Environmental Quality Factors Research Articles

New insights on the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of Chinese marine environmental quality and its driving factors from 2003 to 2021

As land and sea integration continues to accelerate, it will inevitably have an effect on the marine ecological environment. However, the study on spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of Chinese marine environmental quality and its driving factors was lacking. This paper employs Regression Analysis, Spearman Correlation Analysis, Canonical Correlation Analysis, Boston Consulting Group Matrix and Environmental Kuznets Curve to examine the spatial–temporal distribution characteristics and correlation factors of Chinese jurisdictional sea areas environmental quality. The environmental quality of the waters under China's jurisdiction improved on average from 2003 to 2021, the area of sea with excellent water quality increased by 7.21 × 104 km2. The spatial distribution showed “South superior, North inferior” trend. The accumulated red tide area is 2.01 × 105 km2, and the green tide has the average maximum area of distribution is 3.13 × 104 km2. The marine dumping area's volume of waste has a three stages of slow rise (2003–2007), steady (2008–2014) and rapid rise (2015–2021). The average percentage of seawater bathing areas with good water quality is 82.10 %. Urban Environmental Infrastructure Investment and Urban Drainage Construction Investments are positively correlated with excellent water quality and negatively correlated with light-sewage water quality. The typical correlation for the group “Environmental Quality/Environmental Governance” is 0.911, and the strongest correlation is between excellent water quality and urban drainage construction investment. The typical correlation coefficient for the “Environmental Quality/Socioeconomic” group is 0.960, and the strongest correlation is between excellent water quality and per capita GDP. The Gross Ocean Product, Per Capita GDP, Proportion of Non-agricultural Industries, Year-end Resident Population, and excellent water quality are positively correlated whereas light-sewage water quality is negatively correlated. Liaoning, Tianjin, Shandong and Guangdong shift from high-pollution-low-investment to low-pollution-low-investment model. Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian and Hainan maintain high-pollution-low-investment model, Hainan maintains high-pollution-high-investment model. Jiangsu maintains low-pollution-low-investment model. Hebei and Guangxi shift from low-pollution-low-investment to low-pollution-high-investment model. Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Guangxi and Shanghai show inverted “N” shape, Jiangsu shows positive “N” shape, Zhejiang and Fujian show monotonic decline shape, Guangdong and Hainan show positive “U” shape. The results could provide valuable suggestions for coastal provinces to accomplish economic development and environmental improvement, which to prevent the old way of “pollution first and treatment later”.

The Impact of Indoor Environmental Quality on Occupant Satisfaction in Commercial Buildings: A Comparison of Building Expert Opinions and Residents’ Experiences

This paper investigates the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) factors influencing occupant satisfaction in commercial buildings in Iran, contrasting the views of building experts (architects and engineers) with those of building occupants. Employing the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), this study focuses on the four primary IEQ factors: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, visual comfort, and acoustic comfort. The study aims to bridge the gap between expert evaluations and occupant perceptions of IEQ factors in commercial buildings in Iran. By examining the disparities in prioritising IEQ factors between these two groups, the study sheds light on the complexities of IEQ assessment and highlights the importance of considering diverse perspectives in optimising indoor environments. Our methodology includes a survey conducted among 30 building experts (15 architects and 15 building engineers) and 102 occupants, employing FAHP to derive the relative importance weights of each IEQ factor. The results highlight significant disparities between architects, engineers, and occupants in prioritising these factors. Architects emphasise visual comfort (42%), while engineers and occupants view thermal comfort (53% and 41%) as the most crucial factor for occupant satisfaction. The study underscores the complexity of IEQ in commercial buildings and the diverse perspectives influencing its assessment. It contributes to the broader discourse on optimising IEQ, emphasising the need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses both technical expertise and occupant experience.

Hospital Environment and Medical Sociology: User-Centered Environmental Sociology Model Based on a Systematic Review.

