TY - JOUR
T1 - The measurement and prediction of conditions within indoor microenvironments
AU - Baker, P.H.
AU - Galbraith, Graham H.
AU - McLean, R. Craig
AU - Hunter, Colin
AU - Sanders, C.H.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - Biocontaminants, such as dust mites and microfungi, can live in building habitats with a spatial scale of only a few millimetres. With the recent development of very small size microchip-based sensors, it is now practicable to measure the humidity at different locations within these microenvironments. In the laboratory study described here, sensors were used to measure the conditions in a number of typical flooring systems using a variety of coverings. The measurements were compared with the predictions of a well-established and validated dynamic heat and moisture transfer simulation model. In order to provide an accurate input to the model, permeability and sorption tests were carried out on the flooring materials used. Finally, using monitored domestic environmental data, simulation results were coupled to a simplified growth model to predict dust mite activity in the flooring systems under realistic boundary conditions.
AB - Biocontaminants, such as dust mites and microfungi, can live in building habitats with a spatial scale of only a few millimetres. With the recent development of very small size microchip-based sensors, it is now practicable to measure the humidity at different locations within these microenvironments. In the laboratory study described here, sensors were used to measure the conditions in a number of typical flooring systems using a variety of coverings. The measurements were compared with the predictions of a well-established and validated dynamic heat and moisture transfer simulation model. In order to provide an accurate input to the model, permeability and sorption tests were carried out on the flooring materials used. Finally, using monitored domestic environmental data, simulation results were coupled to a simplified growth model to predict dust mite activity in the flooring systems under realistic boundary conditions.
KW - relative humidity
KW - microenvironments
KW - biocontaminants
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1420326X06067351
U2 - 10.1177/1420326X06067351
DO - 10.1177/1420326X06067351
M3 - Article
SN - 1420-326X
VL - 15
SP - 357
EP - 364
JO - Indoor and Built Environment
JF - Indoor and Built Environment
IS - 4
ER -