Pub Date : 2025-10-17DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100130
Fredrik Domhagen, Carl-Eric Hagentoft
New buildings often initially have elevated levels of VOC emissions that negatively affect the perceived indoor air quality. Increased ventilation is therefore commonly used in new buildings to reduce VOC concentrations and speed up the depletion of VOC within the materials. In this work we present a new analytic method, using Laplace networks, for precise prediction and analysis of VOC emissions in new buildings. The method handles multiple materials and is flexible and easily extendable to more complex cases. The method is validated with numerical simulations and used to analyze a room specific time-constant for assessing early-stage emissions. Results show that the time-constant, together with a general eerfc-function, is useful for relating material properties, emitting area and ventilation rates to time. The proposed method is also used to derive several simplified models that predict emissions and concentrations at various stages, giving new insights into the impact from input parameters and relevant timescales. Given its high computational speed, the method is also proven to be suitable for uncertainty analysis when input data is limited.
{"title":"Modeling VOC-emissions in a building using Laplace networks – simplified models, explicit expressions and typical timescales","authors":"Fredrik Domhagen, Carl-Eric Hagentoft","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>New buildings often initially have elevated levels of VOC emissions that negatively affect the perceived indoor air quality. Increased ventilation is therefore commonly used in new buildings to reduce VOC concentrations and speed up the depletion of VOC within the materials. In this work we present a new analytic method, using Laplace networks, for precise prediction and analysis of VOC emissions in new buildings. The method handles multiple materials and is flexible and easily extendable to more complex cases. The method is validated with numerical simulations and used to analyze a room specific time-constant for assessing early-stage emissions. Results show that the time-constant, together with a general eerfc-function, is useful for relating material properties, emitting area and ventilation rates to time. The proposed method is also used to derive several simplified models that predict emissions and concentrations at various stages, giving new insights into the impact from input parameters and relevant timescales. Given its high computational speed, the method is also proven to be suitable for uncertainty analysis when input data is limited.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100131
Marianne F. Touchie
Housing around the world needs to be retrofit to achieve our decarbonization goals. Social (or public) housing is a particularly critical sector given that it often serves priority populations who have limited choice in how they are housed. At the same time, social housing in many jurisdictions suffers disproportionately from poor performance that impacts the resident experience including substandard indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal discomfort and broader control issues, often due to underinvestment at the time of construction and throughout the building service life. Further, these performance issues will be exacerbated as our changing climate brings more extreme weather events, including heat waves and wildfires. By focusing retrofit goals entirely on decarbonization, the performance issues impacting residents often remain unaddressed, therefore a framework for considering post-retrofit building performance more holistically is needed. The concept of “multi-solving” retrofits, where multiple performance issues are addressed through a single project, presents a framework through which we can expand our consideration of retrofits beyond energy and carbon. These new directions include reducing life cycle carbon burdens and improving resilience to extreme events; housing affordability; health, comfort and control; and livability and community are described. By applying this framework, retrofit investments can yield benefits for residents that extend beyond initial environmental goals. Following an introduction to the framework and examples of how it can be applied, future directions for the research community, policy makers and industry are suggested to promote widespread adoption of resident-centric retrofits (where resident needs are prioritized) that address the multitude of challenges facing social housing globally. These directions include the need for better data collection on holistic retrofit performance, co-benefit valuation and decision support tools for the building industry.
