Indoor Environmental Factors Research Articles

Preconceptional and perinatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution and eczema in preschool children

BackgroundEvidence linking prenatal exposure to outdoor air pollution with eczema in early childhood is scare, and the role of components of air pollution and exposure timing remains unclear. ObjectivesWe investigated the association between exposure to air pollution during preconceptional and perinatal period and the risk of eczema in preschool children. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of 2598 children aged 3–6 years in Changsha, China. The prevalence of eczema was assessed by a standardized health questionnaire administered by the parents. Individual exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter≤10μm (PM10) during the 4th-6th and 1st-3rd month before pregnancy, entire pregnancy, and three trimesters were estimated by an inverse distance weighted (IDW) method based on concentrations measured at monitoring stations. Association between childhood eczema and exposure to air pollution was examined by logistic regression models in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure. ResultsLife-time prevalence of eczema in preschool children in Changsha was 28.6%. Childhood eczema was associated with traffic-related air pollutant NO2 during 3 months before pregnancy and entire pregnancy with adjusted ORs=1.19 (95% CI: 1.04–1.37) and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.03–1.42) respectively. The highest risk of eczema was observed for the 1st trimester exposure to NO2 [OR=1.26 (95% CI: 1.09–1.46)]. However, no association was detected for SO2 and PM10 exposure during any window. High-level exposure to NO2 during the whole time period significantly increased the effect of NO2 in all windows on eczema risk as compared with low-level exposure. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the association between both preconceptional and perinatal exposure to NO2 and childhood eczema was consistent and robust, and this association was modified by some personal, parental hereditary and indoor environmental factors. ConclusionOur findings support the hypothesis that early childhood eczema is associated with exposure to traffic-related air pollutant during both preconceptional and perinatal period, especially at a high level of exposure.

СЕРЕДОВИЩНІ ФАКТОРИ РИЗИКУ СТЕНОЗУЮЧОГО ЛАРИНГОТРАХЕЇТУ В ДІТЕЙ.

Вивчено зв’язок між стенозуючим ларинготрахеїтом (СЛТ) у дітей і такими екзогенними факторами, як тютюновий дим, скупченість у житлових приміщеннях, вогкість у квартирі, наявність домашніх тварин, несприятливий психологічний клімат у сім’ї. Встановлено, що в дітей зі СЛТ значно частіше, ніж у контрольній групі, спостерігались випадки проживання в умовах скупченості в житлових приміщеннях і несприятливого психологічного клімату в сім’ї. Відсоток тих, хто проживав у сім’ях, де курять і, зокрема, де курить мати, серед дітей з 1–3 епізодами СЛТ був суттєво більшим, ніж серед дітей контрольної групи. Не виявлено значущої різниці між дітьми з рецидивним СЛТ (4 і більше епізодів захворювання) і дітьми контрольної групи щодо пасивного куріння. Дещо частіше, ніж у контрольній групі, серед дітей зі СЛТ траплялись випадки проживання у квартирах, де є вогкість (р<0,1). Не виявлено суттєвої різниці між дітьми зі СЛТ і дітьми контрольної групи стосовно наявності домашніх тварин.

Association between Secondhand Smoke in Hospitality Venues and Urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol Concentrations in Non-Smoking Staff.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between urinary cotinine and total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) concentrations in non-smoking staff and the indoor levels of fine particles (PM2.5) in hospitality venues that allow smoking, with respect to demographic and indoor environmental factors. We evaluated 62 hospitality venues that allowed smoking in Seoul, Korea. A real-time aerosol monitor was used to measure indoor PM2.5 concentrations. Field technicians recorded indoor environmental characteristics. One non-smoking staff member in each hospitality venue was tested for urinary cotinine and total NNAL concentrations. Demographic characteristics were obtained from self-reported staff questionnaires. Natural-log (ln)-transformed PM2.5 concentrations were significantly correlated with the ln-transformed cotinine (r = 0.31) and the total NNAL concentrations (r = 0.32). In multivariable regression analysis, the urinary cotinine concentrations of the staff members were significantly correlated with indoor PM2.5 concentrations; those with the highest concentrations were more likely to be women or staff members that worked in venues with a volume <375 m3. Total NNAL concentrations were significantly correlated only with indoor PM2.5 concentrations. Indoor PM2.5 may be used as an indicator for urinary cotinine and total NNAL concentrations in non-smoking staff members in hospitality venues that allow smoking.

External eye symptoms in indoor environments.

