7 research outputs found
How subjective and non-physical parameters affect occupantsâ environmental comfort perception
Employeesâ wellbeing and comfort perception demonstrated to largely influence their productivity and tolerability of slight thermal discomfort conditions in the working spaces. Their whole comfort perception indeed depends on several parameters related to physical boundary conditions but also to the adaptation capability of occupants themselves and other personal, difficult to measure, variables. According to the available standards and regulations, only physical and measurable environmental parameters must be considered to evaluate occupantsâ comfort conditions. Therefore, non-measurable factors such as socio-psychological, physiological, medical ones are currently not systematically considered. The present work aims to identify possible benefits in terms of occupantsâ comfort perception due to non-physical strategies aimed at improving the work-environment quality and livability. To this aim, the environmental multi-physics and multi-domain performance of a mixed industry-office building is investigated through coupled in-field microclimate monitoring and questionnaires campaigns. The experimental microclimate monitoring and survey campaign were carried out to understand (i) the realistic indoor environmental conditions in terms of physical and measurable parameters and (ii) the personal perceptions and attitudes of the occupants with respect to those same ambient parameters, including also acoustic, lighting and medical investigation. Moreover, the collected experimental data were used to determine occupantsâ comfort level through the classic comfort models, to be compared to the identified role of non-physical parameters on occupantsâ final perception about the indoor environment. The main results show that non-measurable factors induced by virtuous company policy to improve employeesâ working environment are effectively able to positively influence their whole-comfort perception even if the majority of workers do not have the opportunity to control their working environment. In fact, the consolidated comfort theories underestimate people satisfaction, as demonstrated by more than the 80% employees, who declared to be positively influenced by the pleasant aesthetics and livability of the workplace. The year-round experimental campaign demonstrated the need to further investigate the key role of non-physical parameters for possible incorporation into whole-comfort prediction models and standards. The role of such strategies could therefore be realistically considered as energy saving opportunities since they make building occupants much more open to tolerate slight uncomfortable conditions
Continuous/discrete geochemical monitoring of CO2 Natural Analogues and of Diffuse Degassing Structures (DDS): hints for CO2 storage sites geochemical monitoring protocol
Abstract Italy is one of the most promising prone areas to study the CO 2 behavior underground, the caprock integrity to the CO 2 leakage, mostly in presence of pervious/geochemically active faults, due to a wide availability of CO 2 rich reservoirs at a depth between 1 and 10 km, as highlighted by recent literature. These deep CO 2 reservoirs generate at least 200 leakage areas at surface throughout Italy which have been defined "Diffuse Degassing Structures" (DDS) by INGV. These are widely studied by INGV institutionally by a long term convention with the Civil Protection Department (DPC) with the aim to catalog, monitor and assess the Natural Gas Hazard (NGH, namely the probability of an area to become a site of poisonous peri-volcanic gas exhalation from soils). More than 150 researcher of INGV are involved in monitoring areas affected by the CO 2 presence underground and at surface, by continuous monitoring on-line networks (around 40 stations throughout Italy, including the Etna area, Aeolian Islands, Umbria region, Piemonte region, etc.) and discretely (9 groups of research were involved in the last years to localize, define and monitor almost all the DDSs in Italy), by sampling and analyzing chemical and isotopic compounds, useful to discriminate the origin, evolution and natural gas hazards of the examined DDS. In this paper, we will discuss some DDS catalogued and studied by a Rome INGV Research Unit (UR 11) which focused its work in Central Italy, throughout different DDS, also in relation to the diverse seismotectonic settings, to discover buried faults as possible gas leakage pathways, mostly if they are "geochemically" activated. In particular we discuss, among the discrete monitoring techniques exploited by INGV, soil gas surveying, which consists in a collection of gas samples from the soil zone not saturated (dry zone) to measure the geogas gaseous species both in fluxes (CO 2 , CH 4 , 222 Rn) and in concentration (He, H 2 , H 2 S, helium, hydrogen, CO 2 , CH 4 , 222 Rn), that permeate the soil pores. The total CO 2 flux budget was calculated as "baseline" degassing rate of these " CO 2 analogues". A good discrete areal monitoring is prerequisite to design sound continuous monitoring network to monitor CO 2 related parameters in liquid/gas phases, to review the protocol of the Annex II of the European Directivity on CCS
Nature-based Interventions and the Environment-Microbiome-Health Axis
This interdisciplinary PhD is an innovative socioecological investigation into two key
phenomena: 1. nature-based interventions, which are structured nature-based
activities that aim to facilitate behavioural changes for the benefit of health and
wellbeing; and 2. the relationship between the environment, the microbiome and
human health. The aims of the PhD study include:
o Determining the distribution of, and socioecological constraints and opportunities
associated with nature-based interventions.