{"title":"Resident-centric retrofits for social housing: A multi-solving approach","authors":"Marianne F. Touchie","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Housing around the world needs to be retrofit to achieve our decarbonization goals. Social (or public) housing is a particularly critical sector given that it often serves priority populations who have limited choice in how they are housed. At the same time, social housing in many jurisdictions suffers disproportionately from poor performance that impacts the resident experience including substandard indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal discomfort and broader control issues, often due to underinvestment at the time of construction and throughout the building service life. Further, these performance issues will be exacerbated as our changing climate brings more extreme weather events, including heat waves and wildfires. By focusing retrofit goals entirely on decarbonization, the performance issues impacting residents often remain unaddressed, therefore a framework for considering post-retrofit building performance more holistically is needed. The concept of “multi-solving” retrofits, where multiple performance issues are addressed through a single project, presents a framework through which we can expand our consideration of retrofits beyond energy and carbon. These new directions include reducing life cycle carbon burdens and improving resilience to extreme events; housing affordability; health, comfort and control; and livability and community are described. By applying this framework, retrofit investments can yield benefits for residents that extend beyond initial environmental goals. Following an introduction to the framework and examples of how it can be applied, future directions for the research community, policy makers and industry are suggested to promote widespread adoption of resident-centric retrofits (where resident needs are prioritized) that address the multitude of challenges facing social housing globally. These directions include the need for better data collection on holistic retrofit performance, co-benefit valuation and decision support tools for the building industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100131"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145321057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100128
Jessica P. Hollenbach , Misti Levy Zamora , Floraine Evardo , Tu Anh Ngoc Nguyen , Amirul Anuar , Tyler Rogers , Kristina Wagstrom , Marina A. Creed
School indoor air quality (IAQ) has long been overlooked, despite its known impact on staff and student health and academic performance. In response to heightened concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team partnered with a public school district (PreK–12) in Connecticut to distribute 200 low-cost, do-it-yourself Corsi-Rosenthal (C-R) box air purifiers. At the end of the 2021–2022 academic year, educators were surveyed to understand their experiences with the C-R boxes. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions. Our results show that most educators found the boxes quiet (60 %), easy to move (90 %), and durable (71 %). 31 % reported turning them off during instruction time to reduce interference with educators’ voices. Interestingly, lower-grade educators were significantly more likely than high school educators to report C-R box sound as an issue (p < 0.025). Only one third of educators believed C-R boxes were a distraction. When asked about the perceived effectiveness of C-R boxes, nearly half (48 %) were unsure, and many indicated an interest in learning more. Overall, educators reported that C-R boxes were low burden, easy to manage, not distracting, and a positive experience. Future work will focus on addressing the feedback around C-R box effectiveness, using objective tools to increase engagement and address concerns around maintenance.
{"title":"Do-it-yourself air purifiers: Educator attitudes and perceptions in a K-12 public school district","authors":"Jessica P. Hollenbach , Misti Levy Zamora , Floraine Evardo , Tu Anh Ngoc Nguyen , Amirul Anuar , Tyler Rogers , Kristina Wagstrom , Marina A. Creed","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>School indoor air quality (IAQ) has long been overlooked, despite its known impact on staff and student health and academic performance. In response to heightened concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team partnered with a public school district (PreK–12) in Connecticut to distribute 200 low-cost, do-it-yourself Corsi-Rosenthal (C-R) box air purifiers. At the end of the 2021–2022 academic year, educators were surveyed to understand their experiences with the C-R boxes. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions. Our results show that most educators found the boxes quiet (60 %), easy to move (90 %), and durable (71 %). 31 % reported turning them off during instruction time to reduce interference with educators’ voices. Interestingly, lower-grade educators were significantly more likely than high school educators to report C-R box sound as an issue (p < 0.025). Only one third of educators believed C-R boxes were a distraction. When asked about the perceived effectiveness of C-R boxes, nearly half (48 %) were unsure, and many indicated an interest in learning more. Overall, educators reported that C-R boxes were low burden, easy to manage, not distracting, and a positive experience. Future work will focus on addressing the feedback around C-R box effectiveness, using objective tools to increase engagement and address concerns around maintenance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100126
Andrew B. Martin , Stephen M. Zimmerman , Liora E. Mael , Dustin Poppendieck , Delphine K. Farmer , Marina E. Vance
This work investigates the transport of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in a multi-story test house using cooking emissions as a point source. The test house was instrumented with 13 PM2.5 monitors, and the particle sources included pan cooking and air frying, as well as ambient PM2.5 penetration during periods of no indoor activity. In the absence of indoor sources, we observed about 10 % of ambient PM2.5 concentrations penetrating indoors with a time lag of ≈ 1 h. Similar peak PM2.5 concentrations were observed for pan frying and air frying of the same food ingredients. A cross-correlation analysis showed that it took 2–4 min for kitchen peak concentrations to reach other sensors on the first floor and about 8 min to reach the second floor. PM2.5 concentrations were heterogeneous on the first floor, with non-kitchen areas peaking at 45 % ± 9 % of kitchen levels. Second-floor concentrations were more homogeneous, peaking at 18 % ± 2 % of kitchen levels. Using a typical occupancy scenario, the highest estimated personal PM2.5 exposure (44 %) was experienced in the kitchen/dining area, which accounted for 9 % of the time spent at home. We used three modeling approaches to analyze particle transport throughout the house, with increasing input requirements: a multi-box model, an empirical model, and the NIST CONTAM model. All models predicted time integrated PM2.5 concentrations on the 1st and 2nd floors, with R2 between 0.57 and 0.82 and RMSE from 6 µg m−3 to 11 µg m−3.