This study investigates the relationship between environmental quality and medical sociology in hospitals and suggests a conceptual framework for understanding their interrelation. Despite the importance of environmental properties in the sociological approach to users' health and the role of medical sociology research in the design of hospital environments, few studies have been conducted in the field of hospital environments and medical sociology interrelation. Therefore, this article attempts to fill this gap in our knowledge. A systematic review was carried out in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and ScienceDirect) based on PRISMA guidelines to survey how environmental quality and medical sociology factors are related in the medical/environmental sociology research and the hospital design. The search yielded the final 17 potentially relevant articles after finding 3,840 records, screening 1,295 nonduplicate articles, and reviewing 158 full-text articles. The findings revealed that four main aspects of medical sociology (physical-biological, psychological, social, and economic) and hospital environmental quality (physical, social, and psychological dimensions) influence users' health and disease status. The hospital environment includes various social issues in medical sociology (like interactions, behavior patterns, lifestyle, work motivation, and culture). The physical and psychosocial factors of the hospital environment (such as spatial configuration, aesthetics, scale, privacy, and collective spaces) are associated with psychosocial aspects of medical sociology (like social class, behavior patterns, culture, and lifestyle). Environmental features and psychosocial issues should be considered to improve users' health and experience in hospitals and to create a user-centered health-promoting environment.

Socio-spatial differences in older urban residents’ engagement against transportation noise? Implications for distributional and procedural justice in noise action planning

Exposure to transportation noise is a highly prevalent health burden in urban areas. Social-spatially unequal distributions of transportation noise exposure can contribute to health inequalities (distributional environmental justice). Noise action planning according to the EU Environmental Noise Directive is the instrument for noise abatement at the local level. In this context, public participation in terms of procedural environmental justice becomes relevant. Socio-spatial indicators used to describe environmental justice mainly deal with the distributional aspect. The question is to what extent both unequal environmental quality on the one hand and unequal participation on the other can be traced by indicators and spatial units typically used in social monitoring at the local level. Using the distance measure index of German social welfare rates and the local voter turnout in 2014, the socio-spatial distribution of factors of objective environmental quality, subjective noise exposure and engagement against transportation noise among older residents in three major cities in the German Ruhr region was examined. In order to address the observed inequalities within noise action planning, distributional and procedural aspects have to be integrated in noise action planning.

Relationship between Environmental Quality, Hygiene, Food Sanitation, and Food Handling Factors with Escherichia coli Germ Rates at Snack Food Centers in Jambi City

Background : Food safety is a public need, safe food will protect and prevent disease and health problems. Environment and food need attention if you want to live healthy and get enough nutrition. Hygiene sanitation is an effort to control the factors of people, places, equipment and food. In producing ready-to-eat food that is safe and healthy, the principles of sanitation hygiene must be implemented. Food handlers are people who have direct contact with food. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between environmental quality, sanitation hygiene, handler behavior and knowledge of food handlers with the number of Escherichia coli bacteria.
 Method : The research design is a quantitative method using laboratory analysis with a cross sectional research design.
 Results : Research shows that there is a significant relationship between environmental quality, food sanitation hygiene, food handling behavior and knowledge of food handlers with the number of Escherichia coli germs in the Jajanan Food Center, Jambi City.
 Conclusion : There is a significant relationship between environmental quality, food sanitation hygiene, food handling behavior and knowledge of food handlers with the number of Escherichia coli bacteria.

Understanding Discrepancies between predicted and experienced (Dis)comfort for hospitalized Patients: Four Reasons explored