Eye irritation, for example dry or irritated eyes, is generally among top three reported symptoms in office-like environments, in particular among workplaces with cognitive demanding visual display unit (VDU) work. The symptoms are especially among middle and advanced ages and particularly among women more than men. The symptoms are also among the most commonly reported complaints in the eye clinic. To be in a position to interpret the high prevalence of eye symptoms, a multidisciplinary and integrated approach is necessary that involves the external eye physiology (separate from internal eye effects), eye diseases (evaporative dry eye (DE), aqueous-deficient DE, and gland dysfunctions), and risk factors that aggravate the stability of precorneal tear film (PTF) resulting in hyperosmolarity and initiation of inflammatory reactions. Indoor environmental, occupational and personal risk factors may aggravate the PTF stability; factors such as age, contact lenses, cosmetics, diet, draft, gender, low humidity and high temperature, medication, outdoor and combustion pollutants, and VDU work. Psychological stressors may further influence the reporting behavior of eye symptoms. The impact of the risk factors may occur in a combined and exacerbating manner.

Concentrations of PM10 and airborne bacteria in daycare centers in Seoul relative to indoor environmental factors and daycare center characteristics

The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of PM10 and airborne bacteria (AB) to determine how each one of them correlated with particular indoor environmental factors and characteristics of daycare centers in Seoul, South Korea.PM10 and AB were sampled in 330 daycare centers in the middle of a classroom, along with measurements of temperature and relative humidity. Spearman’s correlation and Mann-Whitney analyses were used to examine the relationship among and differences between PM10 concentration, AB concentration, indoor environmental factors, and daycare center characteristics.There were significant correlations between PM10 concentration and AB concentration (r = 0.128, p < 0.05), temperature (r = 0.153, p < 0.01), and relative humidity (r = 0.185, p < 0.01). PM10 concentrations with two or more windows; a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; and the use of air purifier were lower than concentrations with one window, window ventilation only, and no air purifier. AB concentrations were significantly higher when daycare centers had only one window and used only window ventilation (p < 0.05).Though there are many uncontrollable outdoor environmental factors that influence air quality, we demonstrated that using an HVAC system and an air purifier significantly reduces PM10 concentrations and is a practical change that could be implemented to improve the indoor air quality of daycare centers.

Grey preference analysis of indoor environmental factors using sub-indexes based on Weber/Fechner's law and predicted mean vote

The purpose of this study was to determine the influences of environmental parameters on common health symptoms in office buildings. A grey preference analysis based on a new indoor environment quality (IEQ) index and a controlled field survey of 91 office occupants were conducted in an office building in Guangzhou, China. The new IEQ index based on Weber/Fechner’s law and predicted mean vote (PMV) was developed and validated by our survey. In the survey, the six environmental parameters (air temperature, illumination intensity, noise level, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and PM10) were measured. The subjects’ satisfaction levels and the nine health symptoms (eye dryness, lethargy, dry throat, headache, nausea, skin dryness, blocked nose, influenza-like symptom and chest tightness) were determined using questionnaires. The results show that the proposed IEQ index can preferentially predict the subjective sensations of occupants. PM10 was identified as the most significant environmental parameter, followed by formaldehyde, air temperature, carbon dioxide, noise level and illumination intensity. Eye dryness and lethargy were the most significant symptoms, followed by dry throat, headache, nausea, skin dryness and chest tightness. Blocked nose and influenza-like symptom were hardly reported by subjects. The findings of this study could provide a practical guidance for IEQ management to reduce unhealthy diseases for occupants.

Indoor Annual Sunlight Opportunity in Domestic Dwellings May Predict Well-Being in Urban Residents in Scotland

Abstract Indoor sunlight improves health in hospitals, schools, and workplaces, and there is clinical evidence for the impact on depression. But the impact of indoor sunlight on residents' health and well-being in domestic dwellings is unclear. Understanding this relationship could have important implications for building design and residents' indoor behavior, and impacts on health. Using a cross-sectional survey, we investigated the relationship between annual indoor sunlight opportunity and psychological well-being in 40 residents of high-rise dwellings in a socioeconomically deprived area in Glasgow, Scotland. Perceived physical health, physical activity, psychological distress, and indoor environmental factors were potential mediators of the relationship between annual sunlight opportunity and well-being. We used novel simulation modeling of window size, orientation, occlusion, and occupant behavior to measure annual sunlight opportunity. We found a significant positive association between well-being ...

