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Air quality monitoring on university campuses as a crucial component to move toward sustainable campuses: An overview

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Abstract

The infrastructure and activities of university campuses (UCs) can generate adverse environmental impacts. Consequently, UCs have been forced to include a sustainability perspective in planning and implementing institutional policies, including air quality monitoring. This paper presents a review of air quality studies regarding chemical pollutants (gases and particles) carried out in UCs during the last 10 years using a university sustainability approach. Methodologically, we used bibliometric tools (such as the “Bibliometrix” R package) and descriptive approaches. The results indicated a lack of publications regarding air quality in UCs, but there has been growing interest in this topic recently. The countries that registered the highest bibliographic production, considering the institutional affiliations of the authors, were the United States, China, Germany, Brazil, and Italy, and particulate matter was identified as the most analyzed air pollutant in indoor and outdoor environments. The study perspectives of the subject are diverse and range from relating the characteristics of buildings with indoor air quality to the development of technological devices to optimize spatial and temporal air quality monitoring under smart campus approaches. At the end of the manuscript, several challenges that may initiate future research fields to strengthen the sustainability of UCs are mentioned.

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... These articles were systematically reviewed and tabulated based on various criteria, including the title, keywords employed in the research paper, factors and sources contributing to the effects and causes, the methodology employed to achieve the desired outcomes, the results obtained, and the limitations of the study, which also outlined potential future research directions and questions. Among the 24 articles, at the university level, 11 articles were conducted within which China emerged as the main country with a focus research area on air pollution (An & Yu, 2018;Ramírez et al., 2023). The analysis helped in identifying a lack of research on the theory of planned behavior among students as well as in the Indian context (Sahu & Gurjar, 2020;Sundar et al., 2020). ...
Article
Background Increased awareness of sustainability has renewed academic interest in understanding perception. The objective was to determine the expected behavior among university students concerning air quality mitigation. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used as a theoretical framework to understand students’ attitudes toward air quality mitigation along with subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Method This study uses the systematic literature review (SLR) methodology to provide an understanding of current studies regarding the aspect of air quality and behavior from databases reviewed by experts. The research highlights the gap in the current study area and provides a need for more detailed empirical research. Result The study reviewed 24 articles and proposed a conceptual model based on the TPB framework to understand the means of air quality mitigation behaviors in a campus environment. Conclusion This model aims to guide future research to improve air quality in higher education institutions. The findings also focuses on theoretical contributions by applying TPB.
... This is because a healthy learning environment is a vital indicator of better student performance by reduction in absence rate, improved test scores and enhanced learning productivity [7]. One of the special concerns in our study are educational environments like school [8] and university [9] teaching rooms, where students spent a lot of time subject to changing air quality. ...
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One of the leading causes of early health detriment is the increasing levels of air pollution in major cities and eventually in indoor spaces. Monitoring the air quality effectively in closed spaces like educational institutes and hospitals can improve both the health and the life quality of the occupants. In this paper, we propose an efficient Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring and management system, which uses a combination of cutting-edge technologies to monitor and predict major air pollutants like, TVOCs, and other factors like temperature and humidity. The aim is to create an intelligent environment for IAQ. The data is captured and monitored using an Internet of Things network of sensors, manufactured by ourselves, in different lecture rooms at the university. The obtained data is then processed and correlated in real time using a complex event processing engine and analyzed by machine/deep learning algorithms. A long short-term memory neural network is proposed to forecast IAQ. Then a decision tree regressor is used to identify the relationships between temperature, humidity and different pollutants like CO2 and PM2.5.
... Therefore, their actions can provide the basis for building a sustainable future for the planet. One important proof-of-concept effort has been the "greening of campuses" and focus on sustainability practices over the last decades [6,12,13]. This is a continuous improvement and development process, to demonstrate that living, experiencing, and improving these sustainability and environmental enhancement practices improves the quality of life and the wellness of the community [14,15]. ...
... This means monitoring and assessment of environmental impacts are crucial to the sustainable well-being and health of university communities. Moreover, the important perspectives of the sustainable development of policies and implementation of activities for university organizations to minimize negative environmental effects are taken into consideration to cost-effectively implement organizational social, educational, and environmental responsibility [3]. ...
