Environmental Quality Parameters Research Articles

Analysis of Tubular NF Plants in Scotland Indicates That Summer Temperatures and Redox-Sensitive Elements Are Correlated with Membrane Biofouling and Shortened Useful Life.

We investigate the effects of seasonal variations in water composition and temperature on the performance of two full-scale drinking water treatment plants in Scotland, equipped with tubular cellulose acetate nanofiltration membranes. Multiple environmental and water quality parameters, recorded over a 4.5-year period, were correlated against membrane permeance, cleaning frequency, and useful life. Membrane autopsies enabled the characterization of the foulant composition. Temporal variations in temperature at plant X led to significant biofouling (manifested by permeance losses of 30-50%, and bacteria detected on the membrane surface) during the summer months, when water temperatures exceeded 20 °C and microbiological activity was highest. Plant Y, in contrast, displayed smaller seasonal variations and was operationally stable without significant fouling. A pronounced increase in manganese and iron (up to 200 and 600 μg/L, respectively) in the lake water at plant X in summer was accompanied by elevated content (∼60 mg/m2) of those metals on the membrane surface, which was consistent with lake thermal stratification and metal input from the sediment into the water column. Our work shows that membrane plants in regions supplied by standing surface water bodies, such as plant X, are more vulnerable to biofouling, especially during warmer months.

Assessment of Urban Environmental Quality by Socioeconomic and Environmental Variables Using Open‐Source Datasets

ABSTRACTIn this era of rapid development, environmental quality is an essential aspect of sustainable development. A healthy urban environment supports, regulates, and provides livable conditions. In urban areas, environmental quality is considerably affected by socioeconomic factors such as population expansion and economic development. For decision‐making, it is also significant for stakeholders and policymakers to understand the impact of urban expansion on environmental quality. While previous studies have examined urban environmental quality, they often focused on single cities or limited environmental parameters. This research addresses these limitations by conducting a comparative analysis of two major Asian cities with similar demographic features, utilizing a comprehensive set of socioeconomic and environmental variables. Our innovative approach combines open‐source datasets with advanced remote sensing techniques to provide a more holistic assessment of urban environmental quality over two decades. We analyzed urban environmental quality for last two decades with the selected urban environmental quality parameters: surface greenness, surface moisture, and land surface temperature. Lahore (Pakistan) and Wuhan (China) cities were selected for having approximately same demographic features. Correlation matrix has been used to assess the relationship between these environmental variables and social‐economic variables: urban expansion and carbon emission. Correlation coefficient indicated that urban expansion correlates negatively with surface greenness and surface moisture for both Lahore (−0.67 and −0.71) and Wuhan District (−0.5 and −0.75), respectively, while it had a positive relation with land surface temperature: 0.65 and 0.57 for Lahore and Wuhan District, respectively. These effects are more prominent within 10 km distance from the city center, where a substantial urban expansion is observed during the time window.

The effects of acoustic-light-thermal environment quality parameters on pedestrians’ overall comforts in residential districts

This study explored subjective responses towards various environmental quality parameters. It would be helpful to approach an overall comfort improvement relating to physics. In order to investigate the combined effects of sound, light and heat on the overall comfort of pedestrians, which could be evaluated by overall comfort vote, two residential areas in Yubei District, Chongqing (a Cfa city in China) were selected for field measurements and questionnaires. Three were three key findings were concluded based on subjective responses to environmental parameters via multiple linear regression. First, the average outdoor neutral temperature, mean neutral sound level and neutral illumination intensity were determined to be 26.6 °C (determined by physiologically equivalent temperature), 56.5 dBA (determined by A-weighted equivalent continuous sound level) and 21.4 klx (determined by LUX), respectively. Second, considering the effects of both physiology and psychology, thermal perceptions varied for acoustic and light environments. Residents partially had lower neutral temperatures at the noisy condition. Third, environmental quality factors had a significant effect on overall comfort. Positive correlation between physiologically equivalent temperature and overall comfort vote was found (sig < 0.000); while the effects of sound pressure and light intensity were not always significant. Hence, thermal stress played a significant role in people’s overall comfort. This study has explored the effects of three environment quality parameters on human perceptions. It provided better understanding against dwellers’ feelings under complex circumstances. Future urban design and planning works should consider the cooling factors regarding contextual acoustical and visual environments.

