal-oriented air pollutant mitigation in localized critical urban areas. • Relevant depolluting panel positions determined through adjoint framework. • Real-world applications: "Sense-City" innovative area and a Paris district. • Major role of urban airflow in the efficient placement of depolluting panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial analysis of the distribution of particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas pollution was performed in the area around a university library building. The reasons for the subject matter were reports related to the perceptible odor characteristic of hydrogen sulfide and a general poor assessment of air quality by employees and students. Due to the area of analysis, it was decided to perform measurements at two heights, 10 m and 20 m above ground level, using measuring equipment attached to a DJI Matrice 600 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The aim of the measurements was air quality assessment and investigate the convergence of the theory of air flow around the building with the spatial distribution of air pollutants. Considerable differences of up to 63% were observed in the concentrations of pollutants measured around the building, especially between opposite sides, depending on the direction of the wind. To explain these differences, the theory of aerodynamics was applied to visualize the probable airflow in the direction of the wind. A strong convergence was observed between the aerodynamic model and the spatial distribution of pollutants. This was evidenced by the high concentrations of dust in the areas of strong turbulence at the edges of the building and on the leeward side. The accumulation of pollutants was also clearly noticeable in these locations. A high concentration of H2S was recorded around the library building on the side of the car park. On the other hand, the air turbulence around the building dispersed the gas pollution, causing the concentration of H2S to drop on the leeward side. It was confirmed that in some analyzed areas the permissible concentration of H2S was exceeded.

Abstract: Exposure to outdoor air pollution has been shown to increase asthma symptoms. We assessed the potential role of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter 2.5) on respiratory condition in schoolchildren in the south Mediterranean area. A total of 2400 children aged 11–14 years were recruited, and data on their symptoms were collected through an ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood)-based questionnaire. Outdoor PM2.5 was collected for 48 consecutive hours in the schoolyards of their schools and selected residential outdoor areas. The levels of PM2.5 were measured, along with its elemental composition. The incidence of an acute respiratory illness within the first 2 years of life was higher amongst Sicilian children when compared to Maltese children (29.7% vs. 13.5% respectively, p < 0.0001). Malta had a significantly higher prevalence of doctor‐diagnosed asthma, when compared to Sicily (18.0% Malta vs. 7.5% Sicily, p p < 0.0001) and use of asthma medication in the last 12 months (12.1% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.0001) were more frequent amongst Maltese children. Total median PM2.5 was 12.9 μg/m3 in Sicily and 17.9 μg/m3 in Malta. PM2.5 levels were highest in the Maltese urban town of Hamrun (23.6 μg/m3), while lowest in the rural Sicilian town of Niscemi (10.9 μg/m3, p < 0.0001). Hamrun also exhibited the highest levels of nickel, vanadium, lead, zinc, antimony, and manganese, whilst the Sicilian city of Gela had the highest levels of cadmium, and the highest level of PM2.5 when compared to rural Sicily. Elevated levels of PM2.5 were positively associated with the prevalence of doctor diagnosed asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.05), current asthma (OR 1.06), and use of asthma medication (OR 1.06). All elements in PM2.5 showed increased OR for doctor diagnosed asthma, while higher concentrations of Cd and Mn were associated with higher prevalence of rhinitis.

The article discusses the dependences of carbon monoxide (II) concentrations on the height of the building façade based on the results of in situ tests with the goal of preventing the inflow of pollutants into the ventilation system. Carbon oxide (II) may enter the premises when the inlet ventilation system is working through the inlet chamber from external sources of emission. i.e. vehicles and low and medium-power boilers in the urban environment. We have constructed nomograms to adjust the height of the receiving hole for air intake by the ventilation system depending on the quality of the outdoor air on the height of buildings from external sources of different heights in relation to the building. We have suggested guidelines allowing to design ventilation systems depending on the quality of outdoor air over the entire height of the building, which cannot be done at the design stage.

