Criteria for a comfortable indoor environment in buildings

1. 1. The major purpose of buildings is to provide a healthy and comfortable environment for occupants.

2. 2. The indoor environment is a complex system including factors like thermal, visual and acoustic conditions, indoor air quality, electromagnetic fields, static electricity and vibration.

3. 3. To obtain an indoor environment that is acceptable in terms of health as well as comfort, criteria for these factors need to be established.

4. 4. The present paper gives an overview of the criteria recommended in current existing standards and guidelines.

5. 5. As most studies to date have focussed on thermal conditions and indoor air quality, these two factors are described in more detail.

北京地区热力景观格局及典型城市景观的热环境效应

城市热环境是城市生态环境中的一个重要指标,将景观生态学理论融入到热环境研究中,尝试探讨北京地区热力景观格局及城市公园、道路景观的热环境效应。地表温度反演是分析热力景观格局及典型城市景观热环境效应的前提,论文以北京地区为例,首先利用两景ASTER影像数据采用TES算法定量反演地表温度。通过半变异函数分析地表温度空间异质性,确定最大采样尺度,然后在景观统计软件Fragstats中,计算不同粒度下的景观格局指数,分析热力景观格局及其尺度效应。通过景观斑块特征分析和缓冲区分析,探讨公园景观斑块、道路景观廊道特征的热环境效应。总体上公园景观对应的平均温度随着公园面积、边界长度的增加而减小,随着公园周长面积比增大而增大;随着距离公园渐远,地表温度升高,且升温趋势变缓。随着道路密度增加,道路平均温度显著升高,标准差显著降低,道路密度等级与道路平均温度的相关系数达到0.8021;随着距离道路中心线距离增加,缓冲区内的平均温度略有下降,但变化微弱。因此,应充分重视公园景观在缓解城市热环境方面的作用,合理布局城市道路。     

A survey of airborne algae and cyanobacteria within the indoor environment of an office building in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

This study investigates the occurrence of airborne algae and cyanobacteria (AAC) within the indoor environment of an office building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Samples of air, wall scrapings and soils of potted plants were collected from various sites within the building and surrounding areas. In addition, AAC were collected by exposing a culture medium to the indoor air. Based on the cultured material, 14 taxa of AAC consisting of cyanobacteria such as Phormidium angustissima and Chroococcus minor and chlorophytes such as Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorococcum humicola were recorded. The surrounding areas of the building recorded the highest occurrence (75%) of AAC. Within the building, the highest occurrence of AAC (45%) was recorded on the lower ground floor, an area exposed to the outdoor environment. Some of the AAC recorded were also detected in the wall scraping and soil samples. Areas with heavy human movement appeared to have high occurrence of AAC. Human movement appeared to be an important factor in affecting the dispersal of the AAC.     

The scientific evaluation of the thermal environment of cave dwellings in China

1. 1. The conclusion drawn from the result of the research work carried out is that the majority of the existing cave dwellings are not warm in winter and are cool in summer.

2. 2. Unless these cave dwellings are improved they are not suitable and pleasant places for people to live in.

3. 3. Therefore the following measures should be taken so as to improve the quality of the cave dwellings: (i) in summer more fresh air should be let in to replace the state air and the air should be dehumidified to solve the problem of being too cool and humid; and (ii) in winter the geothermal energy and the solar energy should be made full use of, in addition, there should be local heating in the cave dwellings.

Identification of local thermal conditions for sleeping comfort improvement in neutral to cold indoor thermal environments

The effect of the thermal environment on sleep quality has attracted considerable attention, as sleep forms one-third of human lifetime and the occupied space is largely constrained during sleep. With an increasing development of partial space regulation and task air conditioning systems and devices, thermal comfort demand concerning local thermal conditions has attracted more and more attention. In the present study, experiment was conducted and data mining technologies were performed to investigate correlations between local thermal conditions and whole body thermal comfort in sleeping state. The identification of local thermal condition included two steps: the first step was to clarify thermal sensation links between local and covered body, and the second step was to identify local thermal sensation inclination towards different thermal comfort levels. Thermal sensation correlations among local body parts and covered body were obtained. Back, face, and thigh were identified as three dominant linear-correlated local parts with weighting factors 0.488, 0.388, and 0.152, respectively; in addition, chest, arm, leg and foot were found as non-negligible local parts in the estimation of covered body thermal sensation. By dividing the sleeping human body into three parts as head, trunk and extremity, the proper local thermal sensations and their coupling relationships for whole body sleeping thermal comfort have been elaborated by three rules. The present study provides implications in sleeping thermal environment regulation in neutral to cold indoor conditions.     

