scholarly journals Ventilation as an Indispensable Tool for Healthy Constructions: Comparison of Alicante’s Urban Railway Tunnels

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Rizo Maestre ◽  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren ◽  
Antonio Galiano-Garrigós
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Air Ventilation ◽  
Underground Railway ◽  
Indispensable Tool ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The City

The majority of scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, including the World Health Organization, consider radon gas a very harmful element for humans. This element, in its gaseous state, is radioactive and is present in almost all land in which buildings are implanted, especially in granitic soils, which present higher levels of radon gas. Nongranitic soils have traditionally been considered to have low radon levels. In addition to the contributions made by this article, it is very relevant that there are many countries, including Spain, in which the technical codes for their construction regulations do not include the maximum radon dose that a building can hold so that it is not harmful to humans nor do they hold the measures necessary to remedy excessive accumulation. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the need for ventilation in buried works. To do this, a comparison is made between two railway tunnels in the urban fabric of the city of Alicante: one of them is in operation (Benacantil Mount) and the other is in the excavation phase (Serra Grossa). When underground railway installations are planned, they are equipped with large air ventilation systems due to the pollutants generated by ground exposure. These mechanical systems consist of suction turbines that expel the air to the outside. Research shows that radon gas is an indicator of an area’s air quality. In addition, ventilation in railway tunnels (mechanical and natural) allows for air renewal and improves the air quality.

scholarly journals Radon Gas as an Indicator for Air Quality Control in Buried Industrial Architecture: Rehabilitation of the Old Británica Warehouses in Alicante for a Tourist Site

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Rizo-Maestre ◽  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren ◽  
Raúl Prado-Govea ◽  
Francisco Pujol-López
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Control Element ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Air Quality Control ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The City

The infrastructure of the Británica warehouses in Alicante is a very important industrial architectural element in the history of Spain, although it is unknown to almost all of the inhabitants of the city. The former fuel refinery is located in the Serra Grossa Mountains and served much of the country until 1966. This research is based on the plans of the city of Alicante to convert a historical element, the Británica warehouses, into a unique tourist site. Currently, the network of storage domes in this facility, which has an approximate footprint of 20,000 m 2 and domes approximately 20 m high, is in a state of neglect, and there are neighborhood initiatives for its rehabilitation to become a cultural or tourist site. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the quality of the indoor air. Radon gas is analyzed as a control element for future refurbishment of the facility. Alicante is a nongranite area and therefore is not very susceptible to generation of radon gas indoors, but the conditions of a buried and poorly ventilated space make the site appropriate for analysis. Most scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, including the World Health Organization, consider radon gas to be very harmful to humans. This element in its gaseous state is radioactive and is present in almost all the land in which the buildings are implanted, with granitic type soils presenting higher levels of radon gas. Nongranitic soils have traditionally been considered to have low radon levels. The city of Alicante, where the installation is located, is a nongranitic area and therefore is not very susceptible to generating radon gas in buildings, but the conditions of buried and poorly ventilated places make the site appropriate for analysis to support air quality control and decision-making.

scholarly journals Radon Gas in the City of Alicante. High Risk of Low Indoor Air Quality in Poorly Ventilated Buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8762
Author(s):  
Carlos Rizo-Maestre ◽  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
Santa Barbara ◽  
Buried Structures ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Measurement Location ◽  
First Time ◽  
The City

In December 2019, Spain considered for the first time the presence of radon to the Technical Building Code (Basic Document HS 6: Radon Exposure Protection), although it only mentions minimum presences and the need for ventilation. This research shows that in buried structures or in places with little ventilation, even in soils with a low probability of granite, a high content of radon gas can be found. The city of Alicante has been used as a measurement location for different architectural sites; here, the level of 100 Bq/m3 is the first threshold where the gas must be monitored, and the level of 300 Bq/m3 is the maximum threshold above which corrective ventilation measures must be taken. The research conducted during the years 2015 and 2016 shows that it is necessary to account for also the areas considered to be “low presence of radon gas” to achieve healthy constructions. The renewal of air in the different places will be tested for the presence of radon, i.e., the greater the accumulation is, the less ventilation and the greater the risk of accumulation of radon gas. This study is located in the city of Alicante, where the seven civil constructions are located: two Civil War shelters, the Santa Barbara Castle, the Ereta Powder Keg, the Luceros-Marq and Serra Grossa railway tunnels and the Británica underground deposits. Radon gas is currently a concern for major health and medical agencies because it is considered to be a chemical element that is very harmful to people. The World Health Organization is one of the organisations that has the objective of studying and researching this element, to develop solutions. Radon gas is normally found in a gaseous state and is highly radioactive. It is present in many terrains and it is mostly found in those with granite; although the presence of this element is very low, there is always a minimum presence. In the past, in nongranite soils, the dose of radon was considered to be so low that it was insignificant. Therefore, in this research, the aim is to consider the high presence of radon gas in nongranite soils as long as the conditions for its accumulation are present.

scholarly journals Radon gas as a constructive element in the chilean pacific coast the case of a manor house in Viña del mar (valparaíso).