Examining the Relationships Between Indoor Environmental Quality Parameters Pertaining to Light, Noise, Temperature, and Humidity and the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of People Living With Dementia: Scoping Review.

A common challenge for individuals caring for people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias is managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Effective management of BPSD will increase the quality of life of people living with dementia, lessen caregivers' burden, and lower health care cost. In this review, we seek to (1) examine how indoor environmental quality parameters pertaining to light, noise, temperature, and humidity are associated with BPSD and how controlling these parameters can help manage these symptoms and (2) identify the current state of knowledge in this area, current gaps in the research, and potential future directions. Searches were conducted in the CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases for papers published from January 2007 to February 2024. We searched for studies examining the relationship between indoor environmental quality parameters pertaining to light, noise, temperature, and humidity and BPSD. A total of 3123 papers were identified in the original search in October 2020. After an additional 2 searches and screening, 38 (0.69%) of the 5476 papers were included. Among the included papers, light was the most studied environmental factor (34/38, 89%), while there were fewer studies (from 5/38, 13% to 11/38, 29%) examining the relationships between other environmental factors and BPSD. Of the 38 studies, 8 (21%) examined multiple indoor environmental quality parameters. Subjective data were the only source of environmental assessments in 6 (16%) of the 38 studies. The findings regarding the relationship between agitation and light therapy are conflicted, while the studies that examined the relationship between BPSD and temperature or humidity are all observational. The results suggest that when the environmental factors are deemed overstimulating or understimulating for an individual with dementia, the behavioral symptoms tend to be exacerbated. The findings of this scoping review may inform the design of long-term care units and older adult housing to support aging in place. More research is still needed to better understand the relationship between indoor environmental quality parameters and BPSD, and there is a need for more objective measurements of both the indoor environmental quality parameters and behavioral symptoms. One future direction is to incorporate objective sensing and advanced computational methods in real-time assessments to initiate just-in-time environmental interventions. Better management of BPSD will benefit patients, caregivers, and the health care system.

How to investigate differences in indoor environmental comfort and adaptation? Mixed methods research with patients

ABSTRACT Ensuring hospitalized patients’ comfort requires understanding differences in comfort and adaptation to discomfort, as well as the role of the built environment therein. Shortcomings in this understanding result from limitations of existing research methods. Therefore the potential of a mixed methods research design to investigate when and why experiences of and adaption to (dis)comfort differ among hospitalized patients was explored. A convergent mixed methods case study was conducted in two hospital wards of a Belgian hospital. Qualitative data included interviews with 19 patients about their experiences and information about the patients at the two wards during the fieldwork; quantitative data included sensor measurements of indoor environmental quality parameters (i.e. illuminance and indoor temperature), a questionnaire among 238 patients about their assessment of the indoor conditions, and simulations of these conditions. Joint displays allowed comparing situations in which characteristics related to the patients or their setting differed in an integrated way. The displays provide an intermediate step between purely qualitative descriptions of comfort and adaptation and purely quantitative models that predict both. Scenarios that the joint displays allow identifying inform about characteristics that could improve these models, and about roles of the built environment in experiences.

The Stability Performance of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Parameters: Emphasize the Strategies of Sustainable Comforts in the Learning Environment in a Tropical Climate

Implementing sustainable construction practices in higher educational facilities in Malaysia would enhance the quality of learning activities. Students in higher education predominantly utilize learning areas. The objective of this study is to evaluate indices of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) that prioritise sustainability in educational environments. The major indicators comprised four significant key terms: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Thermal Comfort (TC), Visual Comfort (VC), and Acoustic Comfort (AC). The study utilized data from previous studies published between 2021 and 2023 to determine the present issue that emerged inside Malaysian higher educational facilities. This was achieved by a critical assessment of the parameters' findings via fieldwork measurement. This leads to a spectrum that falls within a satisfactory threshold to attain the desired degree of user comfort. The findings demonstrate that students' comfort level is enhanced by their preference for a stable level of IEQ parameters. According to this study, on average standards of IEQ parameters for a sustainable learning environment; temperature (27°C), humidity (40%), air flow (0.30 m/s), illuminate (400lux) and acoustic (40dB). The strategic framework has been recommended to enhance learning environments and act as a reference guideline for future evaluations of indoor environmental quality.