Hospitalized patients’ healing process is affected by their room’s indoor environmental comfort. Models are developed to predict (dis)comfort. However, discrepancies with experienced (dis)comfort occur. Four reasons have been identified for these discrepancies: (a) people adapt, (b) in their experiences, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors interact, and experienced (dis)comfort and adaptation differ (c) between people and (d) between settings. To better understand these reasons and their relationships, it was investigated how hospitalized patients’ experiences of their indoor environment relate to measurable values of IEQ parameters. A multiple mixed methods case study was conducted at Belgian hospital wards. Data collection included interviews, self-documentation by patients, questionnaires, sensor measurements of IEQ parameters, and simulations of indoor conditions. Data were analysed in separate and integrated ways. (a) Five adaptation strategies were identified. They seem to impact experienced comfort psychologically in different ways. (b) IEQ factors interact in experiences because their assessment is influenced by the overall comfort. Adaptation strategies enable achieving the highest conceived overall comfort. (c and d) What one considers as comfortable and the adaptation strategies one applies to achieve it differ between participants and between settings. This better understanding is an important step towards improving comfort predictions, and therefore reducing discrepancies.

Can regional environmental quality improve green innovation performance? an empirical analysis from China

Introduction: Green innovation is an important driving force for reducing pollution and achieving high-quality development. Environmental factors are important external variables that affect innovation and are crucial to innovation development. There is a close relationship between environmental quality and green innovation performance. This paper takes the single environmental factor and combination of environmental factors of environmental quality heterogeneity as the explanatory variables, the traffic scale, economic scale, industrial scale and consumption scale as the control variables, and the per capita GDP of each city as the threshold variable, and calculates the impact of the single environmental factor and combination of environmental quality factors on the green innovation performance of 286 cities in China under different per capita GDP thresholds.Methods: We used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Threshold Regression model to measure the relationship between environmental quality and green innovation.Results: 1) under different thresholds, a single environmental factor has different impacts on the comprehensive level of innovation drive in Chinese cities. Comparing the single environmental factor under different threshold values of per capita GDP, when the per capita GDP is low, attention should be paid to improving the centralized treatment rate of urban sewage treatment plants and the comprehensive utilization rate of general industrial solid waste; When the per capita GDP is high, the harmless treatment rate of domestic waste, the centralized treatment rate of sewage treatment plants, the green coverage rate of the built-up area, and the green area can all have different promotion effects on the driving capacity of cities along the line. 2) Under different thresholds, the elasticity coefficient of the total ecological environment, the total ecological environment has a relatively obvious promoting effect on the innovation-driven development of cities along the line, but this promoting effect shows a further weakening trend with the increase of per capita GDP.Conclusion: This study helps to explain environmental quality and green innovation, which is important for promoting sustainable economic development. The government should control environmental pollution and introduce laws and policies to ensure innovation.

Impact of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors on occupants' environmental perception and satisfaction in hospital wards

The hospital ward's environment directly impacts the health and well-being of its occupants, especially patients. This study investigated the impacts of environmental factors (thermal, acoustic, luminous, and IAQ) and self-described health conditions on subjective environmental perception and satisfaction in hospital wards. A winter field survey of 156 occupants (patients and visitors) was conducted in a large general hospital in Changsha, China, using a combination of environment measurements, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed comprehensive effects of environmental factors on occupants' perceptions. Lower air temperature improved participants' assessment of the acoustic environment; lower noise environment led to a positive assessment of IAQ perception; lower CO2 concentration improved the assessment of the thermal environment in a hotter environment. Acoustic perception (13.4 %), IAQ perception (10.5 %), and luminous perception (8.2 %) were significantly affected by health conditions. Moreover, the poorer the health condition, the lower the environmental satisfaction rating, and the acceptable environmental thresholds differed for individuals with various health conditions. The "very weak" group scored 1.6 and 1.5 points lower than the "very fit" for each environmental factor and overall satisfaction, respectively. For IEQ control in healthcare facilities, it is necessary to fully consider patients' health conditions during hospitalization and create a better recuperation environment for vulnerable groups.