o Ascertaining how engagement with nature may have supported population
health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the pandemic affected
nature engagement.
o Investigating the environment-microbiome-health axis, including a review of
potential anthropogenic disruptions to this relationship, and determining the
spatio-compositional and ecological factors that affect exposure to the
aerobiome (microbiome of the air) in urban green spaces.
o Determining whether relationships with and knowledge of biodiversity affect
attitudes towards microbes.
o The development of novel conceptualisations that transcend the boundaries of
current knowledge, including Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure (MIG) â
multifunctional green infrastructure that aims to enhance ecosystem functionality
and human health through considerations for the microbiome; the Lovebug
Effect â microbially-mediated nature affinity; and, the Holobiont Blindspot â a
newly proposed cognitive bias that may result from the failure to recognise the
microbiomeâs role in behaviour and health.
This is a PhD by publication comprising 9 chapters and 12 publications. Chapter 2
presents publications on nature-based interventions (Robinson and Breed, 2019;
Robinson et al. 2020a), and the potential health benefits of engaging with nature are
presented in Chapter 3 (Robinson et al. 2020b). This is followed by an overview of
the environment-microbiome-health axis (Robinson and Jorgensen, 2020) and how
nature engagement may affect our attitudes towards microbes in Chapter 4
(Robinson et al. 2021e). This is followed by the aerobiome studies in Chapter 5
(Robinson et al. 2020c; Robinson et al. 2021b) and potential disruptions to the
environmental microbiome and human health in Chapter 6 (Robinson et al. 2021c).
Chapter 7 presents Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure (Robinson et al. 2018;
Watkins and Robinson et al. 2020), and finally in Chapter 8, novel conceptualisations
are presented, including the Lovebug Effect (Robinson and Breed, 2020) and the
Holobiont Blindspot (Robinson and Cameron, 2020).
The methods used in the nature-based intervention studies included geospatial
analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) and online questionnaires. The
methods used in the microbiome studies included the creation of novel sampling
methods to collect bacterial DNA in urban green spaces, DNA sequencing, and the
application of bioinformatic tools. Although systematic reviews were not included, the
reviews in this thesis did follow the preferred reporting system for systematic reviews
(PRISMA) method to ensure robust data collection.
This PhD makes several important contributions to knowledge. For example,
constraints to nature-based interventions were identified, and these show that
enhanced transdisciplinary collaborative pathways and efficient infrastructure are
needed. The research also identified that people significantly changed their patterns
of nature engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and many visited nature for
important wellbeing and coping benefits. This highlights the immense value of nature
to health and wellbeing during unprecedented times. The research also revealed for
the first time that attitudes towards microbes might be influenced by nature
engagement and biodiversity literacy, and that anthropogenic pollution (light and
sound) could affect the microbiome with important ecological and health implications.
In the aerobiome studies, the cutting-edge discovery of ecological factors that drive
aerobiome assembly and potentially affect exposure types and routes could have
important implications for public health and landscape management.