Effect of a nutritional intervention based on an energy-reduced Mediterranean diet on environmental impact

ObjectiveTo estimate the environmental impact of a dietary intervention based on an energy-reduced Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) after one year of follow-up. MethodsBaseline and 1-year follow-up data were used for 5800 participants aged 55–75 years with metabolic syndrome in the PREDIMED-Plus study. Food intake was estimated through a validated semiquantitative food consumption frequency questionnaire, and adherence to the MedDiet was estimated through the Diet Score. Using the EAT-Lancet Commission tables we assessed the influence of dietary intake on environmental impact (through five indicators: greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), land use, energy used, acidification and potential eutrophication). Using multivariable linear regression models, the association between the intervention and changes in each of the environmental factors was assessed. Mediation analyses were carried out to estimate to what extent changes in each of 2 components of the intervention, namely adherence to the MedDiet and caloric reduction, were responsible for the observed reductions in environmental impact. ResultsWe observed a significant reduction in the intervention group compared to the control group in acidification levels (−13.3 vs. -9.9 g SO2-eq), eutrophication (−5.4 vs. -4.0 g PO4-eq) and land use (−2.7 vs. -1.8 m2).Adherence to the MedDiet partially mediated the association between intervention and reduction of acidification by 15 %, eutrophication by 10 % and land use by 10 %. Caloric reduction partially mediated the association with the same factors by 55 %, 51 % and 38 % respectively. In addition, adherence to the MedDiet fully mediated the association between intervention and reduction in GHG emissions by 56 % and energy use by 53 %. ConclusionsA nutritional intervention based on consumption of an energy-reduced MedDiet for one year was associated with an improvement in different environmental quality parameters.

Assessment of dynamic cognitive performance under different thermal conditions by multiple physiological signals

A method to evaluate cognitive performance under different thermal conditions by multiple physiological signals is proposed. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (RMSSD), skin conductance level (SCL), skin conductance response (SCR) magnitude and SCR total frequency were measured by a multichannel electrophysiological signal monitor, which were interpreted as thermal stress indicators that can characterize cognitive performance of subjects during cognitive stimulation tasks. In the experiment, the indoor air temperature is the independent variable, ranging from 18 °C to 33 °C, with a step length of three degrees. Other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters are controlled variables. In each experiment, subjects subjectively voted on thermal sensation and cognitive load, and performed cognitive stimulation tasks to evaluate cognitive performance. The study found that different physiological indicators have different “thermosensitivity” zones, indicating variations in thermal attributes. Moreover, the influence mechanism of thermal conditions on the effectiveness levels of three different cognitive functions, namely identification, decision and action, were found to be diverse. Additionally, this paper utilized machine learning algorithms to construct fatigue loss function and residual interference function for cognitive performance, effectively correcting cognitive performance errors caused by fatigue and task superimposition. The feasibility of predicting cognitive performance and thermal comfort by multiple physiological indicators is validated in this study.

Scoping review of post occupancy evaluation of office buildings with focus on indoor environmental quality and productivity

Post occupancy evaluation (POE) is used widely to evaluate if a building performs as envisioned during the design phase, and more importantly, if the occupants feel healthy and well. The aim of the present study was to review the practices of post occupancy evaluation in office buildings and assess how they evaluated indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and productivity/performance. This was done using a systematic literature search process. A total of 136 papers summarising the findings of 116 studies were included. The studies were analysed according to study type, country, number of buildings, study purpose and objective, applied methods, indoor environmental quality parameters, occupant responses, and productivity/performance assessment. The findings suggest that there is no overall “one-size-fits-all” post occupancy evaluation protocol dominating the assessment of office buildings. The methods and practices varied between studies but questionnaires to the occupants were used consistently; many of the questionnaires were inspired by existing survey schemes. The assessed indoor environmental quality parameters also varied between studies and depended on the purpose of the specific study. Productivity or performance was evaluated in approximately 1/3 of the studies, primarily by self-reported assessment via the questionnaire. Major shortcomings identified were the uncertainties associated with the performance assessment, how to put the findings into practice, and how to assess the cost-benefit of the findings.