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A common technique to assess indoor air quality is to estimate a space's air change rate by quantifying the decay of a tracer species, such as metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2). However, CO2 decay does not fully represent the complexities of aerosol dynamics. In this study, low-cost sensors (QuantAQ/Aerodyne Research ARISense v200 and QuantAQ MODULAIR-PM) were used for continuous measurements of size-resolved particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and CO2 in a university classroom across >5 months in 2021. Occupant-generated emissions from classroom activity and cleaning (fogging aerosols) events were used to determine the decay time constant of each pollutant, which varied substantially (e.g., 25–86 min for CO2, 14–66 min for class PM10 and 24–103 min, 25–82 min, and 18–56 min for fogging PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, respectively across 3 months in the Spring). The range of measured CO2 and PM decay rates was comparable, indicating that quantifying metabolic CO2 decay is a viable method to estimate the timescale of indoor aerosol decay, and that both species provide comparable air change rate estimates. However, the effect of deposition on PM decay was evident and uncertainties in using occupant-generated tracer decay to determine air change rates should be considered. These results provide insights into the practicality and limitations of using in-situ CO2 and PM decay measurements to assess ventilation, and of using CO2 decay to estimate aerosol decay. This work also highlights the importance of performing continuous measurements over extended periods of time to quantify a range of air change rates.
Article
This study examined indoor dust-bound pollution characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and the health risk to these pollutants of university students inside a university campus in Xinxiang, central China. Indoor dust samples (n = 52) were obtained from the student dormitories, classrooms, laboratories, and offices. The average concentration of ∑16PAHs was 2060 ± 1290 ng/g dry weight (dw). Phe and 4-ring PAHs showed the highest concentration and contribution. The PAH concentrations in indoor dust from various types of room showed significant difference (p ˂ 0.05), and the highest concentration was found in laboratory. The ∑16PBDEs concentration was 364 ± 379 ng/g, and BDE209 was the prime PBDE congener and showed the highest contribution. PBDE concentrations also showed significant difference (p ˂ 0.05) among different types of indoor dust, and the girls’ dormitory showed the highest PBDEs concentration. Petroleum, petroleum combustion, and biomass/coal combustion were the main sources of PAHs. Deca-BDE (BDE209) was the main source of PBDEs, and low-brominated PBDEs were mainly derived from the degradation of high-brominated PBDEs. Correlation analysis showed that PAH and PBDE had similar pollution sources. The estimated daily intake (EDIs, mg/(kg·day)) of the ∑16PAHs was 694 ± 434. The BaP equivalent (BaPE) value for PAHs in indoor dust was 113 ng/g, and laboratory showed the highest BaPE values. The EDIs of the ∑16PBDEs were 123 ± 128 mg/(kg·day), and the non-cancer hazard index (HI) indicated PBDEs may pose adverse health effects to university students.
Article
This paper selects six typical spaces of a university campus in Xi'an to study the comprehensive effect of heat and PM2.5 in open spaces. Subjects are required to complete a subjective perception questionnaire in a thermal-PM2.5 interactive environment combined with on-site actual measurement. The results are shown in three aspects: (1) PM2.5 has a significant effect on thermal sensation and thermal comfort in the afternoon. PM2.5 concentration of 0–20 and 20–40 μg/m³ aggravates heat sensation of the crowd in summer and reduces subjective thermal comfort. (2) At constant physiological equivalent temperature (PET), air quality comfort decreases with increase in PM2.5 concentration. Generally, PM2.5 is 20–27, 20–23, and 20–24 μg/m³ in the morning, afternoon, and evening, respectively. People are more sensitive to the air quality with the increase of PET as the quality of comfort gradually improved. (3) Further, when PM2.5 concentration decreased from 20 to 40 to 0–20 μg/m³ at night, the mean value of overall comfort vote (OCV) increased by 0.46. Therefore, this paper can provide experimental support for establishing a human thermal comfort research system under the interaction of multiple environments, and can also provide a strategic basis for improving the urban outdoor thermal environment and air quality.
Article
The indoor atmosphere of five university environments, ranging from a research laboratory to a vast lecture hall, was studied during a seven-week measurement campaign. The study was carried out in real-world conditions and was designed to distinguish periods when the environments were occupied from periods when they were empty. A comprehensive chemical characterisation of PM10 was carried out (elements as total, extractable and residual fractions, ions, elemental carbon, organic carbon), which allowed the study of the main PM sources (soil, sea, secondary inorganic species, traffic emission, organics). Other sources (heavy oil combustion, biomass burning and non-exhausts traffic emission) were well traced by the extractable or residual fractions of some elements (V, Rb, Mo). During classes, indoor PM10 concentration exceeded outdoor values. The main differences between indoor and outdoor chemical composition were due to soil components and to the organics. Soil particles were carried in by the students and re-suspended by their movements. The organics were mainly due to bioparticles released by the occupants. An increase inside classrooms was also observed for sulphate and attributed to the used of mineral gypsum as blackboard chalk. Sea-salt particles and ammonium nitrate, instead, showed a sharp decrease when entering the indoor environments, due to their large size and a shift in its thermodynamic equilibrium, respectively. The concentration of particles released by anthropogenic combustion sources (exhaust and non-exhaust traffic emission, domestic heating) was generally lower than outdoors, and the degree of their infiltration was determined by their dimensions.