The associations of indoor environment and psychosocial factors on the subjective evaluation of Indoor Air Quality among lower secondary school students: a multilevel analysis.

Subjective evaluation of Indoor Air Quality (subjective IAQ) reflects both building-related and psychosocial factors, but their associations have rarely been studied other than on the individual level in occupational settings and their interactions have not been assessed. Therefore, we studied whether schools' observed indoor air problems and psychosocial factors are associated with subjective IAQ and their potential interactions. The analysis was performed with a nationwide sample (N=195 schools/26946 students) using multilevel modeling. Two datasets were merged: (i) survey data from students, including information on schools' psychosocial environment and subjective IAQ, and (ii) data from school principals, including information on observed indoor air problems. On the student level, school-related stress, poor teacher-student relationship, and whether the student did not easily receive help from school personnel, were significantly associated with poor subjective IAQ. On the school level, observed indoor air problem (standardized β=-0.43) and poor teacher-student relationship (standardized β=-0.22) were significant predictors of poor subjective IAQ. In addition, school-related stress was associated with poor subjective IAQ, but only in schools without observed indoor air problem (standardized β=-0.44).

Preconceptional, prenatal and postnatal exposure to outdoor and indoor environmental factors on allergic diseases/symptoms in preschool children

BackgroundEnvironmental factors have been found to be associated with allergic diseases, but it is unclear which environmental factor during which exposure window causes what kind of allergic diseases. ObjectivesWe investigated association between exposure to some predominant outdoor and indoor environmental factors during preconceptional, prenatal, and postnatal periods and allergic diseases/symptoms in 2598 children in China. MethodsChildren's lifetime incidence of allergic diseases and current prevalence of allergic symptoms and exposure to indoor new furniture/redecoration and mold/dampness was surveyed by a questionnaire. Exposure to outdoor air pollutants was estimated by the concentrations measured at air quality monitoring stations. Multiple logistic regression model was used to evaluate the associations between outdoor air pollutants and indoor environmental factors and allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema) and symptoms (wheezing, night cough, and rhinitis-like). ResultsWe found that preconceptional, prenatal, and postnatal exposure to outdoor industrial and traffic air pollutants were significantly associated with increase in the risk of childhood asthma, and also positively associated with allergic rhinitis and eczema. However, we cannot distinguish the effect of outdoor air pollutants and exposure windows because of their high correlations. New furniture was associated with eczema and allergic rhinitis during postnatal exposure, but redecoration associated with asthma and eczema during prenatal exposure. Indoor visible mold/damp stains was significant for eczema during prenatal exposure and asthma during postnatal exposure respectively, but window condensation was significant for all childhood allergic diseases during both prenatal and postnatal exposures. Allergic symptoms in children were found to be associated with exposure to indoor factors only. ConclusionsAssociations between outdoor air pollutants and indoor environmental factors and childhood allergic diseases/symptoms were divergent and related to the timing of exposure.

Lifetime prevalence of childhood eczema and the effect of indoor environmental factors: Analysis in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children

The prevalence of eczema varies markedly across the globe. It is unclear whether the geographic variation is due to race and/or ethnic differences, environmental exposures, or genetic factors. We investigated the effects of ethnicity and environmental exposures on eczema in Hispanic white and non-Hispanic white children who participated in the Southern California Children's Health Study. We performed a cross-sectional study with sociodemographic predictors and environmental exposures among Hispanic white and non-Hispanic white children ages 4-8 years enrolled in the Children's Health Study, 2002-2003. Eczema prevalence differed by ethnicity: Hispanic whites showed lower prevalence (13.8%) compared with non-Hispanic whites (20.2%), and adjustment for sociodemographic factors did not account for the ethnic difference (odds ratio [OR] 0.79 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.65-0.95]). Parental history of allergic disease had a larger effect in Hispanic whites than in non-Hispanic whites (p for interaction = 0.005). High maternal education level (OR 1.46 [95% CI, 1.14-1.87]), parental history of allergic disease (OR 2.21 [95% CI, 1.78-2.76]), and maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR 1.44 [95% CI, 1.06-1.95]) increased the risk of eczema. Indoor environmental factors (e.g., mold, water damage, humidifier use) increased the risk of eczema in non-Hispanic whites independent of a parental history of allergic disease, but, in Hispanic whites, increased risks were observed, primarily in children without a parental history of allergic disease. Hispanic white children in southern California had a lower prevalence of eczema than non-Hispanic whites, and this ethnic difference was not accounted for by sociodemographic differences. The effects of a parental history of allergic disease and indoor environmental exposures on eczema varied by ethnicity, which indicated that the etiology of eczema may differ in Hispanic whites and in non-Hispanic whites.