Abstract Within subway stations, the use of a mechanical ventilation system is a common strategy for improving the indoor air quality (IAQ). These ventilation systems use outdoor air to dilute pollutants on the subway platforms. However, a fixed fan speed in manual subway station ventilation systems does not consider variations in IAQ dynamics caused by disturbances yielded by the outdoor air quality (OAQ). Since the IAQ in subway stations has become a major public health concern, this study aims to analyze the IAQ dynamics at different OAQ conditions to design a new dynamic ventilation control system. The proposed method implemented a Gain Scheduling control strategy over OAQ variations at the D-Subway Station in the Seoul metropolitan area. A set of one feedback (FB) and two feedforward (FF) controllers was implemented. The results showed that the proposed control system tuned with the internal model control (IMC) method achieved an energy saving of 9% in comparison to the manual ventilation system. It was estimated a decrease in energy consumption of 158 kWh/day, representing an emission reduction of 268 kgCO 2 /day. Following, an energy cost reduction of 4325 USD yearly was estimated. Additionally, the indoor particulate matter level is maintained below a control limit considered to be unhealthy for sensitive groups (150 μg/m3). Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A dynamic gain scheduled ventilation control system dependent on outdoor air conditions was proposed for subway platforms. • The indoor air quality dynamics were explored and adjusted depending on the outdoor air quality. • The proposed ventilation control system reduced energy consumption by 9% in comparison to the manual ventilation system. • Annual GHG emissions could be decreased by 97,820 kg CO 2 with the proposed ventilation control system. • The proposed control system shows energy-saving potential adaptability for standard subway stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of studies concerning both the quality of air entering buildings from light shafts and its impact on energy consumption. A combined isothermal analysis of several factors such as urban environment and wind, along with the dimensional conditions of the building, facilitated the assessment of the light shaft to promote air change. The aim of this study was on the impact of architectural design on the quality of the incoming air from light shafts. The capacity of light shafts to provide air change with urban air was evaluated using the concept of air change efficiency. This is determined by the environment, the dimensions, and the proportions of the building containing a light shaft. These were simulated using computation fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques which were experimentally validated. This concept requires the definition of an ideal control domain for comparative evaluation in different cases. For the case studies evaluated, it was verified through numerical analysis that the longer the light shaft in the wind direction was, the better the air change efficiency. It was confirmed that light shafts up to 12 m high and with height/length (H/L) rates lower than 3 were those achieving the best efficiency. The study provided several evaluation tools of a design of this type of outdoor space according to the criteria of air change content. An equation is presented defining the value of the air change efficiency for the outline of architectural design strategies intended for buildings with air shafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Norway, children in kindergartens spend significant time outdoors under all weather conditions, and there is thus a natural concern about the quality of outdoor air. It is well known that air pollution is associated with a wide variety of adverse health impacts for children, with greater impact on children with asthma. Especially during winter and spring, kindergartens in Oslo that are situated close to streets with busy traffic, or in areas where wood burning is used for house heating, can experience many days with bad air quality. During these periods, updated information on air quality levels can help the kindergarten teachers to plan appropriate outdoor activities and thus protect children's health. We have installed 17 low-cost air quality nodes in kindergartens in Oslo. These nodes are smaller, cheaper and less complex to use than traditional equipment. Performance evaluation shows that while they are less accurate and suffer from higher uncertainty than reference equipment, they still can provide reliable coarse information about local pollution. The main challenge when using this technology is that calibration parameters might change with time depending on the atmospheric conditions. Thus, even if the sensors are calibrated a priori, once deployed, and especially if they are deployed for a long time, it is not possible to determine if a node is over- or under-estimating the concentration levels. To enhance the data from the sensors, we employed a data fusion technique that allows generating a detailed air quality map merging the data from the sensors and the data from an urban model, thus being able to offer air quality information to any location within Oslo. We arranged a focus group with the participation of local administration, kindergarten staff and parents to understand their opinion and