Article
Background: There is currently a scarcity of air pollution epidemiologic data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the lack of air quality monitoring in these countries. Additionally, there is limited capacity to assess the health effects of wildfire smoke events in wildfire-prone regions like Brazil's Amazon Basin. Emerging low-cost air quality sensors may have the potential to address these gaps. Objectives: We investigated the potential of PurpleAir PM2.5 sensors for conducting air pollution epidemiologic research leveraging the United States Environmental Protection Agency's United States-wide correction formula for ambient PM2.5. Methods: We obtained raw (uncorrected) PM2.5 concentration and humidity data from a PurpleAir sensor in Rio Branco, Brazil, between 2018 and 2019. Humidity measurements from the PurpleAir sensor were used to correct the PM2.5 concentrations. We established the relationship between ambient PM2.5 (corrected and uncorrected) and daily all-cause respiratory hospitalization in Rio Branco, Brazil, using generalized additive models (GAM) and distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM). We used linear regression to assess the relationship between daily PM2.5 concentrations and wildfire reports in Rio Branco during the wildfire seasons of 2018 and 2019. Results: We observed increases in daily respiratory hospitalizations of 5.4% (95%CI: 0.8%, 10.1%) for a 2-day lag and 5.8% (1.5%, 10.2%) for 3-day lag, per 10 μg/m3 PM2.5 (corrected values). The effect estimates were attenuated when the uncorrected PM2.5 data was used. The number of reported wildfires explained 10% of daily PM2.5 concentrations during the wildfire season. Discussion: Exposure-response relationships estimated using corrected low-cost air quality sensor data were comparable with relationships estimated using a validated air quality modeling approach. This suggests that correcting low-cost PM2.5 sensor data may mitigate bias attenuation in air pollution epidemiologic studies. Low-cost sensor PM2.5 data could also predict the air quality impacts of wildfires in Brazil's Amazon Basin.
Article
Atmospheric bioaerosols contain live and dead biological components that can enter the human respiratory tract (HRT) and affect human health. Here, the total microorganisms in a coastal megacity, Qingdao, were characterized on the basis of long-term observations from October 2013 to January 2021. Particular attention was given to the size dependence of inhalable bioaerosols in concentration and respiratory deposition in different populations on foggy and hazy days. Bioaerosol samples stained with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) were selected to measure the total airborne microbe (TAM) concentrations with an epifluorescence microscope, while a multiple-path particle dosimetry model was employed to calculate respiratory deposition. The mean TAM concentrations in the particle size range of 0.65–1.1 μm (TAM0.65–1.1) were 1.23, 2.02, 1.60 and 2.33 times those on sunny reference days relative to the corresponding values on days with slight, mild, moderate and severe levels of haze, respectively. The mean concentration of TAMs in the particle size range of 0.65–2.1 μm (TAM0.65–2.1) on severely hazy days was (2.02 ± 3.28) × 10⁵ cells/m³, with a reduction of 4.16% relative to that on the reference days. The mean TAM0.65–2.1 concentration changed from (1.50 ± 1.37) × 10⁵ cells/m³ to (1.76 ± 1.36) × 10⁵ cells/m³, with TAM0.65–1.1 increasing from (7.91 ± 7.97) × 10⁴ cells/m³ to (1.76 ± 1.33) × 10⁵ cells/m³ on days with light fog days and medium fog, respectively. The modeling results showed that the majority of TAM0.65–2.1 deposition occurred in the extrathoracic (ET) region, followed by the alveolar (AL) region. When different populations were examined separately, the deposition doses (DDs) in adult females and in children ranked at the minimum value (6.19 × 10³ cells/h) and maximum value (1.08 × 10⁴ cells/h), respectively. However, the inhalation risks on polluted days, such as hazy, foggy and mixed hazy–foggy (HF) days, were still below the threshold for adverse impacts on human health.
Article
Urban noise is becoming more serious and increasingly concerning environmental problems. This has led to numerous study on traffic noise. However, not much studies has been done on the noise from a human perspective as they go about their daily life. In this paper we report on the study of noise level in a campus environment, in open common areas which are frequented by students. Using crowd sourcing noise data by volunteers, we are able to map out the noise across the campus from the perspective of the students. The noise level increase through the day as the student gather around popular open spaces. Our study shows that the sound level on campus are due mainly to human and mechanical noise. By mashing the noise data with Wi-Fi log data, we were able to show the good correlation between sound level and human density in an area.