Khảo sát chất lượng không khí và vị trí chuồng nuôi lên năng suất sinh sản của gà đẻ trứng giống Hisex Brown

The study was conducted on a layer farm belonged to Emivest Vietnam Co., Ltd in Binh Phuoc province to evaluate the effects of indoor environmental factors such as temperature (oC), relative humidity (%), air velocity (m/s), concentration of O2 (%), NH3, H2S, CO and CH4 (ppm) in houses and the presence of fecal Escherichia coli and Eimeria spp. on egg production, feed intake, egg weight, egg mass and feed conversion ratio of Hisex Brown layers. Hens were kept in tunnel ventilated house divided into four positions, with 20,000 hen capacity (4 hens in a cage at a stocking density of 472 cm2/hen). Hen manure was directly dropped below the cage and removed every 6 to 8 days. A temperature and humidity control system and exhaust fans were located in the front and the end of the house. The results showed that after removing manure, concentration of NH3 was gradually increased from front to the end of house, but still remained below exposure limit value and no harmful gases such as CO, H2S, and CH4 were detected. Number of fecal Escherichia coli and Eimeria spp. was in a normal range. Location of cage did not impact on egg production, but egg weight and feed conversion ratio were decreased.

Ảnh hưởng các yếu tố môi trường chuồng nuôi lên sinh trưởng của gà thịt

Four broiler houses located on the same farm belonged to Emivest Vietnam Co., Ltd in Binh Phuoc province were selected to evaluate the effect of indoor environmental factors including temperature (oC), relative humidity (%), air velocity (m/s), concentration of O2 (%), NH3, H2S, CO and CH4 (ppm) and the presence of Escherichia coli and Eimeria spp. in houses on growth rate, feed intake and feed conversion ratio of one to 42 day old chicks. All birds were kept in tunnel-ventilated houses and raised on deep litter floor, which was divided into 4 equal positions of 360 m2. The measurement showed that there was no harmful gas detected, O2 concentration was maintained at normal level (20.9 vol%). Number of fecal E.coli was 14*106 CFU/g with no presence of Eimeria spp. The final weight of birds reared near vent fans was higher to that of birds in the exhaust fans (3,026 g vs 2871 g, p

A Study on Performance Evaluation of Light Shelf according to the Reflectivity of Interior Space

There has been a significant increase in the amount of research on reducing the lighting power consumption of buildings and also an increasing demand for technological development. Light shelf has been recognized as one of the most efficient solutions to this issue and related researches have been conducted, which have mostly focused on factors related to simple light shelves and are not suitable as an appropriate basis for the design of light shelves. Thus this study aims to establish the proper design basis Received (August 21, 2015), Review Request(August 24, 2015), Review Result(September 09, 2015) Accepted(September 30, 2015), Published(October 31, 2015) 136-702 The Graduate School of Techno Design, Kookmin Univ., Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea email: wjskm901121@naver.com 136-702 The Graduate School of Techno Design, Kookmin Univ., Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea email: moonup2001@nate.com (Corresponding Author) 136-702 The Graduate School of Techno Design, Kookmin Univ., Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea email: yongkim@kookmin.ac.kr A Study on Performance Evaluation of Light Shelf according to the Reflectivity of Interior Space Copyright c 2015 HSST 462 for light shelves by evaluating the performance of shelves per reflection rate in indoor areas. Power consumption rate and indoor illumination intensity distribution of a testbed built based on actual living conditions were calculated for the performance evaluation, of which the results are as following: 1) Reduction of reflection rate of ceiling and walls caused average illumination intensity in summer, winter and median seasons, and evenness per reflection rate of indoor areas was found to be different in summer, winter and median seasons, making it a necessary consideration for designing light shelves. 2) Calculation of power consumption from lighting control showed that a high reflection rate of indoor areas may be suitable for power consumption reduction, and that reflection rates higher than 80% for ceilings and higher than 75% for walls in terms of the efficiency of researches on the indoor reflection rate and its application would be appropriate. This study is meaningful as the research focuses on light shelves based on considering indoor environmental factors. More studies will be required that consider a variety of factors.

Microbiota of the indoor environment: a meta-analysis.

