Environmental and Health Effects of Ventilation in Subway Stations: A Literature Review

Abstract

Environmental health in subway stations, a typical type of urban underground space, is becoming increasingly important. Ventilation is the principal measure for optimizing the complex physical environment in a subway station. This paper narratively reviews the environmental and health effects of subway ventilation and discusses the relevant engineering, environmental, and medical aspects in combination. Ventilation exerts a notable dual effect on environmental health in a subway station. On the one hand, ventilation controls temperature, humidity, and indoor air quality to ensure human comfort and health. On the other hand, ventilation also carries the potential risks of spreading air pollutants or fire smoke through the complex wind environment as well as produces continuous noise. Assessment and management of health risks associated with subway ventilation is essential to attain a healthy subway environment. This, however, requires exposure, threshold data, and thereby necessitates more research into long-term effects, and toxicity as well as epidemiological studies. Additionally, more research is needed to further examine the design and maintenance of ventilation systems. An understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms and aerodynamic characteristics of various pollutants can help formulate ventilation strategies to reduce pollutant concentrations. Moreover, current comprehensive underground space development affords a possibility for creating flexible spaces that optimize ventilation efficiency, acoustic comfort, and space perception.

Oxidative Stress From Exposure to the Underground Space Environment

“…Environmental factors from various artificial and natural sources, including atmospheric pollution (quartz, coal mine dust, and asbestos), heavy or transition metals (copper, mercury, lead, iron), hypoxic conditions, certain drugs, chemical solvents, cigarette smoke, and radiation, may serve as exogenous sources of oxidants and cause metabolic changes in organisms that either increase the production of RONS or decrease the production of antioxidants, causing oxidative stress (13,(19)(20)(21).…”

Biological fluid dynamics of airborne COVID-19 infection

“…Ventilation systems are not only able to guarantee the exchange of air from outside but they can also change the relative humidity in the room. As far as the effect of this environmental parameter on the viral transmission is concerned, combined with that of the ambient temperature, the literature does not draw firm conclusions (Wen et al 2020). Environmental conditions corresponding to low relative humidity associated with low temperature seem to favor the stability and transmission of certain influenza viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus and avian influenza virus (Derby et al 2017;Davis et al 2016;Ikäheimo et al 2016).…”

Analysis of Efficiency of Methods Drying of the Metro Polyeth Air With the Equipment in the Bypass Way

“…Метод реалізується з використанням принципу теплового удару, який створюється при роботі холодильного контуру, з розташованими безпосередньо один за одним випарником і конденсатором. При цьому ефективність конденсаційних осушувачів різко спадає із зменшенням відносної вологості повітря [10]. Останнім часом метод видалення вологи з тунельного повітря шляхом конденсації дуже широко застосовується в метрополітенах різних країн світу в поєднанні з енергозберігаючими технологіями [10,11].…”