Houseplant, indoor air pollution, and cardiovascular effects among elderly subjects in Taipei, Taiwan

Chen, Ruey Yu; Ho, Kin Fai; Hong, Gui Bing; Chuang, Kai Jen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135770

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…More attention has been given to indoor air quality in recent years, as it has more significant effects on respiratory disease and cardiovascular health than outdoor air pollution [1]. According to previous studies, almost 90% of our time is spent in enclosed areas (e.g., homes, schools, offices, transport, and meeting places) [2][3][4][5][6]. Many people are exposed to high concentrations of traffic contaminants when they drive in heavy traffic and spend time at places near roads that have a high amount of traffic, especially if the location is downwind of the road [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation and measurement of air quality in the traffic congestion area

Chang

2021

Sustain Environ Res

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The traffic congestion in the Hsuehshan tunnel and at the Toucheng interchange has led to traffic-related air pollution with increasing concern. To ensure the authenticity of our simulation, the concentration of the last 150 m in Hsuehshan tunnel was simulated using the computational fluid dynamics fluid model. The air quality at the Toucheng interchange along a 2 km length highway was simulated using the California Line Source Dispersion Model. The differences in air quality between rush hours and normal traffic conditions were also investigated. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with installed PM2.5 sensors was developed to obtain the three-dimensional distribution of pollutants. On different roads, during the weekend, the concentrations of pollutants such as SOx, CO, NO, and PM2.5 were observed to be in the range of 0.003–0.008, 7.5–15, 1.5–2.5 ppm, and 40–80 μg m− 3, respectively. On weekdays, the vehicle speed and the natural wind were 60 km h− 1 and 2.0 m s− 1, respectively. On weekdays, the SOx, CO, NO, and PM2.5 concentrations were found to be in the range of 0.002–0.003, 3–9, 0.7–1.8 ppm, and 35–50 μg m− 3, respectively. The UAV was used to verify that the PM2.5 concentrations of vertical changes at heights of 9.0, 7.0, 5.0, and 3.0 m were 45–48, 30–35, 25–30, and 50–52 μg m− 3, respectively. In addition, the predicted PM2.5 concentrations were 40–45, 25–30, 45–48, and 45–50 μg m− 3 on weekdays. These results provide a reference model for environmental impact assessments of long tunnels and traffic jam-prone areas. These models and data are useful for transportation planners in the context of creating traffic management plans.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation and measurement of air quality in the traffic congestion area

Chang

2021

Sustain Environ Res

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“…A total of 34 papers recorded the time during which participants were exposed to indoor plants. Among these, the longest exposure time was one year [ 76 ] and the shortest was 15 s [ 72 ]. Thirty-three papers reported the room size.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses

Han

Ruan

Liao

2022

IJERPH

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The influences of indoor plants on people have been examined by only three systematic reviews and no meta-analyses. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of indoor plants on individuals’ physiological, cognitive, health-related, and behavioral functions by conducting a systematic review with meta-analyses to fill the research gap. The eligibility criteria of this study were (1) any type of participants, (2) any type of indoor plants, (3) comparators without any plants or with other elements, (4) any type of objective human function outcomes, (5) any type of study design, and (6) publications in either English or Chinese. Records were extracted from the Web of Science (1990–), Scopus (1970–), WANFANG DATA (1980–), and Taiwan Periodical Literature (1970–). Therefore, at least two databases were searched in English and in Chinese—two of the most common languages in the world. The last search date of all four databases was on 18 February 2021. We used a quality appraisal system to evaluate the included records. A total of 42 records was included for the systematic review, which concluded that indoor plants affect participants’ functions positively, particularly those of relaxed physiology and enhanced cognition. Separate meta-analyses were then conducted for the effects of the absence or presence of indoor plants on human functions. The meta-analyses comprised only 16 records. The evidence synthesis showed that indoor plants can significantly benefit participants’ diastolic blood pressure (−2.526, 95% CI −4.142, −0.909) and academic achievement (0.534, 95% CI 0.167, 0.901), whereas indoor plants also affected participants’ electroencephalography (EEG) α and β waves, attention, and response time, though not significantly. The major limitations of this study were that we did not include the grey literature and used only two or three records for the meta-analysis of each function. In brief, to achieve the healthy city for people’s health and effective functioning, not only are green spaces needed in cities, but also plants are needed in buildings.

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“…The incense burning emissions of benzene, 1,3butadiene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of great concern due to their carcinogenic effects and potential cancer risk [18]. The particulate matter leads to an increase in the risk for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases [15,19,20]. Sun et al developed an experimental animal model to show that long-term air pollution exposure to low concentrations of particulate matter altered vasomotor tone, induced vascular inflammation, and potentiated atherosclerosis [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In comparison, Dominici et al estimated the effects of short-term exposure to particulate matter on the risk for hospitalization and emphasized an ongoing health threat for the elderly population [12]. Moreover, several studies have indicated that indoor particulate matter concentrations exceed that of outdoor concentrations, and the association between indoor air quality and children's respiratory health is significant [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between Incense-Burning Temples and Respiratory Mortality in Hong Kong

Cai¹,

Wong²

2021

Atmosphere

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Incense burning is an important topic facing many countries in Asia. As a highly urbanized area, the overlapping of urban functional blocks in Hong Kong has resulted in many temples being located near residential and commercial areas. Therefore, the pollutants emitted by temples’ incense burning could cause severe health problems to the population. This study identified 366 Hong Kong temples and classified them into four categories: open, semi-closed, closed, and non-active, according to their incense burning characteristics. Among them, open temples have the largest average area and least quantity. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that building density, greenery density, water density, and temple weight are the most highly influencing factors. The temple weight is the only loading factor with a contributing factor from PC2, especially in 2006 and 2011. Furthermore, the linear regression model has been applied to analyze the correlation between variables. Although this study did not reach conclusive results about the actual impact of each temple type, the model results confirm that the temple is a sub-factor to respiratory mortality. This provides the theoretical foundation for government policy establishment of temple construction planning and community optimization in Asian cities.

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Houseplant, indoor air pollution, and cardiovascular effects among elderly subjects in Taipei, Taiwan

Cited by 25 publications

References 19 publications

Simulation and measurement of air quality in the traffic congestion area

Simulation and measurement of air quality in the traffic congestion area

Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses

Associations between Incense-Burning Temples and Respiratory Mortality in Hong Kong

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