BackgroundAs modern humans, we spend the majority of our time in indoor environments. Consequently, environmental exposure to microorganisms has important implications for human health, and a better understanding of the ecological drivers and processes that impact indoor microbial assemblages will be key for expanding our knowledge of the built environment. In the present investigation, we combined recent studies examining the microbiota of the built environment in order to identify unifying community patterns and the relative importance of indoor environmental factors. Ultimately, the present meta-analysis focused on studies of bacteria and archaea due to the limited number of high-throughput fungal studies from the indoor environment. We combined 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene datasets from 16 surveys of indoor environments conducted worldwide, additionally including 7 other studies representing putative environmental sources of microbial taxa (outdoor air, soil, and the human body).ResultsCombined analysis of subsets of studies that shared specific experimental protocols or indoor habitats revealed community patterns indicative of consistent source environments and environmental filtering. Additionally, we were able to identify several consistent sources for indoor microorganisms, particularly outdoor air and skin, mirroring what has been shown in individual studies. Technical variation across studies had a strong effect on comparisons of microbial community assemblages, with differences in experimental protocols limiting our ability to extensively explore the importance of, for example, sampling locality, building function and use, or environmental substrate in structuring indoor microbial communities.ConclusionsWe present a snapshot of an important scientific field in its early stages, where studies have tended to focus on heavy sampling in a few geographic areas. From the practical perspective, this endeavor reinforces the importance of negative “kit” controls in microbiome studies. From the perspective of understanding mechanistic processes in the built environment, this meta-analysis confirms that broad factors, such as geography and building type, structure indoor microbes. However, this exercise suggests that individual studies with common sampling techniques may be more appropriate to explore the relative importance of subtle indoor environmental factors on the indoor microbiome.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40168-015-0108-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Housing Sustainability Challenges in a Nigerian City

&lt;p class="ber"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-GB"&gt;This paper discusses housing sustainability challenges and applicable sustainable urban renewal strategy for Nigerian cities, and thereby emphasizes the dimension of government-instituted urban renewal policy. This is with a view to projecting the need for urban housing sustainability with respect to developing countries A field survey conducted in Ile-Ife, a typical Nigerian city in its South-Western region is used to appraise the extent of the housing sustainability challenges. The four areas for the survey- Itakogun-Okerewe, Ogbingbin, Obalufon-Ilara and Igboya, were purposively selected from the Ife Central Local Government which constitutes the central area of Ile-Ife. The conditions of the houses and neighbourhoods were assessed by means of administration of questionnaire to residents and observation. In each of the four areas surveyed, the findings indicated that the built environment was deplorable. The indoor and outdoor environmental quality factors were unsatisfactory to respondents and the essential services were not in serviceable condition. The study concluded that the poor and uncomfortable housing and environmental living conditions in the city core areas reflected the stress of urbanization. The findings, though limited in scope to one typical Nigerian city, give insight that housing challenges of urban central areas are in unsustainable dimensions. It was recommended that there must be a commitment to adequate and far-reaching urban renewal programmes based on sustainability, energy conservation and human comfort. Government intervention in the dynamics of the urban environment in Nigeria is urgently required to effect good governance and acceptable urban management.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Bedroom air quality and vacuuming frequency are associated with repeat child asthma hospital admissions

Objective: Indoor environment factors have been associated with risk of asthma exacerbations in children but little is known about their role on asthma hospital readmissions. As children in Western societies continually spend more time indoors, understanding the influence of these factors on asthma exacerbation is important. We examined the role of indoor environmental and lifestyle characteristics on child asthma readmissions. Methods: A hospital-based case–control study recruited 22 children readmitted for asthma and 22 controls not readmitted for asthma. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between aeroallergens and fungi in the bedroom and indoor lifestyle characteristics factors for asthma readmissions. To determine the best possible set of predictors among a large set of risk factors, we used random forests (RF) techniques. Results: Higher levels of airborne Cladosporium and yeast in the child’s bedroom increased risk of readmission (OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.04–2.72 and OR = 1.52, 95% CI 0.99–2.34, respectively). Carpeted floors in the bedroom and synthetic doonas were also associated with increase in asthma readmissions (OR = 4.07, 95% CI 1.03–16.06 and OR = 14.6, 95% CI 1.26–169.4, respectively). In the home, frequent vacuuming using bagged cleaners increased risk of asthma readmission OR = 15.7 (95% CI 2.82–87.2). Conclusions: Factors in the child’s bedroom play an important role in increasing the risk of asthma hospital readmissions. These findings have major clinical implications as the identified potential risk factors may be modifiable. Further epidemiological studies with larger samples are necessary to evaluate these associations further.