Technology transfer for green investments: exploring how technology transfer through foreign direct investments can contribute to sustainable practices and reduced environmental impact in OIC economies.

Estimating the asymmetrical influence of foreign direct investment is the primary goal of the current study. In addition, further controlled variables affect environmental degradation in OIC nations. Due to this, current research employs the asymmetric (NPARDL) approach and the data period from 1980 to 2021 to estimate about viability of the EKC (environmental Kuznets curve) theory. The study utilized greenhouse gas (GHG) including emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and ecological footprint as substantial parameters of environmental quality. A nonlinear link between foreign direct investments, trade openness, economic growth, urbanization, energy consumption, and environmental pollution with CO2, N2O, CH4, and ecological footprint in the OIC nations is confirmed by the study's outcomes, which however reveals inconsistent results. Furthermore, the results also show that wrong conclusions might result from disregarding intrinsic nonlinearities. The study's conclusions provide the most important recommendations for decision-makers.

An Environmental Quality Assessment of Office Buildings: The Impact of a Glass Façade on Users in Different Climate Contexts in Croatia

Glass façades are being increasingly applied in the typology of office buildings. The environmental quality parameters of indoor spaces have an exceptional influence on the wellbeing and productivity of users. In the past, climate defined the architecture of a particular area. Façades of contemporary office buildings have similar characteristics regardless of their location. This study comprises four office buildings with different types of glass façades located in areas of continental and coastal climate in Croatia. Also, the research relates to a graduate study course, during which the students designed a survey to gain insight into the satisfaction of users of the analyzed buildings. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of the design of glass façades in a certain climate context on users. This paper will address the following research questions: (1) Is a fully glazed office building pleasant to work in? (2) Is a fully glazed façade an appropriate solution for office buildings in hot and sunny climates? The research results show that to achieve a comfortable indoor environment for buildings’ users, it is necessary to design the façade according to the orientation, especially in terms of glazing characteristics, a sun protection system, and window control.

QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FOR USER-ORIENTED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

ABSTRACT Understanding indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and integrating indoor data into architectural design is a critical component of green building design for building occupants’ comfort and health. With a growing emphasis on creating healthy and comfortable indoor environments in green buildings, indoor data in architectural design has increasingly incorporated quantitative methods to analyze and optimize indoor environmental quality parameters. Data-driven design in architecture has been used as a decision-making approach to the green building design process; it has implications for the building occupants to voluntarily enhance their indoor environments and comfort. A higher degree of personal control for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) leads to higher satisfaction, energy savings, and productivity in work environments. IEQ data access related to thermal, visual, and acoustic comforts and indoor air enables occupants to acquire ownership of indoor controls, contributing to their comfort and task productivity. Undergraduate architecture students carried out a series of data-driven designs for IEQ monitoring and design integrations by conducting a field study, data collection, data analysis, and visualization, and linking findings to architectural proposals. Participating groups were requested to i) theoretically understand IEQ data parameters for four primary indoor environments, ii) experimentally conduct a field survey of target spaces, iii) numerically predict IEQ conditions by using diverse simulation tools and measurement devices, iv) graphically visualize IEQ findings, and v) finally integrate findings into the architectural design as a solutional proposal. The findings highlight that the potential of quantitative approaches in architectural design enhances students’ understanding of environmental contributors and design solutions for occupants’ comfort and health.

Assessment of indoor environmental quality and seasonal well-being of students in a combined historic technical school building in Slovakia.