needs related to the air quality information that was provided to the participant kindergartens. They expressed concern about the data quality but agree that having updated information on the air quality in the surroundings of kindergartens can help them to reduce children's exposure to air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison was made between the relative performance of active and passive sampling methods for the analysis of 1,3-butadiene in outdoor air. Active and passive sampling was conducted using multi-sorbent bed tubes (Carbotrap, Carbopack X, Carboxen 569) and RAD141 Radiello ® diffusive samplers (filled with Carbopack X), respectively. Daily duplicate samples of multi-sorbent bed tubes were taken over a period of 14 days (9 + 5 days) at El Morell (Tarragona, Spain), near the petrochemical area. As 1,3-butadiene is a reactive pollutant and can be rapidly oxidized, half of the samplers were equipped with ozone scrubbers. Samples consisted in two tubes connected in series (front and back) to allow the determination of breakthrough. Quadruplicate samples of Radiello ® tubes were taken over a period of 14 days (9 days and 5 days), too. During those days, ozone concentration was measured using RAD172 Radiello ® samplers. In addition to this, daily duplicate samples of multi-sorbent bed tubes were taken in the city of Barcelona over a period of 8 days. Simultaneously, 4 samples of Radiello ® tubes were exposed to outdoor air. Sampling was done throughout June and July 2017. Analysis was performed by thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analytical performance of the two sampling methods was evaluated by describing several quality assurance parameters, with results showing that performances are quite similar. They display low detection limits, good precision, linearity and desorption efficiency, low levels of blank values, and low breakthrough for multi-sorbent bed tubes. However, Radiello ® samplers were not able to uptake episodic 1,3-butadiene high concentrations, leading to underestimation of real values. Hence, we can conclude that Radiello ® samplers can be used for baseline 1,3-butadiene levels whereas multi-sorbent bed tubes would be advisable when relevant episodes are expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,3-Butadiene is a carcinogenic compound that can be emitted to the atmosphere from several sources, such as the combustion of organic matter or traffic. However, petrochemical industry is one of the main origins of this compound. Several campaigns (2013–2017) were conducted in twelve Catalan urban areas to determine 1,3-butadiene concentrations in outdoor air, five of which were close to Tarragona petrochemical region. 1,3-Butadiene was dynamically sampled in multi-sorbent bed tubes (Carbotrap, Carbopack X and Carboxen 569) using portable pump equipment. The analysis was performed by automatic thermal desorption coupled with capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detector. El Morell, Perafort and Puigdelfí, located near petrochemical facilities, were the most impacted locations, with average concentrations up to 15 ± 33, 33 ± 41 and 27 ± 39 μg m − 3 , respectively. Maximum 24 h concentrations of 125 μg m − 3 were observed in Puigdelfí. However, 1,3-butadiene average and maximum concentrations in the Tarragona petrochemical region diminished significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) in a drastic way (40–80%) since the first monitoring program in 2013. On the other hand, average concentrations in the rest of studied Catalan urban areas generally presented average values below 1 μg m − 3 , ranging from 0.07–1.1 μg m − 3 . Spain does have neither a monitoring strategy nor standard regulations related to 1,3-butadiene. Taking into account that relevant values can be found in locations near petrochemical facilities, a regulation should be implemented as soon as possible, at least in this specific areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies report that outdoor air pollution will become the main environmental cause of premature death over the next few decades (OECD, 2012; WHO, 2014; World Bank, 2016). Cities are considered hot spots and urban populations are particularly exposed. There is therefore an urgent need to adapt urban systems and urban design to tackle this issue. While most European cities have introduced measures to reduce emissions, action is still required to reduce concentrations and exposure, and a holistic approach to urban design is badly needed. The concept of urban resilience, defined by Holling (1987) as the ability of a city to absorb a disturbance while maintaining its functions and structures, may offer a new paradigm for tackling urban air pollution. We propose to adapt the concept of urban resilience to outdoor air pollution. A method has been developed to assess the resilience of an urban area to outdoor air pollution. Three “resilience capacities” have been identified: the capacity of an urban area to decrease air pollution emissions, the capacity to decrease concentrations and the capacity to decrease exposure. The calculation is based on the analysis of urban design, defined as the pattern of buildings as well as the structural elements that define an urban area (urban morphology; transport network, services and land use). For each resilience capacity, indicators are calculated