Analyzing the impact of indoor environmental quality on physiological responses and work performance: Implications for IEQ control strategies

This study aims to analyze the effects of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors with simultaneous changes in illuminance and noise levels on building occupants' physiological response and work performance. To this end, four scenarios with changes in illuminance and noise levels were set up, and brain wave indices and work performance measured through a Stroop test were conducted during the scenarios. First, the findings revealed that noise and the interaction between illuminance and noise affect the building occupants' physiological response. Second, the illuminance was 150 lux, and the noise level was 40 dB, there was a correlation between the relative theta (0.685; p < .05) at the F3 location on the scalp and the average reaction time. Lastly, a comparison was made between psychologically preferred IEQ, IEQ when the physiological response is excellent, and IEQ when work performance is excellent. IEQ when the physiological response is excellent showed a high correlation with psychologically preferred IEQ, and it had a higher correlation with IEQ when work performance is excellent than psychologically preferred IEQ. Hence, an IEQ control strategy based on the physiological responses is necessary to improve work performance. It is expected to enhance building occupants’ work performance, health, and comfort.

Interaction effects of indoor environmental quality factors on cognitive performance and perceived comfort of young adults in open plan offices in North American Mediterranean climate

While Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) factors in an environment co-exist, the interaction effects of these factors and their impacts on cognitive functioning and perceived comfort have not been comprehensively examined. In this study, the interaction effects between temperature, lighting Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), and noise levels on selective attention, sustained attention, creativity, acoustics, thermal, visual, and overall IEQ comfort of young adults in open-plan offices in North American Mediterranean climate were presented. In a mixed-design controlled experimental setting, 52 young adults were recruited, and their objective cognitive performance and subjective comfort were assessed through statistical analysis. The experimental set points included [20 °C, 25 °C], [2700 K, 6500 K], and [50 dB, 65 dB] for temperature, lighting color, and noise, respectively. Additionally, the work took into consideration the gender and Body Mass Index (BMI) of participants. The results show that temperature moderated the effect of noise level and lighting CCT on selective attention, while no effect of IEQ factors on sustained attention was found. Creativity was influenced by gender and its interaction with the noise level. Concerning perceived comfort, acoustic comfort varied significantly with temperature. Thermal comfort was influenced by the combined moderating effect of lighting CCT and BMI on temperature, while visual comfort was driven by the moderation effect of gender on lighting CCT. Overall comfort was affected by the noise level and temperature. Finally, cognitive performance indicators were correlated with perceived IEQ comfort votes. Based on the findings of this study, considerations of interactions between noise, lighting CCT, temperature, gender, and BMI can shape occupant-centric priorities for enhanced cognitive functioning and comfort.

The Influence of Perceived Physical and Aesthetic Quality of Rural Settlements on Tourists’ Preferences—A Case Study of Zhaoxing Dong Village

Rural settlements, as crucial human habitats, encompass various values such as residential living, cultural tourism, and industrial development. This paper investigates the environmental physical and aesthetic factors perceived by tourists, which influence their preferences for rural settlement environments. Previous studies have predominantly focused on evaluating the impacts of physical or aesthetic factors on tourists’ environmental preferences, with limited research simultaneously examining their combined effects. To reduce this research gap, we selected Zhaoxing Dong Village in China, characterized by typical rural environmental traits, and collected 450 valid questionnaires. The questionnaire data underwent correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicate that when considering only environmental physical quality factors, most of the physical quality factors are significantly correlated with tourists’ preferences. Among them, “visual quality” shows the highest correlation, followed by “facility” and “maintenance”, while “security” shows the lowest correlation. When aesthetic quality factors are added to the model as independent variables, they enhance the explanatory power of the model and exhibit more significant associations compared to the relationship between physical quality factors and preferences. Among the aesthetic quality factors, “multisensory” and “sublime” demonstrate the highest correlation, whereas “diversity” shows the lowest correlation. The current study demonstrates the validity of the two scales for measuring tourists’ perceived levels of physical and aesthetic quality in rural settlement environments. These findings contribute to the effective utilization of environmental capital within rural settlements and provide guidance for rural settlement planning and design.