The effects of wind and thermal radiation on thermal responses during rest and exercise in a cold environment

1. 1. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of thermal radiation and wind on thermal responses at rest and during exercise in a cold environment.

2. 2. The experimental conditions were radiation and wind (R + W), no radiation and wind (W), radiation and no wind (R), no radiation and no wind (C).

3. 3. The air temperature was −5°C. Thermal radiation was 360 W/m². Air velocities were 0.76, 1.73 and 2.8 m/s. Rectal and skin temperatures, heart rate and oxygen consumption were recorded. Thermal and comfort sensations were questioned.

4. 4. There are no significant effects of thermal radiation and wind on the physiological responses except the mean skin temperature. There are significant effects on the mean skin temperature (P < 0.01) and thermal sensation (P < 0.05).

Relationship between distribution and bottom sediment of submerged macrophytes in the Seta River,Shiga Prefecture,Japan

The purpose of this study was to survey the distribution and habitat of submerged macrophytes in the Seta River outflow from Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. To accomplish this, I instituted a field survey with sampling on January 2009. I collected nine submerged macrophyte species during the diving operation. Sample collection showed that submerged macrophytes flourished on both sides of the river but did not flourish in the central portion of the river. Alien species (Egeria densa and Elodea nuttallii) were collected on all survey lines, while domestic species (Ceratophyllum demersum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisneria biwaensis, Vallisneria denseserrulata, Potamogeton maackianus, and Potamogeton malaianus) were collected in large amounts on the survey lines near Lake Biwa. The dominant species in cohesive soil or fine soil was Egeria densa, while the dominant species in sand gravel was Potamogeton maackianus. Although Egeria densa was collected in sand gravel too, Potamogeton maackianus was not collected in cohesive soil or fine soil, which indicates that Egeria densa has high fertility and can survive in an oxygen-poor environment, while Potamogeton maackianus cannot survive in an oxygen-poor environment.     

京沪穗三地近十年夜间热力景观格局演变对比研究

城市热环境是城市生态环境的重要方面,它与城市气候、城市生态、城市灾害有着重要的联系.以北京、上海、广州三地为研究区,选取近10年MODIS的夜晚地表温度(LST)产品MOD11A2,分别采用质心迁移、景观格局指数、空间自相关方法研究京沪穗三地近10年的不同等级热力景观质心迁移演变、格局变迁和空间集聚特征.主要结论为:三地热力景观随郊区向市中心趋近,体现了由低温区、次中温区向中温区、次高温区、高温区过渡的趋势;三地的中温区所占比例最大,城市热力景观破碎度三地中上海市最高,5种热力景观比较,次中温区和高温区的破碎度最高;城市热力景观离散度三地中北京市最高,低温区和高温区的离散度较高.热环境空间自相关分析表明三地均以高温-高温区,低温-低温区集聚为主,北京、广州高温-高温区分布于南部,且集中成片分布,而上海市高温-高温区分布比较离散,相对较为复杂.从分布面积来说,10a中北京、上海表现为先减少后增加,而广州则持续减少.总体而言北京热环境恶化,而广州、上海热环境有所好转.     

珠三角城市群地表热环境与生态系统服务价值解耦的时空特征

珠三角城市群是我国城市化高度发展的区域,城市化气候效应尤其是热岛效应对城市生态系统及其生境产生重大影响。本研究基于2000、2005、2010、2015和2019年MODIS地表温度(LST)数据和土地覆被数据,定量测度地表热环境和生态系统服务价值(ESV),并借助解耦分析模型,分析珠三角城市群2000—2019年LST与ESV之间的解耦状态,揭示两者之间的权衡关系,进而对城市群内部LST与ESV之间协同状态的时空分异进行分析。结果表明: 2000—2019年,珠三角城市群地表热环境空间格局时序变化相对稳定,但呈现出核心区高位波动、外围区低位波动的空间分异;珠三角城市群ESV呈现空间分布稳定而时间序列下降的趋势,城市群区域内9座城市ESV降幅均超过9%;珠三角城市群地表热环境与总体ESV,以及与供给、调节、支持服务价值之间呈现的解耦状态以弱负解耦和强负解耦为主,显示出较为明显的权衡关系,表明珠三角城市群生态系统仍然受到城市化环境特征的显著影响,解耦状态的时空分异与城市化水平在城市群内部的空间分异有关。珠三角城市群未来生态政策的制定须考虑城市群内部城市化水平差异以及城市化环境特征与生态系统之间的权衡状态的分异,精准制定生态管控和修复方案,提高生态规划效率和实施效果。     