One of the major present challenges in the building sector is to construct sustainable and low-energy buildings with a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment. This study is designed to explore long-term impacts of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters in a historic technical school building on the health and comfort of students. The main objective is to identify environmental problems in schools and to direct public policy towards the enhancement of in-service historic buildings. The collected data on five consecutive days in various seasons from five different classrooms indicate allergy in 45% and asthma in 10% of students. Environmental factors, such as temperature, draught, noise, or light, affected 51% of students' attention. Low temperature, unpleasant air, noise, and draught were found to be the most frequent concerns for students. The lowest temperature was measured during spring at 17.6°C, the lowest humidity of 21.1% in winter, the largest CO2 amount in the air in autumn at 2041ppm level, and the greatest total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) as 514µg/m3. The experimental and statistical analysis results suggest the necessity of a comprehensive restoration of the building with a focus on enhancement of IEQ as well as replacement of old non-standard materials. An effective ventilation system is also necessary. The building requires major renovations to preserve its historic features while safeguarding the well-being and comfort of students and staff. Further research is needed on acoustics, lighting, and energy factors as well as the health effects of old building materials.

310 Investigating the Relationship Between Wildfire Smoke and Performance Metrics on Beef Cattle Through Bayesian Additive Regression Trees

Abstract Identifying causal relationships on a large-scale system is highly complicated, and when not careful, statistical theories may be violated, and biological spurious claims generated. The causality between livestock health/performance and wildfire smoke has not been investigated. To critically evaluate the effects of wildfire, air quality data was obtained and validated with sensors (1.6 km from feedlot) before analyses. Herein, we examine the influence of environmental quality parameters effects on dry matter intake (DMI), body weight (BW), water intake (WI), and average daily gain (ADG) over a period of three years in Reno, Nevada. The datasets comprised represented controlled no-smoke exposure instances and days with air quality indexes (AQI) as high as 453 (hazardous). The dataset consisted of over 10,000 observations with daily mapping of WI, DMI, ADG, and BW. To evaluate the potential relationship between air quality and animal performance, variable tree length Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) were utilized to investigate the relationships between AQI, particulate matter (PM) 2.5 um and 10 um, NO2, SO2, ozone, and CO levels in the air were utilized as covariates for BART. All statistical analyses were performed on R Statistical Software (R Core Team 2022), with use of the bartMachine package. The correlation values (), 95 % confidence intervals (CI), root mean squared error (RMSE), and coefficient of determination (r2) are reported. A significant correlation was detected between the environmental parameters and BW, (= 0.863, CI = [0.849, 0.877], P &amp;gt; 0.001, r2 = 0.75, RMSE = 51.27) with PM2.5 and PM10 being the most included parameters in the regression trees. For WI, correlation was also significant ( = 0.447, CI = [0.402, 0.490], P &amp;lt; 0.001, r2 = 0.20, RMSE = 14.57), the most included variables on the regression trees were the 10-um particulate matter followed by the CO. For DMI (= 0.727, CI = [0.700, 0.752], r2 = 0.53, RMSE = 2.58) PM10 and AQI were the most important inclusion proportion parameters. Similarly, for ADG (= 0.354, CI = [0.305, 0.401], r2 = 13, RMSE = 1.60) with ozone and PM10 being the most included parameters. In conclusion, our results more carefully examine relationships between smoke parameters and livestock performance. Uncertainty of relationship estimates, and variable importance highlights how performance parameters are differently affected by different environmental parameters highlighting the need for experiments with controlled exposure through time.

Comparison of edge computing methods in Internet of Things architectures for efficient estimation of indoor environmental parameters with Machine Learning

The large increase in the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices have revolutionised the way data is processed, which added to the current trend from cloud to edge computing has resulted in the need for efficient and reliable data processing near the data sources using energy-efficient devices. Two methods based on low-cost edge-IoT architectures are proposed to implement lightweight Machine Learning (ML) models that estimate indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters, such as Artificial Neural Networks of Multilayer Perceptron type. Their implementation is based on centralised and distributed parallel IoT architectures, connected via wireless, which share commercial off-the-self modules for data acquisition and sensing, such as sensors for temperature, humidity, illuminance, CO2, and other gases. The centralised method uses a Graphics Processing Unit and the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport protocol, but the distributed method utilises low-performance ARM-based devices and the Message Passing Interface protocol. Although multiple IEQ parameters are measured, the training and testing of ML models is accomplished with experiments focused on small temperature and illuminance datasets to reduce data processing load, obtained from sudden spikes, square profiles and sawteeth test cases. The results show a high estimation performance with F-score and Accuracy values close to 0.95, and an almost theorical Speedup with a reduction in power consumption close to 37% in the distributed parallel approach. In addition, similar or slightly better performance is achieved compared to equivalent IoT architectures from related research, but error reduction of 35–76% is accomplished with an adequate balance between performance and energy efficiency.