Research on Social Service Effectiveness Evaluation for Urban Blue Spaces—A Case Study of the Huangpu River Core Section in Shanghai

Urban blue spaces (UBSs) hold significant value in terms of public health, tourism economy, and residents’ well-being. The Huangpu River in Shanghai, renowned as a global urban blue space, currently faces challenges such as unequal service capacity across sections and varying levels of spatial vitality. This study incorporates the concept of “service effectiveness” into public space evaluation. Drawing inspiration from the 4E (economics, efficiency, equity, and effectiveness) principles of effectiveness evaluation, a social service effectiveness evaluation system is constructed to measure service efficiency and effect. Through the literature research, 6 primary indicators and 12 secondary indicators are set to investigate the utilization rate and realization effect of the UBS. The evaluation system utilizes field surveys, text analysis, and remote-sensing techniques to collect relevant data. Through standardized calculations, different aspects of the indicators are integrated into a single evaluation criterion. The “overall effectiveness index” and the “efficiency–effect balance index” is introduced to quantitatively analyze the overall effectiveness characteristics, including spatial characteristics and time-varying characteristics, as well as efficiency–effect balance and imbalances. The evaluation located three low-effectiveness sections and three imbalanced sections at the north and south ends of the core section of the Huangpu River. The influence factors of effectiveness are analyzed through correlation test and literature studies, mainly including the urban hinterland, service facilities, environmental quality, and management publicity factors. This study aims to provide research ideas and methods for waterfront area planning and city-refined management.

Perceived fit of different office activities – The contribution of office type and indoor environment

Office spaces are often examined using comfort-based measures. Another view is the need-supply fit, which emphasizes the fit of the space for different activities. Here the influence of office types and satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors on different activities' perceived fit was examined with a large global dataset consisting of 82 315 respondents. The office types included private offices, assigned workstations in shared offices, assigned workstations in open-plan offices, team tables, and flex offices. The IEQ factors were estimations of satisfaction with thermal conditions, noise, air quality, natural light, and office lighting. The perceived fit was the estimation of workplaces’ support for different office tasks classified into eight activity types. The largest proportion of respondents were dissatisfied with thermal conditions (30.7%) and noise (27.9%). However, only dissatisfaction with noise was strongly related to the perceived fit and explained alone 17% of perceived fit for concentrated work. All office types supported office activities well. Satisfaction with IEQ factors explained the perceived fit better than the office types. Satisfaction with IEQ factors alone explained 16−24% of the perceived fit depending on the activity type. Private offices were considered the best fit, especially for concentrated and confidential work as well as remote contacts. The study shows that the need-supply fit approach offers a slightly different perspective on office functioning than comfort-based approaches. Satisfaction with IEQ factors is crucial for functioning in an office. Special care should be paid to noise control especially with activities needing concentration, confidentiality, or special material.

Environmental factors modulated the fatty acid profile of the shrimp Xiphopenaeus spp. in Cananéia and Ubatuba southeast Brazilian coast.

Environmental characteristics influence the fatty acids (FAs) of aquatic organisms. Environmental factors and anthropic actions such as water pollution can impact FA composition. This directly affects the trophic network, especially when low-quality FA is provided to other trophic levels. The omnivore Penaeoidea shrimp is rich in proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), representing an important node in the trophic web. We compared the FA composition of the commercially exploited seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus spp. in two distinct coastal sites, Cananéia and Ubatuba, on the southeast Brazilian coast. Cananéia has a low human population density and is a preserved area with nearby mangroves, while Ubatuba is highly urbanised and influenced by tourism (increasing the domestic sewage), with diverse microhabitats but without mangrove influence. We found a total of 29 different FAs in seabob shrimp samples. Saturated FAs and PUFAS were the most representatives. For sex or age (juvenile and adult), deviations were found in the monosaturated FA, ω6, and ω3/ω6. However, FA composition was significantly different between sites, with Ubatuba presenting a lower abundance of FAs than Cananéia. The fatty acid composition of Xiphopenaeus spp. was influenced by environmental quality factors such as dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, organic matter, and size gradient. The presence of high amounts of organic matter (especially sewage) during decomposition can decrease dissolved oxygen levels, reducing the quality of the first producers and limiting the availability of FAs for other trophic levels. The study suggests that water pollution and mangrove forests can impact the FAs of Xiphopenaeus spp., potentially reducing their nutritional value and causing an imbalance in the transference of FAs.