Primary energy performance and perceived indoor environment quality in Finnish low-energy and conventional houses

The primary energy demand of five recently built low-energy houses (built 2009–2012) and five older conventional houses (1974–2011) was calculated in accordance with the Finnish law regarding the building energy performance certificate of 2013. The purchased energy and water use data for the year 2013 was collected from the house owners. We interviewed the occupants and evaluated their perceived environment quality with a questionnaire survey. The average calculated primary energy demand was 120 kWh/m2 a (85–136 kWh/m2 a) in the low-energy houses and 323 kWh/m2 a (203–577 kWh/m2 a) in the conventional houses. The average purchased primary energy use was 125 kWh/m2 a (88–177 kWh/m2 a) in the low energy houses and 220 kWh/m2 a (155–277 kWh/m2 a) in the conventional houses. The occupants in the low-energy houses perceived indoor environment quality as slightly better than the occupants in the conventional houses. Too high and varying room temperature were the most unsatisfactory indoor environment factors reported in both the low-energy and conventional houses in the winter and summer.

Inconsistencies between building regulations in force in Italy for indoor environment and wellness factors

Indoor environment is one of major health determinants, and the regulations that set the sanitary requirements are of primary importance for the protection of public health. The authors analyse the critical aspects of the complex Italian regulatory system, starting from the EU regulations, through national and regional laws, and finally the municipal regulations. They underline the need for more uniformity and clarity in the determination of health standards, as well as for a simplification of the existing legislation. Moreover, they highlight the importance of controlling and monitoring indoor environment, currently almost completely absent in Italy due to the effects of the regulatory changes of the latest years.

녹색도서관 구축 현황 및 인식조사 연구

본 연구에서는 녹색도서관 구축 현황 및 인식조사 연구를 통해 녹색도서관에 대한 인식을 제고하고 녹색도서관 발전방향을 제시하고자 하였다. 이를 위하여 녹색도서관에 대한 개요 및 녹색도서관 건립의 기준이 되는 녹색건축인증제도(G-SEED), G-SEED 인증을 받은 도서관과 G-SEED 평가 사례를 조사하였으며, G-SEED 인증을 받은 도서관의 직원들을 대상으로 녹색도서관에 대한 인식도를 조사하였다. 연구결과 첫째, 녹색도서관 및 녹색인증제도에 대한 인식은 낮은 반면, 녹색도서관에 대한 관심도와 그 필요성 인식은 매우 높게 나타났다. 둘째, 녹색건축인증제도 평가항목에 따른 소속도서관의 녹색도서관 구축 현황에 대한 인식 조사에서 평가항목에 대한 인식은 전반적으로 높았으며 이 중 '재활용 가능자원 분리수거' 평가항목이 가장 높게 나타났고 '중수도 설치' 평가항목이 가장 낮게 나타났다. 셋째, 녹색건축인증제도 평가항목은 적합하다고 평가하였으며, 녹색도서관 구축의 필수요소의 중요도 순위는 환경오염방지, 에너지, 생태환경, 실내환경 순으로 나타났다. 넷째, 녹색도서관 구축의 가장 큰 애로사항은 녹색도서관 개념에 대한 인식 부족이었고, 녹색도서관 구축효과는 도서관에 대한 이미지 향상으로 나타났다. The purpose of this study was to research instances of green library construction and recognition in order to increase awareness of green libraries. To this end, we investigated the green library's outline and green building, evaluated cases of G-SEED certified libraries, and surveyed the employees at the 16 different G-SEED certified libraries. Results showed that the employees' knowledge of green libraries and the green certification system was low, whereas their interest and needs regarding the green library concept were very high. Second, the respondents were able to recognize as a whole the factors of green library construction based on the evaluation items for G-SEED and place particular emphasis on 'recyclable resources & recycling bins.' However, only a few recognized 'water reclamation/reuse system establishment' as a green library factor. Third, the respondents largely agreed upon an evaluation of items on the suitability of G-SEED, and their ranked reasons for build a green library were preventing environmental pollution, energy-saving, environment, ecology, and indoor environmental factors. Fourth, a lack of 'awareness about the concept of the green library' was thought to most affect the awareness of difficulties in green library construction, and the respondents agreed with the need for 'library image enhancement' to better manage expectations of the green library.

Analysis of the Association between Indoor PM and Environmental Factors during Dust Storms

Analysis of the Association between Indoor PM and Environmental Factors during Dust Storms