Relationships of Water Quality Parameters for Hydroponic Production of Kale (Brassica oleracea) with In-Ground Passive Cooling System

Greenhouses in Philippines are encountering high ambient air temperature problem. Along with this, the water quality directly affects the growth, development and yield of hydroponically grown plants. This study was conceptualized through the principle of cooling the nutrient solution that will effectively regulate plant’s growth and yield with relatively low investment and easier management. One of the essential elements of a functional hydroponics system is water quality monitoring, hence this study utilized a monitoring system for water quality parameters. Nutrient solution was closely monitored to maintain and ensure that nutrient levels are not too low to inhibit growth and not too high to be potentially toxic. The study was conducted to develop a monitoring system for environmental and water quality parameters of in-ground passive cooling system for hydroponic production of kale. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the relationships of water quality parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, and temperature for kale production, compare the performance of an in-ground passive cooling system (IGPCS) and without cooling system (Control) on hydroponically grown kale, and to evaluate the water productivity of the in-ground passive cooling system. This study utilized both in-ground passive cooling system (IGPCS) and control (without cooling system) to compare its performance based on the growth and yield of the kale, and to determine the water productivity of utilizing IGPCS. In addition, water quality parameter such as pH, EC, TDS, and temperature were closely monitored using the installed monitoring system, and relationships of these water quality parameters were established. The gathered data were analyzed using trend analysis in Microsoft Excel, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was computed in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and comparison among means were compared using Least Significant Difference (LSD) Test at 5% level. Results revealed that EC and TDS of nutrient solution are inversely proportional to pH and temperature of nutrient solution, moreover EC and TDS are directly proportional, also with pH and temperature of nutrient solution. The performance of the IGPCS and without cooling system is comparable with growth and yield of kale in terms of leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, weight and yield at harvest, but are significantly affected by the location of growing pipes where crops received less and ample amount of sunlight. Since the temperature of IGPCS was reduced up to 3°C, kale plants with cooling system uptake less water compared to without cooling system and results to higher productivity. Therefore, regulating one of the water quality parameters directly affects other water quality parameters, so relationships of these water quality parameters were established through close monitoring of water quality parameters using the monitoring system. Utilization of IGPCS reduced the temperature of the nutrient solution up to 3°C which gave higher yield (44.01 g/plant) than without cooling system (41.18 g/plant). Kale production in tropical areas can have higher yield using the in-ground passive cooling system that reduced water consumption, resulting to higher productivity.

Submarine groundwater discharge interacts with creek geomorphology to affect eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica growth rates in a coastal Georgia creek.

Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, are commercially important coastal species that provide many ecosystem services for coastal communities. Unfortunately, 85% of oyster reefs have been lost globally, prompting investments in restoration efforts to rebuild populations. Managers often consider several well-studied environmental and water quality parameters when making restoration site decisions. However, recent research suggests that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) may play a role in driving the distribution of oysters in some estuaries. Specifically, SGD may result in localized areas of low dissolved oxygen and low pH that could inhibit oyster recruitment and survival. However, SGD may interact with other potential oyster stressors, including creek geomorphology. On point bars, sediment accumulation could alter growth rates of oysters and physiology, and it is possible that the two factors, SGD and creek geomorphology, could interact to impact oyster growth. We conducted a field experiment to examine the effects of SGD and creek geomorphology on oyster growth rates in a marsh-lined tidal creek in Georgia, USA. High and low SGD sites were paired within point bars and cut banks. Oysters were deployed in cages for 72 days and growth rates were determined. We found a significant interaction between SGD and creek geomorphology on oyster growth rates. Oysters grew at significantly faster rates at locations on accretionary point bars regardless of SGD flux, whereas, on erosional cut banks, high SGD flux significantly reduced oyster growth rate relative to low SGD flux. It appears that SGD may negatively influence oyster growth at specific creek locations, likely due to the presence of other stressors. Therefore, it is important to consider potential interacting and confounding stressors when managing oyster populations. As SGD is still a relatively understudied potential stressor for oysters, it is critical to continue to examine how groundwater might influence oysters in other locations and in combination with other stressors. Regardless, this study provides further evidence that SGD should be considered in future management efforts.