Article
The pandemic of COVID-19 currently shadows the world; the whole earth has been on an unprecedented lockdown. Social distancing among people interrupted domestic and international air traffic, suspended industrial productions and economic activities, and had various far-reaching and undetermined implications on air quality. Improvement in air quality has been reported in many cities during the lockdown. On March 22, 2020, the Turkish government enforced strict lockdown measures to reduce coronavirus disease transmission. This lockdown had a significant impact on the movement of people within the country, which resulted in a major drop in worldwide commercial activities. During this period, university campuses were emptied due to the transition to distance education. In this study, various air pollutants sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), total bacteria, and total fungi were measured in different indoor environments at Eskişehir Technical University Campus in Eskişehir, Turkey during COVID-19 lock down period. Also, to calculate the indoor and outdoor ratios (I/O) of the pollutants, simultaneous outdoor measurements were also carried out. The average indoor SO2, NO2, O3, and PM2.5 concentrations in different indoor environments ranged between 2.10-54.58, 1.36–30.89, 12.01–39.05, and 21–94 μg/m³, respectively. The total number of bacteria and fungi ranged between 21.83-514.15 and 13.10–83.36 CFU/m³, respectively. Our study intends to give a glimpse to quantify the impact of a pandemic on air quality in different indoor environments in a university campus in Eskişehir, Turkey and calls for follow-up studies. Indoor concentrations were evaluated together with outdoor concentrations. In general, it can be said that the calculated I/O ratios for SO2, NO2, O3, bacteria, and fungi were less than 1 in most indoor environments.
Article
Air pollution caused by burning fossil fuel is a threat to human health and climatic change. Traffic congestion increases vehicle emissions and the resulting air pollution. This research examines the ambient air quality around the university highway of Northern Technical University (NTU), Mosul city, Iraq. Major pollutants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxides (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ozone (O3), were measured for a period of 90 days using mobile laboratory devices. Meteorological sensors were also utilized to record air temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and pressure, and all the data were analyzed. The pollutants concentrations were further analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis (PCA). The results revealed that the levels of NOx, PM2.5, and O3 were high, and the maximum benzene value was found to be 9.84 µg/m3 exceeding the established annual limit value of 5 µg/m3 by air quality guidelines and standards. The study is a valuable reference for air pollution and air quality data for Mosul city. The result could be helpful in monitoring and development of the most affordable strategy for air pollution remediation and implementation of control measures for the city of Mosul.
Article
Background Northern China has severe air pollution, especially in winter. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is an established biomarker of airway inflammation. Aim To study associations between ambient temperature, air pollution and FeNO in university students in northern China. Methods We performed a panel study in 67 university students without asthma diagnosis in the city of Taiyuan. FeNO was measured 6 times, over one heating season. Outdoor PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and O3 were measured at a fixed location in the campus. SO2, NO2 and O3 were measured 7 days (24 h/day) before the FeNO test. PM2.5 and PM10 were measured at different lag times (lag 1 day to lag 7 days). Temperature and carbon monoxide (CO) data were collected from a nearby monitoring station (lag 7). Linear mixed models were applied to study associations between exposure and FeNO, adjusting for gender, age, current smoking, height and furry pet or pollen allergy. Results The overall geometric mean (GM) of FeNO was 17.2 ppb. GM of FeNO was lowest (12.9 ppb) in January and highest (20.0 ppb) in April. The range of lag 7 pollution was 105.0–339.0 μg/m³ for PM10, 72.0–180.0 μg/m³ for PM2.5, 36.0–347.0 μg/m³ for SO2, 26.0–69.0 μg/m³ for NO2, 31.0–163.0 μg/m³ for O3 and 0.93–3.14 mg/m³ for CO. The lag 7 temperature ranged from −4.5 to 20.1 °C. FeNO was consistently higher at higher outdoor temperature (p < 0.001). In multi-pollutant models with temperature adjustment, PM10, PM2.5 and SO2 were associated with FeNO (all p-values <0.001). In contrast, CO was negatively associated (protective) with FeNO (p < 0.001). Associations between exposure and FeNO were similar in men and women. Conclusion PM10, PM2.5 and SO2 and outdoor temperature can be associated with airway inflammation, measured as FeNO, in young adults in northern China while CO could be negatively associated with FeNO.
Article
We investigated the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from computers to evaluate the characteristics of indoor air pollution and the potential levels of human exposure. Gaseous naphthalene and phenanthrene were the dominant compounds in the indoor environment. The levels of Σ16 PAHs in an office, a computer room, and a server room were 2–25 times higher than those in outdoor air or in a room without a computer. The PAH profiles inside the computers were similar to those in the indoor air, suggesting that the PAHs released from computers contribute to indoor air pollution. The PAH emissions from computers had a positive relationship with the age of the computer, the operating time, the internal temperature, and the size of the computer. Moreover, this study is the first to identify that computers are an indoor PAH source by confirming PAH emissions from computer components in an enclosed space. Adults are potentially exposed via inhalation to PAHs at a concentration of 1.9 ng TEQ/day in their office. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of PAHs inhaled in an office were lower than the risk threshold set by the US EPA. However, in addition to PAHs, other volatile compounds that may be emitted from computers need to be considered.