水东枣园土壤动物与土壤环境的关系

１９９２年１２月－１９９３年２月,对安徽省宣州市东枣园土壤动物进行了调查,共获大、中小型土壤动物５８７５个,分隶属于５门、１１纲、２８目、３５类。螨类、线虫类为优势类群,线蚓类、弹尾类为常见类群,通过７个样地对比得出：枣树种植年代愈久,土壤动物愈丰富,其类群数随土壤养分的增加而增加,随ＰＨ值和土壤容重的增大而减少,且其类群与个体数随土壤深度的增加而递减。     

A study on body temperature regulation and residential thermal environments of the elderly—I. whole country survey of residential thermal environment and evaluation methods: RTE-index

1. 1. As part of “research on environmental comfort,” that is, research which aims to make people's living environment more comfortable, we attempted to clarify the relation between the living environment of elderly people and physiological and psychological factors. We carried out a comprehensive study with a view to establishing comfort standards for the residential thermal environment, and for creating evaluation and control systems.

2. 2. The comfort of the living environment is closely related to the thermal environment and the temperature-regulation ability of the human body. This ability of the body to regulate temperature develops during childhood and recedes as the adult ages.

3. 3. We therefore carried out: (a) experiments on body-temperature regulation and on special characteristics of the body-temperature regulation of elderly people, (b) a nationwide survey of the actual residential thermal environments of elderly people and (c) a survey of the daily activities of elderly people, and how elderly people's physiological and psychological conditions change when they are engaged in these activities.

4. 4. As a result of these experiments and surveys, we were able to: (d) formulate standards for evaluation of the residential thermal environment and (e) numerically express the results of systematic evaluation of residential thermal environments of elderly people, by means of a RTE-index.

DNA repair variants,indoor tanning,and risk of melanoma

Although ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure from indoor tanning has been linked to an increased risk of melanoma, the role of DNA repair genes in this process is unknown. We evaluated the association of 92 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 DNA repair genes with the risk of melanoma and indoor tanning among 929 patients with melanoma and 817 controls from the Minnesota Skin Health Study. Significant associations with melanoma risk were identified for SNPs in ERCC4, ERCC6, RFC1, XPC, MGMT, and FBRSL1 genes; with a cutoff of P < 0.05. ERCC6 and FBRSL1 gene variants and haplotypes interacted with indoor tanning. However, none of the 92 SNPs tested met the correction criteria for multiple comparisons. This study, based on an a priori interest in investigating the role of DNA repair capacity using variants in base excision and nucleotide excision repair, identified several genes that may play a role in resolving UV‐induced DNA damage.     

城市热环境定量评价技术研究进展及发展趋势

自“城市热岛”概念提出以来,城市热环境定量评价一直是城市气候与环境研究领域的重要内容.随着空间信息技术与计算机模拟技术的不断发展,城市热环境定量评价的技术手段和方法也取得了长足进步.从最初单一利用气象站历史数据对城市宏观尺度热环境进行数理统计分析,逐步发展到综合利用地面气象观测、热红外遥感、数值模式模拟等多种技术对不同尺度热环境进行动态模拟与预测.本文系统回顾了地面气象观测、热红外遥感、数值模式模拟3类城市热环境定量评价技术的发展历程,并总结了各类技术的优缺点、适用性及发展趋势,以期为今后的城市热环境评价与优化研究提供参考.     

Habitats and health,an incentive action for research on managing comfortable and healthy indoor environments

Summary New technics as saving energy and air conditioning technics, protections against polluted environments, evolution of way of life and more generaly the essential fight for quality justify in France, as in many others industrial countries, new programms of research to improve salubrity, safety and comfort in building.     

An epidemiological approach investigating respiratory disease response in sensitive individuals to indoor and outdoor pollen exposure in Tucson,Arizona

Summary We conducted this study during the early spring to demonstrate direct response between increases in atmospheric pollen concentrations and symptom prevalence in a general population. We examined pollen concentrations indoors, outdoors and regionally in 31 households with similar background vegetation, pollen concentration, TSP and pollulant gas levels. Indoor pollen concentrations were low but persistent (X=16 grains/m³ air); local outdoor concentrations were 3 times greater. Regional daily mean pollen values of grasses, ragweed, mulberry and total pollen were compared with symptom scores using X² contingency tests. We obtained daily symptom scores and measures of peak expiratory flow from 121 individuals characterized as ?normal?, ?atopic? or ?peak flow responsive?. In atopic individuals, prevalence of nasal symptoms increased with pollen concentration increases for ragweed, mulberry and total pollen exposure. No significant response was found with spring grasses whose atmospheric pollen concentration was limited in the selected cluster. Decrease of lung function in the peak flow responsive population was found associated with mulberry pollen only. The small pollen grain size may result in greater tracheo-bronchial deposition.     

