1,721,022 research outputs found
Correlation analysis of health and mould in buildings: based on the Health Survey for England
Get PDFMould in buildings is a significant public health issue in England. It affects the living environment of residents and may also have some negative health effects. This study uses the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2010 dataset to explore the correlation between building mould and health data, and the relationship between mould and building conditions, socio-economics, and lifestyle habits. This paper summarises 23 potentially mould-relevant features based on the literature review and database. It also redefines some features, such as the housing overcrowding criterion. The study used multiple logistic regression to explore the correlations between these key characteristics. The study results show significant correlations between housing crowding, resident education levels, income levels, pet ownership, housing tenure and regional differences and building mould. There were also correlations between mould and respiratory health conditions and mental health issues such as sleep difficulties. Research into the relationship between mould and health in dwellings could be improved by adding more mould-related questions to future HSE surveys
Recommended mosquito risk assessment criteria for urban environment in London, UK - targeting mosquito-borne diseases
Get PDFFactors such as climate change and world trade may lead to changes in the range of mosquitoes found in cities. Mosquito-borne diseases are one of the major public health problems worldwide (WHO, 2020). Thus, the risk of mosquitoes appearing in areas where people live is critical. The risk of mosquito have been devised in some countries, but they have mostly focused on assessing water bodies, ignoring the effects of other factors on mosquito survival. This article presents the design of assessment criteria for urban environments based on three basic conditions for mosquito survival, i.e., saccharides, blood, and habitat. The criteria can be used in the assessment of environments in three general directions. The proposed assessment criteria were used in several sites in London to determine the reasonableness of the criteria and continuously improved.<br/
Assessing housing conditions in Indonesia and its association with health and well-being
Get PDFRelated to health and well-being. This study aims to assess housing conditions in Indonesia and their association with the health and well-being of the occupants by using questionnaires. Participants in this study were residents living in Greater Jakarta. The number of participants was 197 people with mostly live in non-apartment houses. It was found that most of the houses in Greater Jakarta were healthy in terms of housing density since overcrowding is not an issue where most of the participants at least have one bedroom for a maximum of two people. However, having full-time ventilation is encouraged to have a better thermal environment in a tropical country like Indonesia. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights for related stakeholders to improve housing conditions in Indonesia, considering the occupants' health and well-being
Understanding the Impact of Insulation on Moisture Content of Timber
Get PDFRetrofitting suspended timber floors can reduce energy demand, but also introduces moisture risks when insulation restricts natural drying. This study investigates the impact of partial spray foam insulation on the drying behaviour of pine timber, focusing on insulation timing, initial moisture content, environmental conditions, and measurement reliability. Pine specimens were conditioned under controlled conditions (20°C, 50% RH and 15°C, 80% RH) and insulated at varying moisture levels. Moisture contents were measured using the gravimetric method and three moisture meters. Results showed that insulation slowed drying compared to uninsulated timber, especially when applied at high moisture contents, prolonging exposure to decay thresholds. Safer outcomes occurred when the insulation was delayed until ≈22% MC under moderate conditions, although this was less reliable under cooler, more humid environments. Gravimetric analysis provided the most accurate assessment, while meters often mispresented values. The findings provide evidence to guide moisture-aware, durable retrofit practice.<br/
Investigating alternative materials for displacement Shelters, using north- west Syria as an example
Get PDFSyria is home to one of the most intense deteriorations of civilian livelihood and security, ranking in the bottom 5 of civil unrest indices consistently since the 2012 uprising (Maplecroft, 2021). As of 2022, Syria accounts for over 14 million FDIs, 6.9 million being IDPs, predominantly on the north-western coast. With extreme weather events occurring at greater frequencies, the failure of humanitarian organization aid, specifically the tents, must be investigated for their resilience. With limited access to resources, due to disturbed supply chains and boarder conflict, the opportunity to investigate alternative local resource streams, to better shelter environments, is presented. This report investigates the potential of using food waste by-products (FWBP) as an alternative resource stream, combined with vernacular construction methods. Coffee grounds, nut shells, date seeds and chickpea water were used in different combinations with conventional earth materials, and subject to thermal, moisture and load tests
How effectively do UK local authorities communicate mould guidance to diverse populations: an accessibility and equity assessment?
Get PDFEffective communication of damp and mould risks is vital for public health equity in the UK. This paper presents findings from a 10-council evaluation focused on accessibility outcomes. A ten-element rubric derived from National Health Service (NHS) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance assessed websites for content coverage, readability, usability (click depth ≤3, WCAG 2.2 compliance), and availability of translations or alternative formats. While most councils included definitions and causes explanations, accessibility was uneven and only Newham met best-practice thresholds, offering Easy-Read or translated content. In contrast, Liverpool and Glasgow failed due to excessive click-depth, poor readability, and lack of support for non-English speakers. Translations were the weakest provision across the sample. The results highlight the urgent need for national coordination to deliver pre-translated, Easy-Read templates and ensure WCAG compliance
An experimental investigation of how human activities affect the behaviour of indoor airborne particles
Get PDFThe outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 triggered soaring public concern about respiratory infectious diseases. The motion of virus-carrier particles has also been researched by academia due to its susceptible characteristics caused by various factors. Particle behaviours can be influenced by human activities inducing effects, which can be regarded as an opportunity to support the development of efficient strategies for coping with infectious diseases. By performing simulation experiments, this paper investigated how door opening and human walking influence the behaviour of indoor PM0.5 and PM2.5. The results show that better understanding the effect of human activities may help control virus-carrying particles indoors
Effect of indoor lights on development of Aspergillus versicolor in buildings
Get PDFThe presence of moulds inside buildings has been a growing concern as it may affect the integrity of buildings and the health of occupants. Most studies have focused on growth conditions involving moisture, temperature and construction materials. Though moulds are known to have light responses, ranging from developmental regulating to metabolites producing, it is unclear whether they respond to light levels found indoors. This study analysed the influence of indoor light of varying colour temperature and illuminance on germination, growth and sporulation of Aspergillus versicolor. Mould germination was not significantly affected by colour temperature or light intensity. The development of mycelia was inhibited when completely exposed to light (1050 lx), both warm and cool lighting, and the cool colour temperature had a stronger effect. If the illuminance increases from darkness to 1050 lx, changes in the morphology and biological process were observed. Colonies exposed to high illuminance were high and denser; however, incubation under dark or weak light intensity triggered mould conidiation earlier. This difference in light responses of A. versicolor may result from protective mechanisms against environmental or light-relevant stress. With the results, this study demonstrates the role of indoor lights in regulating fungal development in buildings
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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