Article
To investigate PM2.5-bound heavy metals in indoor–outdoor new campus in Tianjin, PM2.5 sampling was conducted on university campus on December 3–21, 2015. One sample was obtained per day at each site. The sources of heavy metal were analyzed using enrichment factor analysis, the geoaccumulation index, and principal component analysis. The results showed that the heavy metals of Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cu in PM2.5 were the major elements in indoor and outdoor, accounting for approximately 80% of the eight investigated elements. Regarding the indoor elements, approximately 40–43% of Pb, 26–29% of Cu, 34–39% of Zn, 52% of Cd, and 40–42% of Mn originated from the outdoor environment. Cd indicated extreme contamination, and Zn and Pb indicated heavy contamination, both indoors and outdoors. Among the elements, Cd exhibited the highest enrichment degree. Because of its low background value and high toxicity coefficient, Cd represented a severe ecological hazard. V, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb originated primarily from anthropogenic pollution. By contrast, Mn originated primarily from lithophile pollution. Results revealed that heavy metal elements in Tianjin during winter originated primarily from industrial emissions, soil and road dust, fossil and other fuel combustion, and ship emissions. Ambient environment emissions were the dominant sources of heavy metals in winter in university campus of Tianjin.
Article
Sleep is a crucial aspect of the human daily life since it allows us to recover from physical and psychological fatigue and its lack can bring several consequences to human health. People spend around one third of their life sleeping but, despite that, their exposure to pollutants during sleep is often neglected. Specifically, students typically change their habits after entering university, due to the freedom that they are allowed at this stage of their lives. These habits often include their sleep patterns, which not only affects their health, but their academic performance as well. This study aimed to assess the indoor air quality (IAQ) that university students are exposed to in their sleeping environment and how it affects their sleep quality. Firstly, an online survey, based in standardized questionnaires, was conducted to a sample of 1040 individuals to characterize sleep habits and, ultimately, to provide an overview of the sleep quality of the Portuguese population. Students were one of the population groups that showed worse results: only 31% had good sleep quality and only 62% showed good sleep health. Afterwards, a study to assess sleep quality (by actigraphy and standardized questionnaires) and IAQ (by a monitoring unit based in low-cost sensors) during the sleeping period of two consecutive nights of 13 students in Lisbon university dorms was conducted. Mean levels of CO2 and VOCs above the established legislation were found during sleep, indicating that ventilation conditions were not sufficient to keep an acceptable IAQ. Temperature was also out of the acceptable comfort range during 44% of the sleeping time. The perceived sleep quality of students was found to be negatively associated with the number of awakenings and the mean levels of carbon dioxide and relative humidity during the sleeping period. These results confirm previous findings where some IAQ parameters may influence the sleep quality of the individuals, highlighting the importance to focus on the IAQ of sleeping environments as a strategy to improve sleep quality of individuals.
Article
The monitoring of air quality compliance requires the use of Federal Reference Methods (FRM)/Federal Equivalent Methods (FEM); nevertheless, the validity and reliability of low-cost sensors deserve attention due to their affordability and accessibility. This review examines the methodologies of previous studies to characterise the performance of low-cost air quality sensors and to identify the influential factors in sensor evaluation experiments. The data on four statistical measures (Correlation of Determination, r²; Root Mean Square Error, RMSE; Mean Normalised Bias, MNB; and Coefficient of Variation, CV) and details about five methodological factors in experimental design (environmental setting, reference instrument, regression model, pollutant attribute, and sensor original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specification) were extracted from a total of 112 primary articles for a detailed analysis. The results of the analysis suggested that low-cost air quality sensors exhibited improved r² and RMSE in the experiments with stable environmental settings, in the comparison against non-designated reference instruments, or in the analysis where advanced regression models were used to adjust the sensor readings. However, the pollutant attribute and sensor OEM specification had inconclusive effects on r² and RMSE due to contradictory results and lack of sufficient data. MNB and CV, two measures that US EPA recommends to determine the suitable application tier of air quality sensors, varied significantly among published experiments due to the discrepancy in experimental design. The outcomes of this work could provide direction to researchers regarding sensor evaluation experiments and guide practitioners to effectively select and deploy low-cost sensors for air quality monitoring.
Article
Novel Coronavirus disease has affected almost all the countries; which leads to the pandemic, impacting adversely on environment. The impact on environment during pre-and during lockdowns needs an attention to correlate the pollutants from industrial emissions and other factors. Therefore, the current study demonstrates the changes in fine particulate matter PM2.5, PM10 and effect on air quality during lockdown. The highest reduction was observed in lockdown I (25 March - 14 April) as compared to others lockdowns (between 15 April and 31st May 2020) due to the complete shutdown of industrial, transport, and construction activities. A significant reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 from 114.27 μg/m³ and 194.48 μg/m³ for pre-lockdown period to 41.41 μg/m³ and 86.81 μg/m³ for lockdown I was observed. The levels of air quality index fall under satisfactory category for lockdown I whereas satisfactory to moderate category for other lockdowns. The present study revealed a strong correlation between PM2.5 and PM10 levels during the pre-lockdown period (0.71) and through lockdown IV (0.76), which indicate that change in the PM10 level influences the PM2.5 level greatly. The findings of the present study could be scaled up nationwide and might be useful in formulating air pollution reduction policies in the future.
