Exploring particulate matter pollution in hotel guestrooms

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 1131-1162
Author(s):  
Howook (Sean) Chang ◽  
Chang Huh ◽  
Tiffany S. Legendre ◽  
John J. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Grade ◽  
The Usa

Purpose A growing number of travelers seek well-being when traveling. As concerning about outdoor air pollution in tourism destinations escalates, little is known about indoor air pollution in hotel guestrooms. The purpose of the present study is to assess particulate matter (PM) pollution in US hotel guestrooms and to provide baseline indoor PM readings in occupied and unoccupied rooms. Design/methodology/approach A series of field tests and experiments monitoring PM levels were conducted in the guestrooms overnight – with and without occupants – using the sophisticated, industrial-grade PM-monitoring equipment. Findings The results revealed that PM levels were very low when rooms were unoccupied or when guests were asleep. However, unhealthy PM mass concentrations were observed in occupied rooms when guests engaged in physical activity such as showering and walking around or while room attendants cleaned rooms. Among the physical activities, room cleaning caused hazardous indoor PM pollution, reaching 1,665.9 µg/m3 of PM10 and 140.4 µg/m3 of PM2.5 although they tended to be brief. Research limitations/implications Leveraging increasing guest demand in well-being is essential for sustainable business and further growth. Indoor air quality must be recognized as an important factor to be controlled for well-being and health of guests and employees. Major hotel brands should take it into consideration as they infuse well-being DNA into their products and culture. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first empirical investigation of PM pollution both in occupied and unoccupied hotel guestrooms in the USA, which reveals unhealthy PM pollution associated with the routine human activities in occupied guestrooms.

Personnel’s Well-Being and Indoor Air Pollution in the Operating Rooms

1996 ◽  
pp. 219-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D’Alessandro ◽  
M. P. Bernardi ◽  
S. Roma ◽  
G. Bellante Martiis ◽  
G. M. Fara
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Operating Rooms

scholarly journals Indoor air pollution and tobacco smoke exposure: impact on nasopharyngeal bacterial carriage in mothers and infants in an African birth cohort study

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 00052-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneesa Vanker ◽  
Polite M. Nduru ◽  
Whitney Barnett ◽  
Felix S. Dube ◽  
Peter D. Sly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Tobacco Smoke ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Tobacco Smoke Exposure ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Carriage ◽  
The Impact

Indoor air pollution (IAP) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure may influence nasopharyngeal carriage of bacterial species and development of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the impact of antenatal or postnatal IAP/ETS exposure on nasopharyngeal bacteria in mothers and infants.A South African cohort study followed mother–infant pairs from birth through the first year. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken at birth, 6 and 12 months for bacterial culture. Multivariable and multivariate Poisson regression investigated associations between nasopharyngeal bacterial species and IAP/ETS. IAP exposures (particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds) were measured at home visits. ETS exposure was measured through maternal and infant urine cotinine. Infants received the 13-valent pneumococcal andHaemophilus influenzaeB conjugate vaccines.There were 881 maternal and 2605 infant nasopharyngeal swabs. Antenatal ETS exposure was associated withStreptococcus pneumoniaecarriage in mothers (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.73 (95% CI 1.03–2.92)) while postnatal ETS exposure was associated with carriage in infants (aRR 1.14 (95% CI 1.00–1.30)) Postnatal particulate matter exposure was associated with the nasopharyngeal carriage ofH. influenzae(aRR 1.68 (95% CI 1.10– 2.57)) orMoraxella catarrhalis(aRR 1.42 (95% CI 1.03–1.97)) in infants.Early-life environmental exposures are associated with an increased prevalence of specific nasopharyngeal bacteria during infancy, which may predispose to LRTI.

scholarly journals Survey Research of Selected Issues the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in an Office Building

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Gladyszewska-Fiedoruk
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Exchange Method ◽  
Sick Building ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys

Abstract The reason why the Sick Building Syndrome appears is not enough flow of the fresh air going into the rooms. It could cause various ailments, although it is difficult to determine their source and the symptoms disappear soon after leaving the building. The paper discusses the sources of the indoor air pollution, symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome and shows the solutions how to avoid the phenomena of “sick” buildings. In addition, the results of questionnaire surveys on the well-being of employees, which were carried out in an office building in Warsaw, were presented. The vast majority of respondents in the building spend 8 hours, during which their well-being deteriorates. More than half of the respondents felt typical symptoms of the Sick Building Syndrome. To avoid the formation of “sick building” should be replaced regularly air. The exchange method is not important.

scholarly journals Indoor Air Pollution from Residential Stoves: Examining the Flooding of Particulate Matter into Homes during Real-World Use

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1326
Author(s):  
Rohit Chakraborty ◽  
James Heydon ◽  
Martin Mayfield ◽  
Lyudmila Mihaylova
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Real World ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Primary Mechanism ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Risk Of Exposure

