Stephen E. C. Pretlove

University of Lincoln · Lincoln School of Architecture

This paper describes a pilot intervention study on the effectiveness of house dust mite allergen avoidance for 12 asthmatic children (two being controls). In addition to mite allergen removal, the study included tailored advice aimed at reducing mite population growth via changes in moisture production, heating and ventilation habits. This paper fo...

This paper describes the development, testing and validation of a simple steadystate hygrothermal bed model (BED) which predicts conditions of temperature and relative humidity within the bed core (the occupied space between mattress and covering), given the temperature and relative humidity of the bedroom. BED is the second of three simple steady-...

This paper describes the Nottingham energy, health and housing study, a project where seven Nottingham City Council households subject to either fuel poverty or heat poverty have been refurbished to improve the internal environmental conditions and therefore the health of the occupants. The main aim was to provide improvements in ventilation, insul...

Recent studies show that the UK is one of the countries with the highest asthma prevalence worldwide. It has been suggested that the trend towards the reduction of domestic ventilation rates for energy-efficiency reasons has resulted in poor indoor air quality and may represent a causal factor for the high asthma prevalence in the UK. This study f...

Condensation and mould growth is reported as being a problem in an estimated 4.2 million dwellings in England resulting in poor occupant health and substantial damage to the building fabric. This paper examines the development of an algorithm, Condensation Targeter, to predict the internal surface relative humidity and risk of mould growth in dwell...

This is the Executive Summary of a research-funded project on occupational stress in construction.

Questions: Are there connections and trade-offs between Lean Construction (LC) and Sustainable Construction (SC)? If so, what is needed to support their integration in theory and practice? What are the gaps in knowledge and the opportunities for bringing closer linkage between research and practice? Purpose: A growing body of knowledge has been eme...

A3 for IGLC 2018 conference

It has been argued that Lean Construction (LC) offers the conceptual basis and the appropriate methods and tools needed for helping the construction industry meet the challenges of sustainable development. Since 1998, a growing body of knowledge has been emerging from the IGLC community, in relation to synergies between LC and Sustainability. Both...

Churches are an important part of our cultural heritage, and many now provide community activities in addition to worship. This requires reconsideration of environmental needs, to provide efficient, comfortable and healthy conditions. Churches contain many culturally valuable artefacts and materials that are sensitive to the environment, yet have s...

In the housing sector, carbon emissions arise primarily through the consumption of energy to heat, light and ventilate our homes. Significant improvements in UK housing energy performance have been driven both by changes in legislation, and by the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2007. Compliance with certain levels of this Code ha...

By 2016, new residential buildings in the UK will have to be ‘net zero carbon’ to comply with proposed changes to Part L of the Government’s Building Regulations. Approved document Part L of the Building Regulations requires energy use and generation, and the resulting carbon emissions, to be quantified using the Government’s standard assessment pr...

By 2016, new residential buildings in the UK will have to be ‘net zero carbon’ to comply with proposed changes to Part L of the Government’s Building Regulations. Approved document Part L of the Building Regulations requires energy use and generation, and the resulting carbon emissions, to be quantified using the Government’s Standard Assessment Pr...

In contemporary orbital missions, workloads are so high and varied that crew may rarely experience stretches of monotony. However, in historical long duration missions, occurrences of monotony were, indeed, reported anecdotally by crew. Of the effective countermeasures that appear to be at hand, many rely on visual or logistical proximity to the Ea...

This article discusses the capabilities and the application of an innovative combined hygrothermal and population model to assess the impact of building design and occupant behaviour on house dust mite populations in a mattress. The combined model is the first of its kind able to predict the impact of hourly transient hygrothermal conditions within...

In contemporary orbital missions, workloads are so high and varied that crew may rarely experience stretches of monotony. However, in historical orbital long duration missions, experiences of monotony were, indeed, reported anecdotally by crew. Remedies appeared to be at hand, including a constant visual connection to Earth providing a rich source...