using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a grid-based approach. This method has been implemented in the Greater Paris area within a 500 m grid-cell system. Greater Paris is one of the densest urban areas in Europe and experiences high air pollution levels. The proposed “quick scan” method helps to localize areas where specific action is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household cooking and space heating with biomass and coal have adverse impacts on both indoor and outdoor air quality and are associated with a significant health burden. Though household heating with biomass and coal is common in northern China, the contribution of space heating to ambient air pollution is not well studied. We investigated the impact of space heating on ambient air pollution in a village 40 km southwest of central Beijing during the winter heating season, from January to March 2013. Ambient PM 2.5 concentrations and meteorological conditions were measured continuously at rooftop sites in the village during two winter months in 2013. The use of coal- and biomass-burning cookstoves and space heating devices was measured over time with Stove Use Monitors (SUMs) in 33 households and was coupled with fuel consumption data from household surveys to estimate hourly household PM 2.5 emissions from cooking and space heating over the same period. We developed a multivariate linear regression model to assess the relationship between household PM 2.5 emissions and the hourly average ambient PM 2.5 concentration, and a time series autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) regression model to account for autocorrelation. During the heating season, the average hourly ambient PM 2.5 concentration was 139 ± 107 μg/m 3 (mean ± SD) with strong autocorrelation in hourly concentration. The average primary PM 2.5 emission per hour from village household space heating was 0.736 ± 0.138 kg/hour. The linear multivariate regression model indicated that during the heating season – after adjusting for meteorological effects – 39% (95% CI: 26%, 54%) of hourly averaged ambient PM 2.5 was associated with household space heating emissions from the previous hour. Our study suggests that a comprehensive pollution control strategy for northern China, including Beijing, should address uncontrolled emissions from household solid fuel combustion in surrounding areas, particularly during the winter heating season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endotoxins are an important biological component of particulate matter and have been associated with adverse effects on human health. There have been some recent studies on airborne endotoxin concentrations. We collected fine ( PM2.5) and coarse ( PM10-2.5) particulate matter twice on weekdays and weekends each for 48 hour, inside and outside 55 homes in an urban city in Japan. Endotoxin concentrations in both fractions were measured using the kinetic Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay. The relationships between endotoxin concentrations and household characteristics were evaluated for each fraction. Both indoor and outdoor endotoxin concentrations were higher in PM2.5 than in PM10-2.5. In both PM2.5 and PM10-2.5, indoor endotoxin concentrations were higher than outdoor concentrations, and the indoor endotoxin concentrations significantly correlated with outdoor concentrations in each fraction ( R2=0.458 and 0.198, respectively). Indoor endotoxin concentrations in PM2.5 were significantly higher in homes with tatami or carpet flooring and in homes with pets, and lower in homes that used air purifiers. Indoor endotoxin concentrations in PM10-2.5 were significantly higher in homes with two or more children and homes with tatami or carpet flooring. These results showed that the indoor endotoxin concentrations were associated with the household characteristics in addition to outdoor endotoxin concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), including particulate matter (PM) in respirable coarse and fine size fractions (PM10 and PM2.5), is known to have exposure effects on human health and environment. Real-time PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were collected from the study locations in Bangkok, Thailand, using TSI AM510 particle counters. Temperature and % relative humidity (%RH) were also collected. Data were compared to data from the closest station of the Pollution Control Department (PCD), Thailand. Real-time mean concentration varied from 86 to 1107 µg/m3(PM10) and varied from 25 to 664 µg/m3(PM2.5). In addition, real-time mean PM10 (223.1 µg/m3) was nearly four times greater than that measured by the PCD station, 60 µg/m3. Temperature and %RH from real-time air monitoring and PCD station were comparable. In each study location (five locations, two in morning and afternoon/evening), there were significant positive correlations between PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations and significant negative correlations between temperature and RH%. Results suggested that outdoor TRAP via measured real-time PM concentrations were more realistic exposure concentration estimates among street vendors as related to respiratory and other symptoms than data obtained from PCD station. Nevertheless, PM10 as measured by the PCD station might be a reasonable surrogate for estimated outdoor PM2.5 exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]