Analysis of Change and Driving Factors of River Environmental Quality in China from 2002 to 2020

According to the river environmental quality, pollutant emission, and investment in environmental pollution control from 2002-2020, the change law and driving factors of river environmental quality in China were evaluated using canonical correlation analysis and the Spearman correlation coefficient to analyze the influence between environmental and pollutant emission/investment in environmental pollution control. The results indicated that the river environmental quality was improved significantly based on the proportion of Class Ⅰ-Ⅲ increasing from 29.1% to 87.4% and the proportion of inferior Class Ⅴ decreasing from 40.9% to 0.2% from 2002-2020. The emission of wastewater and domestic wastewater increased from 4.395×1010 tons and 2.323×1010 tons to 8.491×1010 tons and 6.598×1010 tons, respectively. However, emissions of industrial wastewater decreased from 2.072×1010 tons to 1.680×1010 tons. Investment in environmental pollution control increased from 110.66 billion yuan to 1063.89 billion yuan. The proportion of Class Ⅰ-Ⅲ in seven major river basins, river basins in Zhejiang and Fujian, southwest river basins, and northwest river basins showed a negative correlation for industrial pollutant emissions and a positive correlation for investment in environmental pollution control. The primary measure for the seven major river basins, river basins in Zhejiang and Fujian, and northwest river basins cut down the industrial pollutant emissions, in the order of COD>NH4+-N>total wastewater. The primary measure for southwest river basins increased the investment in environmental pollution control, in the order of industrial investment in environmental pollution control>urban environmental infrastructure construction investment and environmental protection investment in construction projects. These results can provide theoretical and policy suggestions for the improvement of river environmental quality during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period.

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in K–12 learning spaces: The impact of acoustic performance on students with autism spectrum disorder

Acoustics is one of the major factors that impact language acquisition, concentration, information retention, and general comfort within the environment needed for preparing children for adult life. Students learn by communication, making speaking and listening crucial. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that could be complex, multifactorial, and pervasive and is widely described under the umbrella term of Neurodiversity. Neurodiversity describes anyone with a different brain process. As the understanding of cognitive and neurosciences increases, the number of people identified as neurodiverse is nearly 30% of the global population. This research examined the available guidelines and standards for learning space with good acoustic quality, conducted expert interviews and a case study of a space designed to meet this guideline, and finally, make performance threshold and material specification recommendations for improvement to ensure better inclusion of students with ASD. The study involved a mixed methods approach using literature review, interviews, case study, and simulation of a school in the south-central part of the United States. The results describe the current solution used to ensure acoustic suitability for students with ASD and the limitations student with ASD encounter in spaces. This research makes design and material recommendations for improving learning spaces and concludes with an increased need for an integrated understanding of acoustics by all players in the design field.

Redefining shelter: humanitarian sheltering.

Shelter is one of the most 'intractable problems' in humanitarian aid and yet there is little clarity on an overarching definition. Terminology for shelter and housing is often conflated, and the most prominent definition does not fully reflect recent progress in the Shelter and Settlements Sector. This paper explores the varying terminology utilised in definitions of shelter within humanitarian aid since 1990, reflecting on the concepts of 'shelter' and 'housing', alongside surrounding perceptions of 'house' versus 'home', and related measures of adequacy. The current, most prolific definition is also deconstructed, demonstrating ambiguity in some of terminology such as 'dignity' and 'privacy', and revealing that interpretation of this definition depends on the reader's knowledge. Lastly, a new definition of 'sheltering' is proposed, encompassing five key reflections: the concept of process over object; the inclusion of communities and individuals; the commonality of long-term sheltering; the wider effects of shelter; and the impacts on host communities and environment.

