Framing Future of Work Considerations through Climate and Built Environment Assessment of Volunteer Work Practices in the United States Equine Assisted Services

The foundation of healthy workplace design is an understanding of work practices. Volunteers comprise the majority of the workforce in care centers using horses to address human health issues. Documentation is lacking on protections for worker well-being in equestrian microenvironments which are known to have the potential for dust exposures. Climate acts as a master variable in equestrian facility design and ventilation usage to address dust and temperature concerns. Using climate as an independent variable, our objective was to characterize space usage, safety, environmental control, and organizational practices through a national survey of equine assisted programs. We found that more fully enclosed indoor arena spaces were in cold/very cold and mixed-humid climates (p = 0.0114). Annually more volunteers (p = 0.0073) work in these two climate groups averaging 100 volunteers per location. A total of 34% of all facilities, regardless of climate, do not use mechanical ventilation systems (e.g., fans). As volunteer worker time in the arena increased, time in the barn microenvironment tended to decrease (p = 0.0538). We identified facility designs, ventilation usage, and worker arrangements to refine the scalability of future air contaminant monitoring and to provide frameworks for education, workplace design, and prevention of exposure to dust.

Estimates of air pollution mitigation with green roofs using the UFORE model

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of green roofs on air pollution in urban Toronto. The researchers looked for synergistic effects in air pollution mitigation by manipulating quantities and species of trees and shrubs at grade level and grass on roofs within the study area. The effect of these vegetation manipulations were simulated using the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) computer model developed by the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Regional Station, Syracuse, New York. Originally UFORE was developed to help forestry managers and researchers quantify urban forest structure and risks based on standard field, meteorological and pollution data. While UFORE contains four different assessment modules A - D, Module D quantifies the effect of vegetation on air contaminants such as NO₂, SO₂, CO, PM₁₀ and ozone. UFORE also provides data about hourly air contaminant removal rates and it predicts an economic externality value in USD for total air contaminant levels. Results of the study indicate that grass on roofs (green roofs) could play a significant role in air pollution mitigation in an urban neighbourhood. By extension, a 10-20% increase in the surface area dedicated to green roofs on downtown Toronto buildings would improve air quality and quality of life for citizens of Toronto.

Estimates of air pollution mitigation with green roofs using the UFORE model

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of green roofs on air pollution in urban Toronto. The researchers looked for synergistic effects in air pollution mitigation by manipulating quantities and species of trees and shrubs at grade level and grass on roofs within the study area. The effect of these vegetation manipulations were simulated using the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) computer model developed by the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Regional Station, Syracuse, New York. Originally UFORE was developed to help forestry managers and researchers quantify urban forest structure and risks based on standard field, meteorological and pollution data. While UFORE contains four different assessment modules A - D, Module D quantifies the effect of vegetation on air contaminants such as NO₂, SO₂, CO, PM₁₀ and ozone. UFORE also provides data about hourly air contaminant removal rates and it predicts an economic externality value in USD for total air contaminant levels. Results of the study indicate that grass on roofs (green roofs) could play a significant role in air pollution mitigation in an urban neighbourhood. By extension, a 10-20% increase in the surface area dedicated to green roofs on downtown Toronto buildings would improve air quality and quality of life for citizens of Toronto.

Development of Palm Shell Base Activated Carbon for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emissions Absorption

High concentration of indoor air contaminant commonly released by human activities, furniture, building materials, carpets, cleaning product and paints. BTEX contains Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) is categorized into VOCs which are indicative of harmful chemicals especially for indoor air. Therefore, it needs the sampling media for absorption before it could be analyse in the specific laboratory. One of the challenging technology to absorb BTEX is by using Palm Shell Activated Carbon (PSAC). Malaysia has a second largest country that produce palm oil which led to abundant of palm shell as waste material. Activated carbon is created through the carbonization, crushing and activation process. Carbonization process is conducted in various holding time of 1, 2 and 3 hours which called by CT1. CT2 and CT3 hours, respectively. Activation process is conducted through physical activation at temperature of 900 0C for 1 hour, chemical activation is conducted by Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) with ratio of 1:1 (charcoal: chemical) and holding time for 12 hours. It heated by furnace at temperature of 850 0C for 1 hours in order to improve the porosity and larger surface area. The physical properties were conducted by ASTM 3713, 3714 and 3715 for moisture, as and volatile content measurement. Surface morphology and composition as well as porosity image is characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) machine. The result shows that the lowest ash, moisture and volatile content is shown by CT1 sample, but it has not completely carbonized as compared to CT2 and CT3. Moreover, CT3 has highest ash, moisture and volatile content but it has lowest fixed carbon as compared to CT1 and CT2. Therefore, CT2 hours is selected for further process. In microstructure analysis is observed that the PSACphysical+chemical has larger number of porosities with the diameter approximately of 50 to 150 µm, for PSACphysical approximately of 25 to 100 µm and PSACchemical of below than 50 µm. Composition analysis is observed that the sample is mainly consists of Carbon (C), Oxygen (O) and Potassium (K) content. Where larger porosity is in-line with the increment of K content which indicated in larger adsorption capacity. It can be summarized that palm shell with 2 hours carbonization time and it activated become PSACphysical+chemical has a high potential to larger adsorption capacity of indoor air contaminant adsorption. It is being further explore for sampling media of BTEX.

Identification of Bacteria, Fungi, and Most Probable Coliform around Temporary Disposal Site at Gadang Village Banjarmasin

Temporary Disposal Site (TDS) of Gadang Village Banjarmasin is one of the temporary landfills in Banjarmasin. The negative effects of waste can pollute the environment, including water and air. The purpose of this study was to identify airborne contaminant bacteria and fungi as well as the Most Probable Number (MPN) of Coliform value of piped water in the residential houses around Gadang TDS Banjarmasin. The research method is descriptive observational. The sample of this study were air and piped water. Air sampling is done by open plate and MPN Coliform sampling was obtained by purposive sampling method. The results of this study showed the air contaminant bacteria in the house were Staphylococcus aureus (55.56%) and Escherichia coli (44.44%) in the environment around the TDS all results were obtained with the same percentage. Aspergillus niger was dominantly found at a distance of 20-30 m and 40-50 m while Aspergillus flavus was mostly found at the distance around 30-40 m. MPN Coliform in piped water showed coliform bacteria contamination with MPN coliform index of 2.0-7.5/100ml water samples. In conclusion, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is more common than Escherichia coli. Most fungi species found in this study was Aspergillus niger. In the piped water examination for all samples MPN Coliform was found in the low risk category. Keywords: Air contaminant bacteria, air contaminant fungi, piping water MPC coliform, Temporary Disposal Site

Screening effect of CVD graphene on the surface free energy of substrates

When graphene is deposited on a surface, and that graphene is free of any type of molecules adsorbed on its surface (air contaminant, polymer residue, etc.), the substrate influence is minimal, the graphene characteristics are predominant.