Nature-based interventions have the potential to enhance human and environmental
health, and the environmental microbiome will likely play an important role. The
novel conceptualisations developed during this PhD add new knowledge to the fields
of landscape design, microbiome science, and environmental psychology and have
stimulated new research agendas across the world. The work in this thesis is
influenced by the emerging planetary health paradigm, the âinterconnectednessâ and
intrinsic value narrative associated with Indigenous cultures, and âsystems thinkingâ
(a holistic analytical approach that focuses on the way a systemâs constituent parts â
â and how systems themselves ââ interrelate). Fostering deep reciprocity with the
natural world to enhance personal and planetary health has never been more
important. We have a key opportunity to redefine our relationship with the wider
biotic community by establishing a new appreciation of our âmicrobial friendsâ and the
profound interconnectedness between the environment, the microbiome and human
health.
List of publications in this PhD thesis:
1. Robinson, J.M., and Breed, M.F. (2019). Green Prescriptions and Their Co-
Benefits: Integrative Strategies for Public and Planetary Health. Challenges. 10,
pp. 1-14.
Part of the Special Issue - The Emerging Concept of Planetary Health:
Connecting People, Place, Purpose, and Planet.
2. Robinson, J.M., Jorgensen, A., Cameron, R., and Brindley, P. (2020). Let
Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in
the UK. Int J Environ Public Health. 17, pp. 1-24.
Part of the Special Issue "Planetary Health: From Challenges to Opportunities
for People, Place, Purpose and Planetâ
3. Robinson, J.M., Brindley, P, Cameron, R., MacCarthy, D., and, Jorgensen, A.
(2021). Natureâs Role in Supporting Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A
Geospatial and Socioecological Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 18, pp.
1-21.
4. Robinson, J.M., and Jorgensen, A. (2019). Rekindling Old Friendships in New
Landscapes: The Environment-Microbiome-Health Axis in the Realms of
Landscape Research. People Nat. 2, pp.339-349.
5. Robinson, J.M., Cameron, R., and Jorgensen, A. (2021). Germaphobia! Does
our Relationship with, and Knowledge of Biodiversity, Affect our Attitudes
Towards Microbes? Front Psychol, 12, pp. 1-10.
6. Robinson, J.M., Cando-Dumancela, C., Liddicoat, C., Weinstein, P., Cameron,
R. and Breed, M.F. (2020). Vertical Stratification in Urban Green Space
Aerobiomes. Environ Health Persp, 128, p.117008.
7. Robinson, J.M., Cando-Dumancela, C., Antwis, R.E., Cameron, R., Liddicoat,
C., Poudel, R., Weinstein, P., and Breed, M.F. (2021). Urban Green Space
Aerobiomes: Exposure to Airborne Bacteria Depends Upon Vertical Stratification
and Vegetation Complexity. Sci Rep, 11, pp. 1-17.
8. Robinson, J.M., and Parker, B. (2021). The Effects of Anthropogenic Sound and
Artificial Light Exposure on Microbiomes: Ecological and Public Health
Implications. Front Ecol Evol. 9, pp. 1-7.
9. Robinson, J.M., Mills, J.G., and Breed, M.F. (2018). Walking Ecosystems in
Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure: An Ecological Perspective on
Enhancing Personal and Planetary Health. Challenges. 9, pp.1-15.
10. Watkins, H., Robinson, J.M., Breed, M.F., Parker, B. and Weinstein, P. (2020).
Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure: A Toolkit for Multidisciplinary
Landscape Design. Trends in Biotech. 38, pp.1305-1308.
11. Robinson, J.M., and Breed, M.F. (2020). The Lovebug Effect: Is the Human
Biophilic Drive Influenced by Interactions Between the Host, The Environment,
and the Microbiome? Sci Tot Environ. 720, p.137626.
12. Robinson, J.M., and Cameron, R. (2020). The Holobiont Blindspot: Relating
Host-Microbiome Interactions to Cognitive Biases and the Concept of the
âUmweltâ. Front Psychol. 11, p.591071
EUROSENSORS XVII : book of abstracts
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkien (FCG).Fundação para a CiĂȘncia e a Tecnologia (FCT)