Article
The original architectural design of the campus of University City (UC), of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, was successful in its beginnings, in the 1950s. At that time, the conditions of Acoustic Comfort (AC), were not relevant due to its location in a rural area. UC is located south of Mexico City, which is one of the largest metropolises in the world. Urban changes, the demographic explosion, communications, politics and economic resources have had a profound impact on its environment. In this context, even today, the AC is not considered a priority in the architectural design of new buildings within the campus, which are designed and built the same as 70 years ago. This fact has a negative impact on the acoustic conditions of the premises and interferes with the educational, investigative and administrative processes that are carried out on a day-to-day basis. With the aim of improving the AC in university buildings and using standardized equipment, acoustic conditions were investigated, modeled and systematized in the recent Postgraduate Unit of the UC, in order to propose architectural solutions that improve the conditions in the premises, complying with ANSI/ASA recommendations.
Article
Microbiological air pollutants i.e. airborne bacteria and fungi in public libraries are a potential risk to human health and paper heritage. The present study aims to investigate the variation of indoor and outdoor microbial air quality in the libraries of a public university in relation to ventilation system type, microenvironmental conditions and outdoor microbial concentrations. To determine the bacterial and fungal concentrations, air samples were collected on TSA and PDA media respectively. Fungal and bacterial concentrations ranged within 20–250 CFU/m³ and 20–230 CFU/m³ in indoor and 280–510 CFU/m³ and 20–100 CFU/m³ in the outdoor, respectively. Indoor/Outdoor ratio was lower than 1 for fungi and exceeded 1 for bacteria, indicating that outdoor (plants, soil, waste food, etc.) is the main source of fungi whereas, for bacteria, it is indoor (occupants and their activities). Penicillium spp. (43.6%), Cladosporium spp. (30.5%), and Aspergillus spp. (13%) were found as the dominant fungal genera whereas Bacillus spp. (35%), Staphylococcus spp. (23%), and Micrococcus spp. (18%) were prevailing in monitored libraries. Considering much higher (almost 15 times) occupancy in the library with central mechanical heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the airborne bacterial and fungal concentrations were expected to be higher accordingly. However, the concentration were comparable to those in the buildings facilitated with natural ventilation which indicate that better performance of centralized HVAC system helped neutralizing the effect of higher occupancy on air quality..
Article
Background Despite the development in disaster nursing and the increasing research and related publications, little efforts have been directed to map the global development and trends of disaster nursing literature, identify gaps and guide future research directions in the field. Objectives To generate a comprehensive picture of publications in disaster nursing over the past three decades and provide a discussion on the gaps and directions for future developments in disaster nursing-related research. Methods A bibliometric analysis was used. The Scopus database was utilized to retrieve disaster nursing publications for the period from 1990 to 2019. Findings A total of 1075 publications on disaster nursing were retrieved. The analysis indicated a rapid growth in publications from 2001 to 2014, followed by a plateau. Disaster nursing publications were geographically polarized within the Anglo-Saxon, European Union and Asian countries, with the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom being the top three most productive countries. Both the number of publications by year and countries were significantly correlated with the number of total damages caused by disasters (r=0.42, p<0.05 and r=0.41, p<0.001 respectively). The analysis also highlighted that most of the impactful cooperation among different authors was found within the same countries only. The main keyword-based themes of the publications included disaster, nurses/emergency nurses/military nurses, preparedness, communication, and knowledge. The disaster phase of response received the most attention in disaster nursing followed by preparedness, while very few publications addressed disaster mitigation and recovery. Conclusions This study provides nursing leaders, educators, researchers, and practitioners a comprehensive map of the development of disaster nursing literature in the past three decades. However, the field of disaster nursing is still far from being mature. More empirical and theoretical research, especially in the full spectrum of disaster management, should be investigated to meet the global challenge of disasters. International collaboration should be a significant way in improving the quality of the related research.