Effects of Underground Mining on Soil–Vegetation System: A Case Study of Different Subsidence Areas

The influence of coal mining subsidence on the surface ecological environment can be characterized as the evolution of a complex system. Examining the ecological damage caused by coal mining subsidence from the perspective of internal soil–vegetation system relationships is important for the ecological protection and restoration of mining areas. We investigated vegetation coverage, surface soil water and nutrient content, and vadose zone soil moisture in uniform and nonuniform areas of coal mining subsidence. Subsidence reduced vegetation coverage, surface soil moisture and nutrient content, and vadose zone soil moisture while increasing their spatial variability. These effects are more pronounced in areas with nonuniform subsidence. Subsidence also reduced the degree of soil–vegetation system correlation, which was also more pronounced in areas of nonuniform subsidence. Furthermore, a higher degree of soil–vegetation correlation was linked to decreased variability in soil moisture and nutrient content. Areas of nonuniform subsidence were characterized by greater preferential flow during rain infiltration, which contributed to the spatial variability of soil moisture and nutrient content and damage to vegetation growth. Our findings revealed that coal mining subsidence reduces both the quality of environmental factors and the degree of internal correlation between these factors, of which the preferential flow effect is an important underlying mechanism. These findings provide a theoretical basis for ecosystem management and the restoration of land damaged by coal mining subsidence.

Influence of indoor environmental quality and dwelling satisfaction aspects on overall satisfaction: Findings from a Swedish national survey

The objective of this study is to contribute to the discussion on the impact of dwelling satisfaction aspects (size, standard, layout, appearance/aesthetics, well-being, cost and area/neighbourhood) and perceived indoor environmental quality (thermal comfort, air quality, satisfaction with daylight and acoustic comfort) on occupants’ overall satisfaction. This article uses data from the Swedish National Survey, BETSI (2007/08). The results are representative of adults living in multi-family and single-family buildings (1597 responses/955 buildings). Linear regression models are developed with overall satisfaction as the dependent variable and independent variables: seven satisfaction aspects, four indoor environmental quality factors and all combined (eleven). An all-model explained 54.7% of the results (best performed). All the retained variables (except satisfaction with daylight) are statistically significant predictors. Satisfaction with well-being (b = 0.286) and satisfaction with dwellings’ standard (b = 0.188) have the greatest effect on overall satisfaction. The model with the IEQ aspects explained only 35.5% of the results. Reliability statistics (Cronbach’s alpha) and confirmatory factor analysis have been implemented in the dataset. The responses can be categorized into two clusters. The two clusters were significantly different across living duration, dwelling type, age category and tenure status.

Indicators and methods for assessing acoustical preferences and needs of students in educational buildings: A review

Sounds (e.g., human activity, nature, building systems) are one of the indoor environmental stimuli that may have positive and/or negative effects on students’ well-being and performance in educational buildings. Students in educational buildings have individual acoustical preferences and needs as portrayed by occupant-related indicators, for example perception. Acoustical guidelines for educational buildings are generally focused on acoustical performance in terms of dose-related (e.g., sound pressure level) and building-related indicators (e.g., sound absorbing walls), while occupant-related indicators (e.g., heart rate) are rarely mentioned. In contrast, previous studies such as indoor soundscape studies, do take into consideration occupant-related indicators, including physiological and psychological. Therefore, this study aimed at summarizing these indicators in a comprehensive overview that is essential for investigating the students’ acoustical preferences and needs in educational buildings. A literature review of relevant studies in the domain of indoor acoustics and soundscape was carried out. A number of key indicators (occupant-related, dose-related, building-related) and methods that are fundamental to be considered were identified. Only in a few studies, students’ acoustical preferences and needs were investigated by considering occupant-related indicators (both physiological and psychological). In addition, dose-related indicators of other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors and building-related indicators were rarely taken into account in previous studies.