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1245
Author(s):  
Carlos Rizo Maestre ◽  
Claudio A. Sáez ◽  
Ángel B González-Avilés ◽  
Antonio Galiano-Garrigós ◽  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Manor House ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The City

The presence of radon gas in buildings is an indicator of indoor air quality. The study presented analyses the amount of radon gas in the city of Viña del Mar in the Valparaiso region (Chile), in a manor house that currently serves as the Center of Advanced Studies at the Univer-sidad de Playa Ancha. Radon gas is an element considered highly harmful to people by various scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, including the World Health Organization (WHO). The main effect of the presence of radon in the human environment is the risk of lung cancer. This radioactive gaseous element is present in almost all construction materials, and in the land where buildings are located. This article provides the measurements made by the Center of Advanced Studies of the Universidad de Playa Ancha and analyses the levels obtained according to their danger to humans. These values have been used as comparisons to analyse the differences in the presence of this gas between the Chilean Pacific coast and Europe. The values have been analysed with respect to the requirements that are currently being implemented.  

scholarly journals The Radon Gas in Underground Constructions. Railway Tunnel of Alicante (Spain)

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.5) ◽  
pp. 393
Author(s):  
Carlos Rizo Maestre ◽  
Servando Chinchón Yepes ◽  
Victor Echarri Iribarren
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
World Health ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
Railway Tunnel ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Social Importance ◽  
The City ◽  
Made In

The presence of radon gas in constructions is an indicator of air quality. The study presented analyzes the amount of radon gas in the Railway Tunnel in Alicante. This infrastructure is very important for the city due to its social importance in facilitating urban mobility. radon gas is an element considered highly harmful to people by different scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, including the World Health Organization (WHO). The main effect of the presence of radon in the environment of the human being is the risk of contracting lung cancer. This radioactive gaseous element is present in almost all building materials, and in the land in which the buildings are implanted. In this article the measurements made in the tunnel are provided and the levels obtained are analyzed according to their danger to humans. In Spain, the Technical Building Code (CTE) still does not contemplate the dose of radon that can hold a maximum of one building and how to contain it.  

scholarly journals The Importance of Checking Indoor Air Quality in Underground Historic Buildings Intended for Tourist Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Maestre ◽  
Victor Iribarren
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Spanish Civil War ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Heritage Building ◽  
History Of ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The City

This article demonstrates the importance of quantifying the air quality with radon gas level as indicator in any heritage building, especially those intended for the use of people. The tourist activity or historical guide represents a typology where people spend a certain time, that is to say, in no case do they spend the same amount of hours as in their homes or jobs. Different gases that may be present in the environment must be controlled. The Séneca Square shelter, in Alicante, is a very important place for the history of the city during the Spanish Civil War that has recently been rehabilitated for exposure to people. The source of most radon gas inside a building is the ground. Many countries, including Spain, in which the building regulations, regarding the accumulation of radon gas, do not specify in their technical codes, the maximum dose that a building can sustain so that it is not harmful to people, or, the measures required to correct excessive accumulation. The possible existence of radon is verified in any underground building, regardless of the characteristics of the soil (whether granitic or not), the importance of defining and unifying the regulations that specify the different levels of radon in any architectural constructions is evident. Most of the scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, consider that radon gas is a very harmful element for people. This element in its gaseous state is radioactive and it is present in almost all soils in which buildings are implanted, with granitic types of soil presenting higher levels of radon gas. Non-granitic soils have traditionally been considered to have very low radon levels. However, this work, providing the results of the research carried out in the underground air raid shelter in Seneca Square in Alicante (Spain), demonstrates the relevant presence of radon in non-granitic soils. This research addresses the constructive typology of the underground building and the radon presence in its interior obtained using rigorous measurement techniques.

scholarly journals Issuances of Automotive Vehicles and the Impacts on Air Quality in the Largest City in the Brazilian Amazon

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Cartaxo ◽  
Ilsa Valois ◽  
Vladimiro Miranda ◽  
Marcia Costa
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
World Health ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The City ◽  
Over Time

Manaus, a city of more than two million people, suffers problems arising from strong sunlight and aggravated by several factors, such as traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions generated by evaporation and burning of fuel. The present study examined Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions in an urban area of the city using different methodologies. CO and NO2 were measured using automated and passive analyzers, respectively. Meanwhile, direct monitoring of these pollutants was performed in vehicular sources in the vicinity of sampling locations. Results showed that levels of carbon monoxide vary over time, being higher during peak movement of vehicles. NO2 values have exceeded the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), and monitoring at source showed high levels of CO and NO2 emissions to the atmosphere.

scholarly journals Assessing the Immediate Effect of Covid-19 Lockdown on Air Quality: A Case Study of Delhi, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 27-33
Author(s):  
Ankit Sikarwar ◽  
Ritu Rani
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Spatial Interpolation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Guideline Values ◽  
Distance Weighting ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The City ◽  
Inverse Distance