Article
Green roofs are an effective nature-based solution to eco-environmental problems arising from climate change and rapid urbanization because they provide multiple ecosystem services and can have a significant positive impact on human well-being. To explore state-of-the-art research, deficiencies, and development trends related to green roof ecosystem services, the “Bibliometrix” R package and “CiteSpace” were used to conduct a quantitative analysis of 1623 English language sources published in Scopus before 2020. Results show that since 1981, the amount of research on green roofs has steadily increased with approximately 40.9% of the articles focusing on regulating services in the contexts of water, 30.0% on the thermal environment, and 3.5% on and air quality. Green roofs have proved effective at reducing urban stormwater management pressures, mitigating the urban heat island effect, reducing energy consumption, and improving air quality. However, no standard assessment methods and tools exist to value green roof ecosystem service delivery; a balance and coordination between different service values are lacking. Future research should focus on customizable low-cost and innovative green roof designs, increasing the number of quantitative case studies, and conducting multi-perspective evaluations. Considering how environmental, social, economic, and other benefits can be achieved on a larger scale is also necessary. Overall, this review helps advance research on green roofs and guide wide-spread implementation in urban areas in response to environmental challenges.
Article
Indoor air particulate samples were collected in the first floor of the Xingyuan canteen of Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST) in Nanjing during the winter season. Meanwhile, outdoor air particulate samples were collected on the roof of a building that is 28 m away from the canteen. The mean PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) concentrations of the indoor and outdoor samples were found to be 99.43 and 103.09 μg/m³, respectively. Through correlation analysis, it was found that more than half of the PM2.5 penetrates from the adjacent outdoor area into the canteen. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the concentration of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in the PM2.5, revealing that the concentration of As, Mn and Cd in the canteen exceeded health standards. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was used to identify the pollution sources of the PM2.5-related heavy metals in the canteen, revealing the following sources in descending order: cooking (34.7%), fuel combustion (28.9%), canteen kitchenware (14.4%), transportation (9.6%), indoor building materials (8%) and the Earth's crust (4.4%). Enrichment factor analysis revealed the source of the excessive As in the canteen to be the outdoor air and the cooking of a large amount of meat in the canteen. The outdoor air contained excessive As and infiltrated the canteen. In addition, the Earth's crust was found to be the source of excessive Mn in the canteen, while transportation was the cause of excessive Cd.
Article
As a crucial absorptive component of aerosols, black carbon (BC) plays a key role in modifying the planetary boundary layer (PBL) meteorology and hence aggravating the haze pollution. In this study, using the seven-channel Aethalometer model AE-33, the equivalent BC aerosols were continuously observed for one year in a typical city of Nanjing in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Together with the pollutant data of PM2.5 and trace gases (NO2, SO2, CO and O3), and the methods of potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) models, the spatiotemporal distribution and source apportionment of BC mass concentrations in Nanjing are discussed. It had large discrepancies in monthly and seasonal variations of BC concentrations, which were found to be the highest in December (3109.4 ± 1875.0 ng m⁻³) and the lowest in September (1300.8 ± 1031.6 ng m⁻³). Meanwhile, the BC concentrations ranked in the order of winter (2619.5 ± 1576.8 ng m⁻³) > spring (2142.4 ± 1219.3 ng m⁻³) > summer (1645.6 ± 1229.7 ng m⁻³) > autumn (1583.1 ± 1333.1 ng m⁻³). The diurnal variation of BC exhibited bimodal distributions in four seasons, peaking at 07:00–09:00 and 20:00–23:00, respectively. Fossil fuel BC (BCff) was calculated to contribute 71–77% to BC concentration. Long-range transport of BC was noticed mainly across inland China of North China Plain (NCP) and Twain-Hu regions in winter, and from the eastern YRD and southern PRD regions in summer. Overall, BC in Nanjing mainly originated from the surrounding cities in YRD, which had a maximum contribution more than 2000 ng m⁻³. The potential sources of BC varied significantly in the four seasons.
Article
s The present study aims to assess spatial and seasonal variations of indoor air quality (IAQ) among ten different indoor microenvironments of a technical university in India. Particulate matters (PM10 and PM2.5), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) indicators (i.e. temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation) were monitored during monsoon, winter and summer seasons from August 2018 to June 2019. The occupants’ perception about IAQ of studied microenvironments was analysed from 137 valid responses. The IAQ was found varying significantly (P < 0.05) among the studied microenvironments. The highest concentrations for indoor PM10, PM2.5 and CO2 were found in lecture halls with concentration exceeding the recommended guidelines values and standards; whereas the higher TVOC levels with exceeding the threshold limit were recorded in the laboratories. Further, the ventilation rate in the studied lecture halls and offices were found below the recommended ASHRAE values. Indoor concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and TVOC showed strong seasonal variation (P < 0.05). PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were found higher in the winter season, ranging from 1.8 μg/m³ to 159.7 μg/m³ and from 18.2 μg/m³ to 108 μg/m³, respectively. The indoor microenvironments having natural ventilation with open windows had shown higher seasonal variation compared to an air-conditioned microenvironment. Indoor to outdoor (I/O) ratios of PM2.5, TVOC and CO2 concentrations were found to be greater than 1. Indoor activities, ventilation and occupancy, were responsible for seasonal and spatial variability among indoor microenvironments.