Life histories of "wild" house dust mites, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart) (Acari: Pyroglyphidae), were compared with laboratory cultures by using a diet consisting of skin and dust or a laboratory diet consisting of dried liver and yeast. Under constant conditions of 25 degrees C and 75% RH, fecundity and rate of reproduction were high...

A generalised model of the life cycle of a house dust mite, which can be tailored to any particular species of domestic mite, is presented. The model takes into account the effects of hygrothermal conditions on each life cycle phase. It is used in a computer simulation program, called POPMITE, which, by incorporating a population age structure, is...

A simple mite population index (MPI) model is presented which predicts the effect on house dust mite populations of any combination of temperature and relative humidity (RH). For each combination, the output is an index, or multiplication factor, such that 1.1 indicates 10% population growth and 0.9 indicates 10% population decline. To provide data...

This paper reviews the literature for evidence of links between ventilation rates in dwellings and moisture related respiratory health with a particular focus on house dust mites (HDM) and fungal growth. There is general consensus that a link exists between ventilation rates in dwellings and respiratory hazards (for example HDM). There is also gene...

This paper describes a current multi-disciplinary UK funded research project aimed at developing a hygrothermal model of house dust mite response to environmental conditions. The project involves the development of a transient hygrothermal bed model, which has been tested and validated by comparing its predictions with the environmental conditions...

There is clear evidence that house dust mite populations in many climatic regions can potentially be controlledby modifying temperature and humidity within dwellings. This paper describes a current multi-disciplinary UKfunded research project to develop a predictive model of house dust mite response to varying hygrothermalconditions. The project in...

House-dust mite antigens are a major contributor to allergic sensitisation. Since temperature and humidity are crucial to house-dust mite physiology, there is considerable interest in reducing mite populations by controlling the indoor environment. A multidisciplinary team of building scientists and entomologists has been formed to develop a protot...

Mould growth affects a significant proportion of dwellings in the UK and Europe. The house dust mite is also known to inhabit most dwellings and is one of the key factors affecting the health of the occupants. One of the key variables affecting mould growth and house dust mite populations is relative humidity. The relative humidity in a dwelling is...

Mould growth affects a significant proportion of dwellings in the UK and Europe. The house dust mite is also known to inhabit most dwellings and is one of the key factors affecting the health of the occupants. One of the key variables affecting mould growth and house dust mite populations is relative humidity. The relative humidity in a dwelling is...

House-dust mite antigens are a major contributor to allergic sensitisation. Since temperature and humidity are crucial to house-dust mite physiology, there is considerable interest in reducing mite populations by controlling the indoor environment. A multidisciplinary team of building scientists and entomologists has been formed to develop a protot...

Summary: Buildings are designed for a specific climate yet they often have a lifetime of 100 years. Climate change may require a building to operate over a range of climatic conditions as a result of the impact of global warming. This effect is compounded by the fact that much of the climatic data currently used for design purposes is some 30 years...

Mould is not a new phenomenon in buildings as the above quote from the Bible indicates. One of the main health issues often related to affordable warmth is that of mould growth and dampness in dwellings. This chapter reviews the current results of research into the causes of mould growth, proposes a mould index for dwellings and investigates the im...

Experiments were conducted in order to determine the effects of carrying capacity (K) on populations of the house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart) within a mattress. Initial experiments were conducted using a set amount of food, thereby providing the mites with a finite environment, in terms of food and space (for the pur...

There is clear evidence that house dust mite populations in many climatic regions can potentially be controlled by modifying temperature and humidity within dwellings. This paper describes a current multi-disciplinary UK funded research project to develop a predictive model of house dust mite response to varying hygrothermal conditions. The project...

Allergens derived from house dust mite (HDM) faeces play a major role in allergic disease, especially asthma. It is well-known that house dust mite physiology is greatly affected by hygrothermal microclimatic conditions. Consequently, there is considerable interest in reducing mite populations in dwellings by modifying the fabric and services in a...