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Corona J, Tondini S, Gallichi Nottiani D, Scilla R, Gambaro A, Pasut W, Babich F, Lollini R. Environmental Quality bOX (EQ-OX): A Portable Device Embedding Low-Cost Sensors Tailored for Comprehensive Indoor Environmental Quality Monitoring. Sensors (Basel) 2024; 24:2176. [PMID: 38610386 PMCID: PMC11014031 DOI: 10.3390/s24072176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The continuous monitoring of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) plays a crucial role in improving our understanding of the prominent parameters affecting building users' health and perception of their environment. In field studies, indoor environment monitoring often does not go beyond the assessment of air temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration, lacking consideration of other important parameters due to budget constraints and the complexity of multi-dimensional signal analyses. In this paper, we introduce the Environmental Quality bOX (EQ-OX) system, which was designed for the simultaneous monitoring of quantities of some of the main IEQs with a low level of uncertainty and an affordable cost. Up to 15 parameters can be acquired at a time. The system embeds only low-cost sensors (LCSs) within a compact case, enabling vast-scale monitoring campaigns in residential and office buildings. The results of our laboratory and field tests show that most of the selected LCSs can match the accuracy required for indoor campaigns. A lightweight data processing algorithm has been used for the benchmark. Our intent is to estimate the correlation achievable between the detected quantities and reference measurements when a linear correction is applied. Such an approach allows for a preliminary assessment of which LCSs are the most suitable for a cost-effective IEQ monitoring system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Corona
- Institute for Renewable Energy, Eurac Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Stefano Tondini
- Center for Sensing Solutions, Eurac Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy (R.S.)
- Photonics Integration, Electrical Engineering Department, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Duccio Gallichi Nottiani
- Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Department, University Ca’ Foscari, 30172 Venezia, Italy (A.G.)
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Architettura, Università di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Riccardo Scilla
- Center for Sensing Solutions, Eurac Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy (R.S.)
| | - Andrea Gambaro
- Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Department, University Ca’ Foscari, 30172 Venezia, Italy (A.G.)
| | - Wilmer Pasut
- Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Department, University Ca’ Foscari, 30172 Venezia, Italy (A.G.)
- College of Engineering, University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Francesco Babich
- Institute for Renewable Energy, Eurac Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Roberto Lollini
- Institute for Renewable Energy, Eurac Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
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Bhangar S, Adams RI, Pasut W, Huffman JA, Arens EA, Taylor JW, Bruns TD, Nazaroff WW. Chamber bioaerosol study: human emissions of size-resolved fluorescent biological aerosol particles. Indoor Air 2016; 26:193-206. [PMID: 25704637 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Humans are a prominent source of airborne biological particles in occupied indoor spaces, but few studies have quantified human bioaerosol emissions. The chamber investigation reported here employs a fluorescence-based technique to evaluate bioaerosols with high temporal and particle size resolution. In a 75-m(3) chamber, occupant emission rates of coarse (2.5-10 μm) fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAPs) under seated, simulated office-work conditions averaged 0.9 ± 0.3 million particles per person-h. Walking was associated with a 5-6× increase in the emission rate. During both walking and sitting, 60-70% or more of emissions originated from the floor. The increase in emissions during walking (vs. while sitting) was mainly attributable to release of particles from the floor; the associated increased vigor of upper body movements also contributed. Clothing, or its frictional interaction with human skin, was demonstrated to be a source of coarse particles, and especially of the highly fluorescent fraction. Emission rates of FBAPs previously reported for lecture classes were well bounded by the experimental results obtained in this chamber study. In both settings, the size distribution of occupant FBAP emissions had a dominant mode in the 3-5 μm diameter range.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bhangar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - R I Adams
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - W Pasut
- Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - J A Huffman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - E A Arens
- Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - J W Taylor
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - T D Bruns
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - W W Nazaroff
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Peretti C, Pasut W, Emmi G, De Carli M. Comfort and Perceived Air Quality in Refurbished Social Houses with Mechanical Ventialtion System: The Impact of Occupants Behaviour. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2015.11.659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Adams RI, Bhangar S, Pasut W, Arens EA, Taylor JW, Lindow SE, Nazaroff WW, Bruns TD. Chamber bioaerosol study: outdoor air and human occupants as sources of indoor airborne microbes. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26024222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128022e0128022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human occupants are an important source of microbes in indoor environments. In this study, we used DNA sequencing of filter samples to assess the fungal and bacterial composition of air in an environmental chamber under different levels of occupancy, activity, and exposed or covered carpeting. In this office-like, mechanically ventilated environment, results showed a strong influence of outdoor-derived particles, with the indoor microbial composition tracking that of outdoor air for the 2-hour sampling periods. The number of occupants and their activity played a significant but smaller role influencing the composition of indoor bioaerosols. Human-associated taxa were observed but were not particularly abundant, except in the case of one fungus that appeared to be transported into the chamber on the clothing of a study participant. Overall, this study revealed a smaller signature of human body-associated taxa than had been expected based on recent studies of indoor microbiomes, suggesting that occupants may not exert a strong influence on bioaerosol microbial composition in a space that, like many offices, is well ventilated with air that is moderately filtered and moderately occupied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel I Adams
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Seema Bhangar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Wilmer Pasut
- Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Edward A Arens
- Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - John W Taylor
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Steven E Lindow
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - William W Nazaroff
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas D Bruns
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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