{"title":"Investigating transport of particulate matter from cooking emissions in a multi-story house using low-cost sensor measurements and different modeling approaches","authors":"Andrew B. Martin , Stephen M. Zimmerman , Liora E. Mael , Dustin Poppendieck , Delphine K. Farmer , Marina E. Vance","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work investigates the transport of fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) in a multi-story test house using cooking emissions as a point source. The test house was instrumented with 13 PM<sub>2.5</sub> monitors, and the particle sources included pan cooking and air frying, as well as ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> penetration during periods of no indoor activity. In the absence of indoor sources, we observed about 10 % of ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations penetrating indoors with a time lag of ≈ 1 h. Similar peak PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were observed for pan frying and air frying of the same food ingredients. A cross-correlation analysis showed that it took 2–4 min for kitchen peak concentrations to reach other sensors on the first floor and about 8 min to reach the second floor. PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were heterogeneous on the first floor, with non-kitchen areas peaking at 45 % ± 9 % of kitchen levels. Second-floor concentrations were more homogeneous, peaking at 18 % ± 2 % of kitchen levels. Using a typical occupancy scenario, the highest estimated personal PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure (44 %) was experienced in the kitchen/dining area, which accounted for 9 % of the time spent at home. We used three modeling approaches to analyze particle transport throughout the house, with increasing input requirements: a multi-box model, an empirical model, and the NIST CONTAM model. All models predicted time integrated PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations on the 1st and 2nd floors, with R<sup>2</sup> between 0.57 and 0.82 and RMSE from 6 µg m<sup>−3</sup> to 11 µg m<sup>−3</sup>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100127
Joan F. Rey , Corinne Hager Jörin , Matias Cesari , Philippe Favreau , Roxane Pasquettaz , Vincent Perret , Joëlle Goyette Pernot
Indoor air pollution is a major threat to human health, contributing to both acute and chronic diseases in exposed individuals. School environments are particularly at risk, as they host vulnerable populations which spend a considerable amount of time indoors. Among the myriad pollutants found in indoor settings, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are especially common and some of them have been associated with health effects from irritation to cancer following prolonged exposure. In this study, we assessed the presence of VOCs in 24 primary schools in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. VOCs were passively sampled at each school in three locations (twice indoors and once outdoors) for four one-week campaigns conducted across different seasons. These campaigns also captured variations due to SARS-CoV-2 protective measures and energy-saving restrictions. Overall, indoor air quality was found to be good in most of the monitored classrooms. However, elevated levels of alcohol (ethanol and isopropanol), reaching up to 40,000 µg/m3, were observed in classrooms during the enforcement of pandemic-related protective measures. Mechanical ventilation systems were associated with a general reduction in VOC exposure. Regarding indoor air reference values, most of the regulated compounds were in line with Switzerland’s or neighboring countries’ guidelines. This study demonstrates that although VOC concentrations generally remain low and within recommended limits, their consistent presence indicates numerous potential sources of exposure for both children and teachers, who spend extended periods in these environments.