This study concerns the levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM1) released by residential stoves inside the home during ‘real world’ use. Focusing on stoves that were certified by the UK’s Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), PM sensors were placed in the vicinity of 20 different stoves over four weeks, recording 260 uses. The participants completed a research diary in order to provide information on time lit, amount and type of fuel used, and duration of use, among other details. Multivariate statistical tools were used in order to analyse indoor PM concentrations, averages, intensities, and their relationship to aspects of stove management. The study has four core findings. First, the daily average indoor PM concentrations when a stove was used were higher for PM2.5 by 196.23% and PM1 by 227.80% than those of the non-use control group. Second, hourly peak averages are higher for PM2.5 by 123.91% and for PM1 by 133.09% than daily averages, showing that PM is ‘flooding’ into indoor areas through normal use. Third, the peaks that are derived from these ’flooding’ incidents are associated with the number of fuel pieces used and length of the burn period. This points to the opening of the stove door as a primary mechanism for introducing PM into the home. Finally, it demonstrates that the indoor air pollution being witnessed is not originating from outside the home. Taken together, the study demonstrates that people inside homes with a residential stove are at risk of exposure to high intensities of PM2.5 and PM1 within a short period of time through normal use. It is recommended that this risk be reflected in the testing and regulation of residential stoves.

Indoor Air Pollution as an Environmental Factor

1976 ◽  
Vol 20 (14) ◽  
pp. 272-276
Author(s):  
Joshi Satish
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Average Person ◽  
Sampling Program ◽  
The City ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

An average person spends most of his time indoors and the quality of indoor air affects his performance and well-being. This justifies the study of indoor air pollution for the development of working and living environments which are comfortable and safe. As a part of a larger program to study traffic-generated air pollution in the vicinity of streets, a simultaneous indoor/outdoor sampling program was carried out at three sites in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. Parameters included CO, NO, NO2 and HCHO. The results show the direct relationship between indoor and outdoor concentrations of CO, NO and NO2. HCHO concentrations were found to be substantially higher indoors than ourdoors thus supporting the hypothesis that HCHO source could be in the buildings themselves. The importance of indoor air is emphasized, and the interplay of indoor and outdoor air pollution is demonstrated.

scholarly journals Ambient and Indoor Air Pollution in Pregnancy and the risk of Low birth weight and Ensuing Effects in Infants (APPLE): A cohort study in Bangalore, South India

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Prafulla Shriyan ◽  
Giridhara R Babu ◽  
Deepa Ravi ◽  
Yamuna Ana ◽  
Onno CP van Schayck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
In Pregnancy

Background: Exposure to air pollution (IAP) from the combustion of solid fuels is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Pregnant women exposed to higher pollutant levels are at higher risk of delivering a low-birth-weight (LBW) baby. There is a lack of standardized data regarding the levels and types of specific pollutants and how they impact LBW. We aim to prospectively assess the association between ambient and indoor air pollution levels in pregnancy and low birth weight and understand the subsequent risk of adiposity in these infants. Methods: We will conduct a prospective cohort study of 516 pregnant women recruited before 18 weeks of gestation in the urban slums of Bangalore, who have voluntarily consented to participate. We will estimate the level of air pollutants including coarse particulate matter 10 ug/m3 (PM10 ), fine particulate matter 2.5 ug/m3(PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) parts per million (ppm) levels in both indoor and ambient environment. The follow-up of the delivered children will be done at delivery until the infant is two years old. The association between pollutants and LBW will be evaluated using logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders.Further, we will explore the mediation role of LBW in the hypothesized causal chain of air pollution and adiposity. Nested within a larger Maternal Antecedents of Adiposity and Studying the Transgenerational role of Hyperglycemia and Insulin (MAASTHI) cohort, we can estimate the absolute risk of having low birth weight caused by air pollution and other variables. Discussion: Understanding the association between exposures to ambient and indoor air pollution and low birth weight is essential in India. LBW babies have a higher risk of developing obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) during adulthood. The results from this study can inform the efforts for controlling the air pollution-related chronic diseases in India.

Comparative study on indoor air quality variation while burning different firewood species in Gatlang, Rasuwa, Nepal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu Dahal ◽  
Indira Parajuli
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Pm 2.5 ◽  
Abies Spectabilis

Abstract Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) from smoky cooking fires causes deaths over 22,800 per year being the fourth leading cause of death in Nepal. The study aims to compare the pollution level particularly Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Particulate Matter (PM 2.5 ) in different firewood species. Two households one with ICS and TCS is selected purposively to monitor the concentration of pollutants in Ward no. 3 of Gatlang, Rasuwa, Nepal. IAP Meter based on Laser Sensor principle is used to monitor real time concentration of PM 2.5 and CO. 24 hours mean concentration of PM 2.5 and 8 hours mean average concentrations of CO are found to be above the WHO and National Indoor Air Quality Guidelines i.e. For ICS using household the concentration is found to be 155.26 µg/m 3 and 9 ppm respectively and household using TCS is found to be 385.12 µg/m 3 and 12.2 ppm). Both pollutants’ concentration is found less in Abies Spectabilis than other species. Positive correlation is found in both households along with moisture content, amount of firewood used, etc. This result suggests the use of Abies Spectabilis as it emits less emission as compared to other species as it has less moisture content that reduces the concentration of air pollution. Keywords : Carbon Monoxide 1 , Particulate Matter (PM 2.5 ) 2 , Indoor Air Pollution 3

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document