Article
In this study, inorganic geochemical characterization of the thoracic (or < 10 μm) fraction of road dust in Barranquilla (a major industrial city in the Caribbean region) was conducted. Samples were collected directly from street pavements, and the fraction of particles < 10 μm was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Major elements including Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and S were the most abundant species, accounting for 23 ± 18% of the mass of thoracic particles. Enrichment factor was calculated obtaining that Sb, Sn, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Fe had a dominant anthropogenic influence. An exploratory analysis of morphology and geochemical composition of ultrafine particles was conducted using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM). Iron particles were identified as enriched compounds and as a mineral (magnetite). Hazardous ultrafine particles (UFPs, with diameter < 100 nm) such as TiO2 and Pb (agglomerated shape), and V and Ni (almost-spherical carbonaceous particles) were also detected. The braking process was identified as a crucial urban source of thoracic particles and UFPs. The results provide data that can be used to better understand and manage road dust.
Article
Phthalates are widely used as plasticizers in consumer products and are ubiquitous in indoor environments. Undergraduates spend a high amount of time indoors, however, little is known on the pollution characteristics and exposure to phthalates in indoor air in a university setting. In this study, passive air samplers measured the concentrations of phthalates in air from dormitories, classrooms, computer rooms, laboratories, and offices of a university in Beijing, China. A Monte-Carlo simulation was used to estimate the undergraduates’ exposure via inhalation based on air concentrations. Six phthalates were detected, including Dimethyl phthalate(DMP), Di (isobutyl) phthalate(DiBP), Di (n-butyl) phthalate(DnBP), Di (2-Methoxyethyl) phthalate(DMEP), Di (2-n-Butoxyethyl) phthalate(DBEP), and Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP). Sampling rates of polyurethane foam (PUF) were obtained from a calibration study by co-deploying passive and active air samplers in offices and laboratories, and the average sampling rate was 0.62 ± 0.33 m³/day. DnBP and DMEP were the most abundant phthalates in total investigated environments at the university. DMP, DnBP, and DMEP air concentrations showed significant differences in different indoor environments (p < 0.05). All phthalate concentrations were not significantly different between the sunny sides and shadowy sides of rooms (p > 0.05). DMP concentrations were significantly different between male and female dormitories (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis suggests that DiBP, DnBP, and DMEP may originate from the same sources, while DBEP and DEHP may originate from a separate common source. The daily intake of phthalates via inhalation in dormitories is greater than in classrooms, except for DMP, which may lead to higher carcinogenic risks for undergraduates.
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In parallel with rapidly increasing population and number of motor vehicles, irregular urbanization, and unplanned industrialization, air pollution has reached dangerous levels in developing cities. Various industries such as textile, automotive, chemical, rubber and plastic industries are located in Bursa. In addition, the region receives a lot of migration and there is an intensive air pollution problem due to dense urbanization. The air quality monitoring station results showed that the PM10 and NOx are the main pollutants reducing air quality in the city. Despite the much efforts and regulations, air quality level has been getting worst year by year. Stakeholders were brought together to explore the true causes of non-blocking emissions, identify resource loads and priorities, and develop solutions. The current level and variation of air pollutant concentrations depending on years were presented to stakeholders. A survey and discussion were performed within the workshop, and consequently; industry, transportation, heating and uncontrolled combustion activities came front. Especially the fact that the industry is located in the city and the transportation network of the city is inadequate has emerged as the main source of air pollution problem. In order to develop effective solution, it was emphasized that effective supervision should come to the forefront and new industrial facilities should not be established in the regions in or near the city.
Article
The present study aimed to assess BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) concentrations, their sources and health risk estimates in Shiraz, the fifth-most populous city in Iran. Air samples were collected from 19 sampling stations across Shiraz using passive samplers. Identification and quantification of BTEX were conducted by a Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Spatial distribution of BTEX compounds were mapped by inverse distance weighting (IDW) procedure. Monte Carlo simulation was employed to assess the corresponding carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of BTEX concentrations. BTEX concentrations were higher than current levels in Western countries but lower than concentrations measured in East Asia. Analysis of individual BTEX ratios and their strong correlation indicated that fresh traffic emissions were the main contributor to these compounds in Shiraz, with additional sources contributing to toluene (e.g. industrial solvent use) and benzene (e.g. evaporative emissions). The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for benzene and ethylbenzene were estimated to be 6.49 × 10⁻⁷- 1.27 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.21 × 10⁻⁷- 2.37 × 10⁻⁶, respectively, exceeding the WHO and EPA recommendations. The current evaluation of BTEX sources and associated health risks will assist policymakers to define action plans to minimize BTEX exposure in Shiraz and similar cities in the Middle East.