{"title":"Influences of season, ventilation, SARS-CoV-2 pandemic protective measures, and energy-shortage on VOC levels in Western Switzerland’s primary schools","authors":"Joan F. Rey , Corinne Hager Jörin , Matias Cesari , Philippe Favreau , Roxane Pasquettaz , Vincent Perret , Joëlle Goyette Pernot","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Indoor air pollution is a major threat to human health, contributing to both acute and chronic diseases in exposed individuals. School environments are particularly at risk, as they host vulnerable populations which spend a considerable amount of time indoors. Among the myriad pollutants found in indoor settings, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are especially common and some of them have been associated with health effects from irritation to cancer following prolonged exposure. In this study, we assessed the presence of VOCs in 24 primary schools in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. VOCs were passively sampled at each school in three locations (twice indoors and once outdoors) for four one-week campaigns conducted across different seasons. These campaigns also captured variations due to SARS-CoV-2 protective measures and energy-saving restrictions. Overall, indoor air quality was found to be good in most of the monitored classrooms. However, elevated levels of alcohol (ethanol and isopropanol), reaching up to 40,000 µg/m<sup>3</sup>, were observed in classrooms during the enforcement of pandemic-related protective measures. Mechanical ventilation systems were associated with a general reduction in VOC exposure. Regarding indoor air reference values, most of the regulated compounds were in line with Switzerland’s or neighboring countries’ guidelines. This study demonstrates that although VOC concentrations generally remain low and within recommended limits, their consistent presence indicates numerous potential sources of exposure for both children and teachers, who spend extended periods in these environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100125
Stavroula Angelaki
This literature review aims to identify and discuss research studies exploring lighting in school environments from 1980 to 2020. The article explores how methods and tools, attributed to various research fields, have been used in education-related studies. The review has shown a shift in focus related to light variables studied across the four decades, from daylight to electric lighting. Additionally, the methods used to evaluate and suggest new lighting shifted from participatory approaches to software simulations, resulting in a primarily mixed-method approach during the last decade (2010–2020). Lighting evaluations are at the forefront of research projects, followed by retrofit solutions and new design implementations. This approach reveals a gap in design processes to implement new lighting. The article discusses the importance of an interdisciplinary and mixed-method approach when working with educational environments, underlining lighting characteristics that require further study, and the importance of learning activities in connection to lighting.
{"title":"A review on methodological transitions in school lighting research from 1980 to 2020","authors":"Stavroula Angelaki","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This literature review aims to identify and discuss research studies exploring lighting in school environments from 1980 to 2020. The article explores how methods and tools, attributed to various research fields, have been used in education-related studies. The review has shown a shift in focus related to light variables studied across the four decades, from daylight to electric lighting. Additionally, the methods used to evaluate and suggest new lighting shifted from participatory approaches to software simulations, resulting in a primarily mixed-method approach during the last decade (2010–2020). Lighting evaluations are at the forefront of research projects, followed by retrofit solutions and new design implementations. This approach reveals a gap in design processes to implement new lighting. The article discusses the importance of an interdisciplinary and mixed-method approach when working with educational environments, underlining lighting characteristics that require further study, and the importance of learning activities in connection to lighting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) guidelines and standards aim to ensure consistent, safe and healthy indoor spaces by providing clear benchmarks for air quality, lighting, thermal comfort and acoustics. Many countries and organizations have established their own IEQ regulations and standards or guidelines, but discrepancies in parameters, definitions, methods, and updating frequency often cause them to lag behind the latest scientific and technological advancements, potentially limiting their effectiveness. Researchers and practitioners advocate for the simplification and unification of IEQ guidelines, though risking overlooking geographical and cultural specificities. To address these challenges, and to help preserve and use current knowledge, an open database compiling worldwide IEQ guidelines was developed, ensuring equitable access to up-to-date information. The database covers four key IEQ domains, indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, acoustics, and lighting, as well as two related domains: ventilation and outdoor air quality (OAQ). Ventilation is a critical factor influencing most of the other IEQ domains, while OAQ guidelines are sometimes used in the absence of indoor-specific guidelines. Each of the six resulting tables includes both mandatory governmental regulations and voluntary guidelines, along with internationally recognized standards for broader relevance. This paper summarizes key lessons learned from database development and data collection efforts over the past five years. Practical IEQ guidelines and standards balance health and wellbeing outcomes with environmental, economic, and comfort considerations. Guidelines and standards can work best when science-based, adaptable to regional contexts, and structured with clear, measurable parameters, such as exposure limits, timeframes, and validated measurement methods. Collaboration between scientific research, technological advancements, and policy development can ensure regulations remain effective and up to date. To increase compliance and raise public awareness, the database consolidates and shares existing international guidelines and standards, supporting global alignment with best practices while accommodating resource constraints and regional specificities.
