| 21. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Does a building renovation improve the indoor thermal comfort? : A thermal environment evaluation before and after renovation
- 2019
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A sustainable renovation results in both a good indoor environment and high-energy efficiency. However, contemporary renovations often focus on energy and environmental performance, leaving out other aspects, such as the thermal comfort. The aim of the ongoing study is to compare the results of an extensive thermal environment evaluation before and after major renovation of ten typical 1970’s rental apartments in multi-family buildings located in Southern Sweden. The data collected is comprehensive and includes measurements of air temperature, relative humidity (RH), air velocity, plane radiant and globe temperature, draught rate, turbulence intensity, operative temperature, PMV/PPD indices and thermal sensation (thermal comfort evaluation) using a LumaSense INNOVA 1221 Thermal Comfort data logger. MSR Temp/RH data logger sensors were also placed at four different heights. The outside weather data and individual factors such as clothing, activity, gender, age were also collected. Measurements were taken in the living room of each apartment for 2 hours during three winter seasons: one measurement session before and two after renovation resulting in 30 measurements in total. The preliminary results from the first two winter seasons for draught rate, PMV/PPD, RH and radiant temperature all showed slight improvements after renovation. Further, the study results show that the individual perceived thermal comfort does not always agree with the measured and calculated thermal comfort. The data is currently under analysis and final results will be presented.
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| 22. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Heat Stress on Working Populations when facing Climate Change
- 2013
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Ingår i: Industrial Health. - : National Institute of Industrial Health. - 1880-8026 .- 0019-8366. ; 51:1, s. 3-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is accepted that the earth’s climate is changing in an accelerating pace, with already documented implications for human health and the environment. This literature review provides an overview of existing research findings about the effects of heat stress on the working population in relation to climate change. In the light of climate change adaptation, the purpose of the literature review was to explore recent and previous research into the impacts of heat stress on humans in an occupational setting. Heat stress in the workplace has been researched extensively in the past however, in the contemporary context of climate change, information is lacking on its extent and implications. The main factors found to exacerbate heat stress in the current and future workplace are the urban ‘heat island effect’, physical work, individual differences, and the developing country context where technological fixes are often not applicable. There is also a lack of information on the effects on vulnerable groups such as elderly people and pregnant women. As increasing temperatures reduce work productivity, world economic productivity could be condensed, affecting developing countries in the tropical climate zone disproportionately. Future research is needed taking an interdisciplinary approach, including social, economic, environmental and technical aspects.
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| 23. |
- Lundgren-Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring how a traditional diluted yoghurt drink may mitigate heat strain during medium-intensity intermittent work: a multidisciplinary study of occupational heat strain
- 2018
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Ingår i: Industrial Health. - : National Institute of Industrial Health. - 0019-8366 .- 1880-8026. ; 56:2, s. 106-121
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is common practice in India to consume the dairy drink buttermilk as a way of mitigating occupational heat strain. This paper explores the thermoregulatory and hydration benefits of drinking buttermilk but also the impacts of work in a hot environment on the gut microbiota, renal and cognitive function. Twelve healthy participants were subjected to a 3-h period of medium load physical intermittent work in a climatic chamber (34 degrees C, 60% RH). The subjects were given water, buttermilk (700 ml) or no rehydration at random. Mean body temperatures when no rehydration was given were significantly higher (p <= 0.001). When subjects drank water or buttermilk they had a lower sweat rate than with no rehydration (p <= 0.05) and the perception of feeling hot, uncomfortable, thirsty and physically exerted was significantly reduced (p <= 0.05). A hormonal stress response at the end of the exposure was seen when not drinking (p <= 0.05). No differences in cognitive abilities and gut microbiota were found. The exposure lowered the renal blood flow suggesting an acute impact of short term heat exposure. It was also found that buttermilk has a protective effect on this impact. Our results demonstrated that keeping hydrated by water/buttermilk consumption mitigates heat strain in well-nourished subjects.
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| 24. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Heat stress in indoor environments of Scandinavian urban areas : A literature review
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 16:560
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change increases the risks of heat stress, especially in urban areas where urban heat islands can develop. This literature review aims to describe how severe heat can occur and be identified in urban indoor environments, and what actions can be taken on the local scale. There is a connection between the outdoor and the indoor climate in buildings without air conditioning, but the pathways leading to the development of severe heat levels indoors are complex. These depend, for example, on the type of building, window placement, the residential area’s thermal outdoor conditions, and the residents’ influence and behavior. This review shows that only few studies have focused on the thermal environment indoors during heat waves, despite the fact that peoplecommonly spend most of their time indoors and are likely to experience increased heat stress Indoors in the future. Among reviewed studies, it was found that the indoor temperature can reach levels 50% higher in C than the outdoor temperature, which highlights the importance of assessment and remediation of heat indoors. Further, most Heat-Health Warning Systems (HHWS) are based on the outdoor climate only, which can lead to a misleading interpretation of the health effects and associated solutions. In order to identify severe heat, six factors need to be taken into account, including air temperature, heat radiation, humidity, and air movement as well as the physical activity and the clothes worn by the individual. Heat stress can be identified using a heat index that includes these six factors. This paper presents some examples of practical and easy to use heat indices that are relevant for indoor environments as well as models that can be applied in indoor environments at the city level. However, existing indexes are developed for healthy workers and do not account for vulnerable groups, different uses, and daily variations. As a result, this paper highlights the needfor the development of a heat index or the adjustment of current thresholds to apply specifically to indoor environments, its different uses, and vulnerable groups. There are several actions that can be taken to reduce heat indoors and thus improve the health and well-being of the population in urbanareas. Examples of effective measures to reduce heat stress indoors include the use of shading devices such as blinds and vegetation as well as personal cooling techniques such as the use of fans and cooling vests. Additionally, the integration of innovative Phase Change Materials (PCM) into facades, roofs, floors, and windows can be a promising alternative once no negative health and environmental effects of PCM can be ensured.