COVID-19 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ADVANCEMENT FOR OFFICE BUILDING USING INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ELEMENTS

COVID-19 guideline is expected to be part of the 'new norms' for workplace. However, regarding COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by Ministry of Health Malaysia, there is inadequate concentration on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) parameters even it has been proven in various research that COVID-19 transmission spread actively in indoor environment and green elements could mitigate the virus transmission. Therefore, this study aims to enhance existing COVID-19 SOP by discovering sustainable COVID-19 framework for office building. Sets of questionnaires is distributed among employees at Menara Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru, Malaysia and analysed using Frequency Analysis and Cross Tabulation Analysis. Overall, result shows that EQ7 Air Change Effectiveness is the most important IEQ parameters that can be selected to improve the current COVID-19 SOP. This study is significant for building manager in workplace to enhance their current SOP by adding green elements which is IEQ parameters to reduce COVID-19 spread in workplace.

Assessment of the impacts of balconies on indoor environmental quality in mild climate conditions, Portugal

ABSTRACT The configuration of balconies can affect the indoor environmental performance of dwellings, but there is not enough knowledge regarding how a balcony simultaneously impacts all the parameters of indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Therefore, this study aims to evaluate, for the first time, the impacts of different balcony configurations on IEQ. A comprehensive in-situ campaign was carried out on ten balconies and their contiguous rooms in a building in Porto. Air temperature, relative humidity, CO2, PM2.5 and TVOCs concentration, illuminance and sound pressure level were simultaneously monitored. The results show that an open balcony has a positive impact on hygrothermal conditions, controlled daylight illuminance, and reduced traffic noise by up to 10 dBa. The presence of a glazed balcony improved hygrothermal conditions in winter and increased the noise reduction by up to 15 dBA, but caused a reduction in the daylight of up to 64%. The rooms, in which the balcony was eliminated presented the worst hygrothermal conditions, lost the benefits of noise reduction and had an increase in daylight illuminance of up to 136%. It was also found that the impacts are interrelated and that a balcony influences the occupants’ behaviour by enhancing window opening.

Characterization Study of Dyes Photodegradation-Adsorption Products by TiO2-Chitosan Immobilized on Glass Beads using Flow System

Dyes have a complex molecular structure that is difficult to degrade and can persist for a long time in water bodies. This study examines more thoroughly the effectiveness of photodegradation-adsorption of dyes, kinetic aspects, isotherms, thermodynamics, identification of the structure of photodegradation products, and changes in environmental quality parameter values whose results are quite satisfactory. The combination of photodegradation-adsorption of dyes by TiO2-chitosan modified glass beads using a flow system has never been accomplished before. Flowing of the dye resulted in a dye degradation efficiency of 99%. The FESEM-EDX analysis shows that TiO2-chitosan has been coated onto the surface of the glass beads. R2 of kinetics MB, MO, RB are 0.99234, 0.9889, 0.9971, which were pseudo-first order. Qm, KL, R2 are 6.4382, 0.70533, 0.99923; 16.7364, 1.42059, 0.98816; 6.0078, 1.06973, 0.99889, respectively. The ∆H, ∆S, ∆S of -9.388, -0.024, -1.979; -27.182, -0.078, -3.592; -4.819, -0.017, 0.464 indicate the exothermic and spontaneous reaction. COD, TOC, pH, turbidity values have reached the threshold required by the government. The degradation products formed during the photodegradation-adsorption process were identified using LC-MS that the structure of the dye has been degraded to become simpler so that it is safely disposed of into the environment.