Abstract In India, a nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 has been implemented on 25 March 2020. The lockdown restrictions on more than 1.3 billion people have brought exceptional changes in the air quality all over the country. This study aims to analyze the levels of three major pollutants: particulate matter sized 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and 10 μm (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) before and during the lockdown in Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities. The data for PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations are derived from 38 ground stations dispersed within the city. The spatial interpolation maps of pollutants for two times are generated using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) model. The results indicate decreasing levels of PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations in the city by 93%, 83%, and 70% from 25 February 2020 to 21 April 2020 respectively. It is found that one month before the lockdown the levels of air pollution in Delhi were critical and much higher than the guideline values set by the World Health Organization. The levels of air pollution became historically low after the lockdown. Considering the critically degraded air quality for decades and higher morbidity and mortality rate due to unhealthy air in Delhi, the improvement in air quality due to lockdown may result as a boon for the better health of the city’s population.

scholarly journals Assessing the immediate effect of COVID-19 lockdown on air quality: A case study of Delhi, India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankit Sikarwar ◽  
Ritu Rani
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Spatial Interpolation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Guideline Values ◽  
Distance Weighting ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The City ◽  
Inverse Distance

Abstract In India, the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 has been implemented on 25 March 2020. The lockdown restrictions on more than 1.3 billion people have brought exceptional changes in the air quality all over the country. This study aims to analyze the levels of three major pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and NO2) before and during the lockdown in Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities. The data for PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations are derived from 38 ground stations dispersed within the city. The spatial interpolation maps of pollutants for two times are generated using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) model. The results indicate the lowering of PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations in the city by 93%, 83%, and 70% from 25 February 2020 to 21 April 2020 respectively. It is found that before one month of the lockdown the levels of air pollution in Delhi were critically high and far beyond the guideline values set by the World Health Organization. The levels of air pollution are historically low after the lockdown. Considering the critically degraded air quality for decades and higher morbidity and mortality rate due to unhealthy air in Delhi, the improvement in air quality due to lockdown may result as a boon for the better health of the city’s population.

scholarly journals Contribution of Urban Forests to the Ecosystem Service of Air Quality in the City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1249
Author(s):  
Solhanlle Bonilla-Duarte ◽  
Claudia Caballero González ◽  
Leonardo Cortés Rodríguez ◽  
Ulises Javier Jáuregui-Haza ◽  
Agustín García-García
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
World Health ◽  
Santo Domingo ◽  
Average Percentage ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Sampling Points ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The City

A survey on pollutants that affect air quality was carried out at 27 points in the city of Santo Domingo, National District. The removal of air pollutants was estimated in relation to the city’s forest cover; using the iTree Canopy software. A principal components analysis and a correlation analysis was also performed to identify the association of these variables. The results show that the average percentage of green infrastructure in the sampling points was 26%. Also, positive correlation was identified between the presence of NO2 and SO2 at the sampling points. It was observed that the higher the presence of forest cover, the higher the concentration of CO and the lower the presence of pollutants. Although five hot spots were defined in terms of air pollution levels in the National District, the study does not show conclusive results regarding the relationship between green infrastructure and air quality in Santo Domingo. Results show that urban planning for environmental quality requires inter-institutional coordination, permanent ecological quality monitoring, and coordinated public policies to establish adequate indicators comparable to the World Health Organization standards.

STEVIA PLANT - ALTERNATIVE SWEETNER IN FOOD TECHNOLOGY

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1213-1217
Author(s):  
Jovana Džoljić ◽  
Ljiljana Đorđević
Keyword(s):  
Food Additives ◽  
Functional Class ◽  
World Health ◽  
Food Technology ◽  
Food Standards ◽  
Safety Studies ◽  
Negative Side Effects ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Agricultural Organization

Food and Agricultural Organization as a “sweeteners” consider products used for sweetening derived from sugar crops, cereals, fruits or milk, or that are produced by insects. Sweeteners, as an additive, have important role for technological functions of food, especially in providing texture, bulk and color, and also as preservative agents. Regardless the numerous sweeteners, alternative sweeteners to sucrose are in main focus for implementation in food industry. Nowadays Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization Food standards, Codex Alimentarius Commission (2018) accepted list of 27 food additives that have the functional class “sweetener”. Nowadays, alternative sweeteners and their application in food technology are in main focus of scientist. Stevia plant stands for one of the most important natural intense sweetener, since stevia glycosides are almost 400 times sweeter than sucrose. Extracts of stevia represents a powerful tool for reducing sugars in food and beverages, which can be acceptable substitutes to full sugar versions of this products. Regarding the data of Euromonitor international, new food products containing stevia grew 10% from 2016 to 2017. The biggest increment in stevia use was noticed in categories of snacks, juice drinks, dairy, carbonated soft drinks and confectionery. Barriocanal et al. (2008) highlighted that safety studies reported no negative side effects of stevia use. Can be expected that in recent future use of S. rebaudiana as sweetener would be extended to almost all the world’s countries, regarding all discovered beneficial health effects.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document