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| 25. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin
(författare)
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How will climate change working life?
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Heat stress has been studied extensively. However, in the contemporary context of climate change there is a lack of information on the extent of future heat stress and its consequences, especially in occupational settings. The main aim of the research was to identify the current knowledge gaps by conducting a literature review (paper I) together with the collection of empirical data to examine the implications for labour productivity and occupational health in already hot workplaces in Chennai, India (paper II). Finally, it also looked at adaptation options for cooling and sustainability challenges from air conditioning use (paper III). The literature review found the main factors to exacerbate heat stress in current and future workplaces to be the urban heat island effect, physical work, individual differences, and the developing country context, where technological fixes and certain control measures are often not applicable. There is also a lack of information regarding the effects on vulnerable groups such as the poor, elderly and pregnant women. The field study in Chennai gathered data from measurements, observations and questionnaires. Climate measurements were combined with estimations of workload and measurements of the properties of the work clothing. Health risks, preventive methods, productivity impacts and the links to climate change were also explored. All workplaces surveyed, representing the industrial, service and agricultural sectors, had very high heat exposure, often reaching the international standard threshold (ISO 7243:1989) for working safely. Most workers had moderate to high workloads, some in direct sun exposure. Females were found to be more vulnerable due to the extra insulation added from wearing a protective shirt on top of traditional clothing when working. Most workers reported health problems due to heat exposure, including tiredness, dizziness and headaches. Problems in meeting production targets in the hotter months were usually compensated for by overtime work. When analyzing productivity loss and heat strain in a physiological model – the Predicted Heat Strain Model (ISO 7933:2004) – the parameters showed significant impacts, especially when a couple of extra degrees were added to the climate change scenario. Water provision and rehydration were critical parameters in the outcome. 2 Locally in workplaces, there were numerous approaches used to reduce heat exposure. Apart from taking rests, traditional methods, which included mainly drinks and diet, dominated the coping mechanisms. Air conditioning as a technical solution has experienced high growth in India as a means of protection from heat exposure. It is effective in reducing heat exposure but creates many sustainability challenges. In paper III, it was found that air conditioning use triggers an increase in energy consumption when the outdoor temperature increases, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions and therefore affecting climate change. In addition, the direct heat rejected from the air conditioning units adds to street level heat and thus, the urban heat island effect. If not abated, it has the potential to intensify climate change, and place extra loads on future energy supplies, especially during heat waves. The issue of increasing heat and associated productivity loss could impact working people’s health and livelihood. Further research needs to look at all aspects and impacts, taking an interdisciplinary perspective.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Human responses in heat – comparison of the Predicted Heat Strain and the Fiala multi-node model for a case of intermittent work.
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Thermal Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4565. ; 70, s. 45-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two mathematical models of human thermal regulation include the rational Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) and the thermophysiological model by Fiala. The approaches of the models are different, however, they both aim at providing predictions of the thermophysiological responses to thermal environments of an average person. The aim of this study was to compare and analyze predictions of the two models against experimental data. The analysis also includes a gender comparison. The experimental data comprised of ten participants (5 males, 5 females, average anthropometric values were used as input) conducting an intermittent protocol of rotating tasks (cycling, stacking, stepping and arm crank) of moderate metabolic activities (134-291 W/m2) with breaks in-between in a controlled environmental condition (34°C, 60% RH). The validation consisted of the predictions’ comparison against experimental data from 2.5 hours of data of rectal temperature and mean skin temperature based on contact thermometry from four body locations. The PHS model over-predicted rectal temperatures during the first activity for males and the cooling effectiveness of sweat in the recovery periods, for both males and females. As a result, the PHS simulation underestimated the thermal strain in this context. The Fiala model accurately predicted the rectal temperature throughout the exposure. The fluctuation of the experimental mean skin temperature was not reflected in any of the models. However, the PHS simulation model showed better agreement than the Fiala model. As both models predicted responses more accurately for males than females, we suggest that in future development of the models it is important to take this result into account. The paper further discusses possible sources of the observed discrepancies and concludes with some suggestions for modifications.
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| 28. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Increasing heat creates hardship for brick kiln workers in Chennai, India and the alternative pathways reducing it
- 2019
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Ingår i: Climanosco Research Articles. - : Climanosco. - 2673-1568. ; 2, s. 1-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change brings new burdens to people working outdoors. Migrant populations working at brick kilns in India are one such group facing dangerously overheated working conditions. Many migrate to the kilns from rural areas under bonded labor conditions. We argue that solutions need to go beyond industry-oriented technology-based solutions and focus on the social problem and take a people focused stance. In addition to adopting more locally appropriate technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and heat in the work environment, solutions focusing on the workers situation must be considered from a human rights perspective.
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| 29. |
- Lundgren Kownacki, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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India livelihood case study
- 2015
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Ingår i: [Publication information missing]. ; , s. 14-14
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 30. |
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