Investigating the Interplay between Indoor Environmental Quality and Workers’ Health and Productivity: Preliminary Results
Publication: Computing in Civil Engineering 2023
ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the complex interplay between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors and their effects on workers’ health, comfort, and productivity. Specifically, the study will identify the optimal range of IEQ conditions that can prevent or minimize sick building syndrome (SBS) and promote healthy buildings while maximizing comfort and productivity. For that, the full study will utilize a longitudinal, naturalistic real-world approach, combining granular data collection of perceived occupants’ health and productivity states using ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) every 1 h, objective continuous heart rate data, and IEQ measurements in office spaces. By integrating physiological data into the study of SBS, the study aims to provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of IEQ on human health and productivity. Ultimately, the findings of this study can inform the development of effective strategies to improve IEQ and prevent SBS in office buildings, leading to healthier and more productive work environments.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Awada, M., B. Becerik-Gerber, S. Hoque, Z. O’Neill, G. Pedrielli, J. Wen, and T. Wu. 2021. “Ten Questions Concerning Occupant Health in Buildings during Normal Operations and Extreme Events Including the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Building and Environment.
Awada, M., B. B. Gerber, R. Liu, M. Seyedrezaei, Z. Lu, M. Xenakis, G. Lucas, S. C. Roll, and S. Narayanan. 2023. “Ten Questions Concerning the Impact of Environmental Stress on Office Workers.” Building and Environment 229 (February): 109964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109964.
Awair inc. 2022a. “Awair Omni.” 2022. https://www.getawair.com/products/omni.
Awair inc. 2022b. “Enterprise Essentials.” chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://blog.getawair.com/hubfs/Enterprise Essentials.pdf.
Demanega, I., I. Mujan, B. C. Singer, A. S. Anđelković, F. Babich, and D. Licina. 2021. “Performance Assessment of Low-Cost Environmental Monitors and Single Sensors under Variable Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Conditions.” Building and Environment 187 (January): 107415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107415.
Fitbit. n.d. “Advanced Fitness + Health Tracker.” https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/charge5.
Ghaffarianhoseini, A., H. AlWaer, H. Omrany, A. Ghaffarianhoseini, C. Alalouch, D. Clements-Croome, and J. Tookey. 2018. “Sick Building Syndrome: Are We Doing Enough?” Architectural Science Review 61 (3): 99–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2018.1461060.
Halhoul Merabet, G., M. Essaaidi, M. B. Haddou, B. Qolomany, J. Qadir, M. Anan, A. Al-Fuqaha, M. R. Abid, and D. Benhaddou. 2021. “Intelligent Building Control Systems for Thermal Comfort and Energy-Efficiency: A Systematic Review of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Techniques.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 144 (July): 110969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.110969.
Lim, F.-L., Z. Hashim, S. M. Said, L. T. L. Than, J. H. Hashim, and D. Norbäck. 2015. “Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) among Office Workers in a Malaysian University — Associations with Atopy, Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) and the Office Environment.” Science of The Total Environment 536 (December): 353–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.137.
Mendell, M. J., W. J. Fisk, K. Kreiss, H. Levin, D. Alexander, W. S. Cain, and J. R. Girman 2002. “Improving the Health of Workers in Indoor Environments: Priority Research Needs for a National Occupational Research Agenda.” American Journal of Public Health 92 (9): 1430–40. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.92.9.1430.
Nezis, I., G. Biskos, K. Eleftheriadis, P. Fetfatzis, O. Popovicheva, N. Sitnikov, and O.-I. Kalantzi. 2022. “Linking Indoor Particulate Matter and Black Carbon with Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms in a Public Office Building.” Atmospheric Pollution Research 13 (1): 101292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2021.101292.
Quackenboss, J. J., M. D. Lebowitz, J. Pierre Michaud, and D. Bronnimann. 1989. “Formaldehyde Exposure and Acute Health Effects Study.” Environment International 15 (1–6): 169–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-4120(89)90023-8.
Sarkhosh, M., A. A. Najafpoor, H. Alidadi, J. Shamsara, H. Amiri, T. Andrea, and F. Kariminejad. 2021. “Indoor Air Quality Associations with Sick Building Syndrome: An Application of Decision Tree Technology.” Building and Environment 188 (January): 107446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107446.
Stolwijk, J. A. 1991. “Sick-Building Syndrome.” Environmental Health Perspectives 95 (November): 99–100. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.919599.
Taelman, J., S. Vandeput, A. Spaepen, and S. Van Huffel. 2009. Influence of Mental Stress on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability. In, 1366–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-89208-3_324.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2021. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020.” 2021. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes430000.htm#nat.
Worland, A., S. Wagle, and B. Kovalerchuk. 2022. “Visualization of Decision Trees Based on General Line Coordinates to Support Explainable Models,” May. http://arxiv.org/abs/2205.04035.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Published online: Jan 25, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Buildings
- Business management
- Data collection
- Employment
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Granular materials
- Indoor environmental quality
- Labor
- Materials engineering
- Methodology (by type)
- Occupational safety
- Personnel management
- Pollution
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Research methods (by type)
- Rubber
- Safety
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.