{"title":"Lessons learned from developing the worldwide IEQ guidelines database","authors":"Samy Clinchard , Henna Maula , Piet Jacobs , Amelia Staszowska , Suchismita Bhattacharjee , Marzenna Dudzinska , Sani Dimitroulopoulou , Christina Higgins , Xiaojun Fan , Ju-Hyeong Park , Oluyemi Toyinbo , Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) guidelines and standards aim to ensure consistent, safe and healthy indoor spaces by providing clear benchmarks for air quality, lighting, thermal comfort and acoustics. Many countries and organizations have established their own IEQ regulations and standards or guidelines, but discrepancies in parameters, definitions, methods, and updating frequency often cause them to lag behind the latest scientific and technological advancements, potentially limiting their effectiveness. Researchers and practitioners advocate for the simplification and unification of IEQ guidelines, though risking overlooking geographical and cultural specificities. To address these challenges, and to help preserve and use current knowledge, an open database compiling worldwide IEQ guidelines was developed, ensuring equitable access to up-to-date information. The database covers four key IEQ domains, indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, acoustics, and lighting, as well as two related domains: ventilation and outdoor air quality (OAQ). Ventilation is a critical factor influencing most of the other IEQ domains, while OAQ guidelines are sometimes used in the absence of indoor-specific guidelines. Each of the six resulting tables includes both mandatory governmental regulations and voluntary guidelines, along with internationally recognized standards for broader relevance. This paper summarizes key lessons learned from database development and data collection efforts over the past five years. Practical IEQ guidelines and standards balance health and wellbeing outcomes with environmental, economic, and comfort considerations. Guidelines and standards can work best when science-based, adaptable to regional contexts, and structured with clear, measurable parameters, such as exposure limits, timeframes, and validated measurement methods. Collaboration between scientific research, technological advancements, and policy development can ensure regulations remain effective and up to date. To increase compliance and raise public awareness, the database consolidates and shares existing international guidelines and standards, supporting global alignment with best practices while accommodating resource constraints and regional specificities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145159723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), including indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, lighting, and noise, is a critical determinant of health, well-being, and productivity. However, African countries remain underrepresented in IEQ research, policy, and advocacy, despite facing unique challenges such as energy poverty, reliance on biomass fuels, inadequate building practices, poor ventilation, overheating, inadequate lighting, and pervasive noise pollution. These conditions increase health risks and compromise learning, working, and living environments.
This paper highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to IEQ in Africa, addressing not only indoor air pollution but also thermal discomfort from rising temperatures, insufficient indoor lighting, and chronic exposure to harmful noise levels. It introduces the "Promoting IEQ and IAQ in Africa" initiative launched by the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ), which aims to foster research collaboration, raise awareness, support context-specific solutions, and influence policy development tailored to Africa’s diverse climates and socio-economic realities. By aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative advocates healthier and more sustainable indoor environments across the continent. This paper serves as a call to action for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to work together to advance IEQ research, innovation, and advocacy for African communities.
