Indoor air pollutants in occupational buildings in a sub-tropical climate: Comparison among ventilation types

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Few studies have concurrently assessed both abiotic and biotic air pollutants in the built environment in sub-tropical areas. The investigation comprised a field study of air pollutants in eleven indoor environments in Sydney throughout one year, to elucidate Indoor/Outdoor ratios of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, total volatile organic compounds, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, total suspended particulate matter, suspended particles <10 μm in diameter (PM10) and particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5). Further, a concurrent assessment of airborne fungi was conducted along with the other air pollutants to determine their diversity and abundance for urban Sydney and to establish baseline Indoor/Outdoor ratios of airborne fungi. Building ventilation types were identified as natural, mechanical and mixed-type ventilation, to assess whether building ventilation type has an impact on prevalence and concentrations of indoor air pollutants. We found that generally the indoor air quality of a typical Australian office building is relatively good. The ventilation type of the buildings did affect indoor air quality; however not to the extent that occupant health was at risk in any case. Low concentrations of airborne fungi were encountered in samples, across all buildings and months, with naturally ventilated buildings having higher concentrations. Buildings with high airborne fungal concentrations also supported higher diversity of fungal species. Few organisms of concern to public health were identified. Significant differences were observed when comparing the structure of airborne fungal communities across building types, with buildings with centralised mechanical (air conditioning) systems harbouring different communities to the other ventilation types

A survey of the aeromycota of Sydney and its correspondence with environmental conditions: grass as a component of urban forestry could be a major determinant

© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. A comprehensive survey of airborne fungi has been lacking for the Sydney region. This study determined the diversity and abundance of outdoor airborne fungal concentrations in urban Sydney. Monthly air samples were taken from 11 sites in central Sydney, and culturable fungi identified and quantified. The genus Cladosporium was the most frequently isolated fungal genus, with a frequency of 78 % and a mean density of 335 CFU m−3. The next most frequently encountered genus was Alternaria, occurring in 53 % of samples with a mean of 124 CFU m−3. Other frequently identified fungi, in decreasing occurrence, were as follows: Penicillium, Fusarium, Epicoccum, Phoma, Acremonium and Aureobasidium. Additionally, seasonal and spatial trends of airborne fungi were assessed, with increases in total culturable fungal concentrations experienced in the summer months. The correspondence between a range of key environmental variables and the phenology of airborne fungal propagules was also examined, with temperature, wind speed and proximal greenspace having the largest influence on fungal propagule density. If the greenspace was comprised of grass, stronger associations with fungal behaviour were observed

Applied horticultural biotechnology for the mitigation of indoor air pollution

Exposure to indoor air pollution is an emerging world-wide problem, with growing evidence that it is a major cause of morbidity worldwide. Whilst most indoor air pollutants are of outdoor origin, these combine with a range of indoor sourced pollutants that may lead to high pollutant levels indoors. The pollutants of greatest concern are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM), both of which are associated with a range of serious health problems. Whilst current buildings usually use ventilation with outdoor air to remove these pollutants, botanical systems are gaining recognition as an effective alternative. Whilst many years research has shown that traditional potted plants and their substrates are capable of removing VOCs effectively, they are inefficient at removing PM, and are limited in their pollutant removal rates by the need for pollutants to diffuse to the active pollutant removal components of these systems. Active botanical biofiltration, using green wall systems combined with mechanical fans to increase pollutant exposure to the plants and substrate, show greatly increased rates of pollutant removal for both VOCs, PM and also carbon dioxide (CO2). A developing body of research indicates that these systems can outperform existing technologies for indoor air pollutant removal, although further research is required before their use will become widespread. Whilst it is known that plant species selection and substrate characteristics can affect the performance of active botanical systems, optimal characteristics are yet to be identified. Once this research has been completed, it is proposed that active botanical biofiltration will provide a cheap and low energy use alternative to mechanical ventilations systems for the maintenance of indoor environmental quality

Acculturation of Javanese and Malay Ethnic Marriage

This study was conducted to obtain information about the acculturation process of Javanese and Malay ethnic marriages. This research was conducted in Kisaran, Asahan Regency, North Sumatra Province. This study used a qualitative descriptive method that aimed to provide an overview of acculturation through Ethnic Intermarriage of the Malay and Javanese ethnic group in Kisaran. In collecting the data, the writer used the documentary technique through purposive sampling. The data were collected through interviews, observation and documentation. The subjects in this study were ten people, namely five married spouses who carried out Javanese and Malay ethnic marriage. This study indicated that the acculturation processed through Ethnic Intermarriage of Javanese and Malay ethnic occurred in a series of marriage traditions. The acculturation of marriages that occurred in Javanese and Malay ethnicities in Kisaran was in the integration strategy. Which still maintain each culture in the traditional wedding

The in situ pilot-scale phytoremediation of airborne VOCs and particulate matter with an active green wall

© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. Atmospheric pollutant phytoremediation technologies, such as potted plants and green walls, have been thoroughly tested in lab-scale experiments for their potential to remove air pollutants. The functional value of these technologies, however, is yet to be adequately assessed in situ, in ‘high value’ environments, where pollutant removal will provide the greatest occupant health benefits. Air pollution in countries such as China is a significant public health issue, and efficient air pollution control technologies are needed. This work used pilot-scale trials to test the capacity of potted plants, a passive green wall and an active green wall (AGW) to remove particulate matter (PM) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) from a room in a suburban residential house in Sydney, Australia, followed by an assessment of the AGW’s potential to remove these pollutants from a classroom in Beijing. In the residential room, compared to potted plants and the passive green wall, the AGW maintained TVOCs at significantly lower concentrations throughout the experimental period (average TVOC concentration 72.5% lower than the control), with a similar trend observed for PM. In the classroom, the AGW reduced the average TVOC concentration by ~ 28% over a 20-min testing period compared to levels with no green wall and a filtered HVAC system in operation. The average ambient PM concentration in the classroom with the HVAC system operating was 101.18 μg/m 3 , which was reduced by 42.6% by the AGW. With further empirical validation, AGWs may be implemented to efficiently clean indoor air through functional reductions in PM and TVOC concentrations

Active botanical biofiltration of air pollutants using Australian native plants

© 2019, Springer Nature B.V. Air pollutants are of public concern due to their adverse health effects. Biological air filters have shown great promise for the bioremediation of air pollutants. Different plant species have previously been shown to significantly influence pollutant removal capacities, although the number of species tested to date is small. The aims of this paper were to determine the pollutant removal capacity of different Australian native species for their effect on active biowall particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide removal, and to compare removal rates with previously tested ornamental species. The single-pass removal efficiency for PM and VOCs of native planted biofilters was determined with a flow-through chamber. CO2 removal was tested by a static chamber pull down study. The results indicated that the native species were not effective for CO2 removal likely due to their high light level requirements in conjunction with substrate respiration. Additionally, the native species had lower PM removal efficiencies compared to ornamental species, with this potentially being due to the ornamental species possessing advantageous leaf traits for increased PM accumulation. Lastly, the native species were found to have similar benzene removal efficiencies to ornamental species. As such, whilst the native species showed a capacity to phytoremediate air pollutants, ornamental species have a comparatively greater capacity to do so and are more appropriate for air filtration purposes in indoor circumstances. However, as Australian native plants have structural and metabolic adaptations that enhance their ability to tolerate harsh environments, they may find use in botanical biofilters in situations where common ornamental plants may be suitable, especially in the outdoor environment

Towards practical indoor air phytoremediation: A review

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Indoor air quality has become a growing concern due to the increasing proportion of time people spend indoors, combined with reduced building ventilation rates resulting from an increasing awareness of building energy use. It has been well established that potted-plants can help to phytoremediate a diverse range of indoor air pollutants. In particular, a substantial body of literature has demonstrated the ability of the potted-plant system to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air. These findings have largely originated from laboratory scale chamber experiments, with several studies drawing different conclusions regarding the primary VOC removal mechanism, and removal efficiencies. Advancements in indoor air phytoremediation technology, notably active botanical biofilters, can more effectively reduce the concentrations of multiple indoor air pollutants through the action of active airflow through a plant growing medium, along with vertically aligned plants which achieve a high leaf area density per unit of floor space. Despite variable system designs, systems available have clear potential to assist or replace existing mechanical ventilation systems for indoor air pollutant removal. Further research is needed to develop, test and confirm their effectiveness and safety before they can be functionally integrated in the broader built environment. The current article reviews the current state of active air phytoremediation technology, discusses the available botanical biofiltration systems, and identifies areas in need of development

Efek Protektif Madu Hutan Terhadap Kerusakan Hepar Tikus Putih (Rattus novergicus) yang Diinduksi Etanol

ABSTRACT Background: Illegal alcohol is one of the big problems in Indonesia. The victims by drinking these kind of alcohols were found  in every place on this country every month. Alcohol gives the most harmful effect to the liver, its cells will die and become a scar. One of its effect is fatty liver. WHO recommends the using of traditional treatment for health community care, prevention of disease and disease treatment. One of the most well known traditional treatment is the using of honey. Objectives: The goal of this research is to know the protective effect of the forest honey to the white rat’s (Rattus norvegicus) damaged liver which is inducted by ethanol Methods: This experimental laboratory research used random controlled design method with the post test-only control group design pattern. The subjects of this research were 25 adult male white rats (Rattus norvegicus) Sprague Dawley strain which were divided in to five groups with 5 treatment groups. Result: The result of ANOVA test shows, there is a mean difference between those five treatment groups with p value = 0,000. Post-Hoc test shows, there is a mean difference between group 1 (normal control) with other four groups (p= 0,000), group 2 (pathologic control) and group 3 (dose I) with group 4 (dose II) and group 5 (dose III) (p=0,000). Conclusion: There is a protective effect of the forest honey to the white rat’s (Rattus norvegicus) damaged liver which is inducted by ethanol Key words: Ethanol, forest honey, fatty degenaratio