城市热环境风险预测及时空格局分析

人类活动改变土地利用/覆被所诱发的城市热环境风险成为影响城市化进程和城市生态环境可持续发展的重大阻碍。但是,当前热环境风险识别、评估和预控技术和方法缺失使得城市热环境安全防范和调控措施相对滞后。构建城市热环境风险预测模型:(1)将不同时期的地表温度进行正规化分级;(2)构建基于MARKOV-CA的城市热环境时空过程预测模型并验证其精度;(3)建立城市热环境风险评判规则并分析城市热环境风险时空格局特征。通过2005—2015年夏季MODIS地表温度产品及1∶10万土地利用现状遥感监测数据预测2015—2020年北京市城市热环境风险时空格局并分析其特征。北京市城市热环境风险呈增加趋势,其中极高风险区面积比例从9.66%上升到12.08%,极高风险等级区域主要分布于东西城区、朝阳区、丰台区、石景山区、海淀区东部、大兴区西北部,并逐渐向东西方向延伸,斑块数量增加,聚合程度也有所提高。城市热环境风险预测模型可对通过城市空间规划调控和防范城市热岛效应提供理论和技术支撑。     

A study on thermal environment for physically handicapped persons. Results from Japanese-Hungarian joint experiment in 1990

1. 1. For the scientific evaluation of thermal environment in relatin to human health and comfort, a number of indices have been proposed in the recent 70 years.

2. 2. However, even the newest indices are still not sufficient to explain the general thermal environment for all people including infants, the aged, the disabled etc., because such indices are based more or less on experiments using college age persons.

3. 3. Series of studies to find required thermal conditions for the disabled and the aged have been carried out from 1976 in Japan and from 1988 in Hungary.

4. 4. In 1990, the Japanese and Hungarian research groups have collaborated in an international joint experiment on the thermal environment for the disabled.

5. 5. This paper reports on the results from the first step examinations of the data from above mentioned joint experiment.

基于CFD的城市绿地空间格局热环境效应分析

运用CFD数值模拟方法,结合RS技术,对城市中五类常见的绿地空间格局在垂直和水平方向上进行温度场和风速场数值模拟,以探讨绿地空间格局对城市热环境的影响程度及方式。在绿地的垂直结构上,灌木层对流场的影响要大于乔木层;而乔木层对绿地内部的降温作用更为明显。在绿地的水平布局形式中,在绿地率相当的情况下,楔状格局具有较好的热环境效应,即该格局在城市中的降温效果最为明显;放射状和条带状的次之,点状格局对周边环境的降温效果要弱些,但各"绿点"(即组成该格局的各块绿地)在小范围内降温效果比较明显,可以作为改善局部小气候的手段;环状格局热环境效应最弱。将CFD技术引入城市热环境研究,利用遥感技术对其进行参数修正,使热环境研究更加准确完整,具有经济高效方便等优点。     

城市绿地和建筑格局影响热环境的模拟研究

景观类型和格局能够影响城市热环境,但是在不同小区域背景下,它们的贡献差异尚缺少定量研究。将实地监测与数值模拟技术相结合,对北京市典型景观的风速场与温度场进行模拟研究,分析天空开阔度、绿地面积与风速、地表温度之间的关系。在此基础上,探讨绿地形态与绿地温度及地表温度的关系,同时设计多种典型的城市绿地、建筑格局在计算机中进行模拟,揭示不同绿地、建筑景观配置下热环境的影响因素。结果表明：（1）天空开阔度和风速是影响城市小区域热环境的重要因素,天空开阔度与地表温度显著负相关,高风速会明显降低地表温度;（2）绿地面积和形态是影响区域地表温度与气温的重要因素,占比10%-50%的绿地降温强度为1.4-2.2℃,面积越大、形态越复杂,降温效应越明显,分散的绿地降温效应优于集中式绿地;（3）迎风向呈两端低中间高的建筑分布可显著改善热环境,较其它格局气温约低1.6℃。研究结果对于指导城市景观设计改善城市热环境具有一定的参考价值。