{"title":"Advancing indoor environmental quality in African countries: A call to action for awareness, research, and policy","authors":"Oluyemi Toyinbo , Jacob Mensah-Attipoe , Elisephane Irankunda , Ibeh Gabriel Friday , Abiyu Kerebo Berekute , Fabiano Gibson Daud Thulu , Adeshokan Muktar Olawale , Miriam Byrne , Kati Huttunen , Tunrayo Oluwadare , Lucmane Koala , Jhao-Hong Chen , Xiaojun Fan , James Waichoka , Reginald Quansah , Egide Kalisa , Pawel Wargocki","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), including indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, lighting, and noise, is a critical determinant of health, well-being, and productivity. However, African countries remain underrepresented in IEQ research, policy, and advocacy, despite facing unique challenges such as energy poverty, reliance on biomass fuels, inadequate building practices, poor ventilation, overheating, inadequate lighting, and pervasive noise pollution. These conditions increase health risks and compromise learning, working, and living environments.</div><div>This paper highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to IEQ in Africa, addressing not only indoor air pollution but also thermal discomfort from rising temperatures, insufficient indoor lighting, and chronic exposure to harmful noise levels. It introduces the \"Promoting IEQ and IAQ in Africa\" initiative launched by the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ), which aims to foster research collaboration, raise awareness, support context-specific solutions, and influence policy development tailored to Africa’s diverse climates and socio-economic realities. By aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative advocates healthier and more sustainable indoor environments across the continent. This paper serves as a call to action for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to work together to advance IEQ research, innovation, and advocacy for African communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-13DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100121
Haoran Zhao , Eric Martin , Tanvir Khan , David Chasar , Jeffrey Sonne , Charles R. Withers Jr. , Marion L. Russell , William W. Delp , Wanyu Rengie Chan , Iain S. Walker , Brett C. Singer
This study examines whole-house mechanical ventilation (WHMV) and indoor air quality (IAQ) in 51 single-family homes constructed since 2013 in the humid southeastern U.S. Homes were monitored for one or two weeks, operating with or without WHMV, or under both conditions (two-week homes, n = 11). Measurements included envelope and duct airtightness; mechanical ventilation airflows; time-resolved CO₂, PM2.5, formaldehyde, and radon; and time-integrated gravimetric PM2.5, NO₂, NOₓ, and formaldehyde. Participants reported on ventilation use, IAQ-related activities and perceptions. Major deficiencies were observed in WHMV installation, operation, and occupant awareness. Thirty-seven homes had controlled WHMV equipment. Twenty-one could meet the ASHRAE 62.2–2010 airflow requirement with continuous or controlled runtime, but only 11 systems were operating at the field team’s arrival (as-found condition). Performance and homeowner awareness varied by system type. Most energy recovery ventilators and ventilating dehumidifiers were functional and operating as found, with owners aware of their purpose. Fifteen homes had exhaust fans with compliant airflow and sound ratings but no labeling, and owners did consider them WHMV. Central Fan integrated supply (CFIS) systems were rarely functional. Six homes had no kitchen exhaust ventilation, and only 35 had airflow above the 50 L/s requirement of 62.2–2010 at any setting. PM2.5 concentrations were low in most homes. WHMV operation did not discernibly lower PM2.5 or formaldehyde but did significantly reduce CO2 and radon in both two-week homes and all homes with/out WHMV. Occupants of homes with WHMV operating as found felt they had better control of temperature and relative humidity.
{"title":"Mechanical ventilation and indoor air quality in recently constructed homes in the humid climate of the Southeast U.S.","authors":"Haoran Zhao , Eric Martin , Tanvir Khan , David Chasar , Jeffrey Sonne , Charles R. Withers Jr. , Marion L. Russell , William W. Delp , Wanyu Rengie Chan , Iain S. Walker , Brett C. Singer","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines whole-house mechanical ventilation (WHMV) and indoor air quality (IAQ) in 51 single-family homes constructed since 2013 in the humid southeastern U.S. Homes were monitored for one or two weeks, operating with or without WHMV, or under both conditions (two-week homes, n = 11). Measurements included envelope and duct airtightness; mechanical ventilation airflows; time-resolved CO₂, PM<sub>2.5</sub>, formaldehyde, and radon; and time-integrated gravimetric PM<sub>2.5</sub>, NO₂, NOₓ, and formaldehyde. Participants reported on ventilation use, IAQ-related activities and perceptions. Major deficiencies were observed in WHMV installation, operation, and occupant awareness. Thirty-seven homes had controlled WHMV equipment. Twenty-one could meet the ASHRAE 62.2–2010 airflow requirement with continuous or controlled runtime, but only 11 systems were operating at the field team’s arrival (as-found condition). Performance and homeowner awareness varied by system type. Most energy recovery ventilators and ventilating dehumidifiers were functional and operating as found, with owners aware of their purpose. Fifteen homes had exhaust fans with compliant airflow and sound ratings but no labeling, and owners did consider them WHMV. Central Fan integrated supply (CFIS) systems were rarely functional. Six homes had no kitchen exhaust ventilation, and only 35 had airflow above the 50 L/s requirement of 62.2–2010 at any setting. PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were low in most homes. WHMV operation did not discernibly lower PM<sub>2.5</sub> or formaldehyde but did significantly reduce CO<sub>2</sub> and radon in both two-week homes and all homes with/out WHMV. Occupants of homes with WHMV operating as found felt they had better control of temperature and relative humidity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100121"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A deeper understanding of the fate, transport, and exposure of indoor pesticides is needed, especially for application methods specific to indoor environments, such as perimeter and crack-and-crevice treatments. This study addresses this research need by investigating indoor dynamics of pesticides and estimating residential pesticide exposures. For four widely-used pesticides with diverse chemical properties, we refined and applied our multi-compartment indoor fate, transport, and exposure model to simulate time-dependent concentrations across multiple media, integrating exposures over 1- and 30-day periods. Our model shows that when pesticides are applied to floor edges, < 1 % of the total applied mass is transported from treated areas to air or untreated surfaces over 30 days of simulation. Because of limited measurement data for robust model validation, we compared our model’s estimates to those from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regulatory model. Comparison revealed that our model’s total exposure estimates are 2–5 orders of magnitude lower than those from the SOP model. Notably, even greater differences were observed for individual exposure routes, as the SOP model does not account for chemical properties but assumes that a fixed daily fraction of the applied mass is available for exposure. In contrast, our model accounts for chemical-specific fate and transport processes. This study highlights the critical role of incorporating chemical fate and transport in residential pesticide exposure assessments. However, monitoring studies are needed to validate our model estimates with measurements collected over time from indoor air and surfaces under known application methods and rates.
{"title":"Indoor residential pesticide fate, transport, and exposure model","authors":"Noshin Anjum Kamal , Raghavendhran Avanasi , Carrie Huffman , Raj Saran , Tharacad Ramanarayanan , Deborah H. Bennett , Hyeong-Moo Shin","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A deeper understanding of the fate, transport, and exposure of indoor pesticides is needed, especially for application methods specific to indoor environments, such as perimeter and crack-and-crevice treatments. This study addresses this research need by investigating indoor dynamics of pesticides and estimating residential pesticide exposures. For four widely-used pesticides with diverse chemical properties, we refined and applied our multi-compartment indoor fate, transport, and exposure model to simulate time-dependent concentrations across multiple media, integrating exposures over 1- and 30-day periods. Our model shows that when pesticides are applied to floor edges, < 1 % of the total applied mass is transported from treated areas to air or untreated surfaces over 30 days of simulation. Because of limited measurement data for robust model validation, we compared our model’s estimates to those from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regulatory model. Comparison revealed that our model’s total exposure estimates are 2–5 orders of magnitude lower than those from the SOP model. Notably, even greater differences were observed for individual exposure routes, as the SOP model does not account for chemical properties but assumes that a fixed daily fraction of the applied mass is available for exposure. In contrast, our model accounts for chemical-specific fate and transport processes. This study highlights the critical role of incorporating chemical fate and transport in residential pesticide exposure assessments. However, monitoring studies are needed to validate our model estimates with measurements collected over time from indoor air and surfaces under known application methods and rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100122"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145050502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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