Measuring ventilation in different typologies of rural Gambian houses: a pilot experimental study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

African houses are frequently too hot and uncomfortable to use a bed net at night. Indoor thermal comfort is often evaluated by measuring temperature and humidity, ignoring ventilation. This study explored ways to measure ventilation in single-roomed rural Gambian houses during the malaria transmission season and evaluated building designs that could increase airflow at night and help keep the occupants comfortable.

Methods

Two identical mud-walled houses were constructed with a metal roof, three doors and closed eaves. Experiment 1 compared five methods for measuring ventilation in a building: (1) using a blower door, (2) increasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels indoors using an artificial source of CO₂ and then measuring the rate of gas decay

SUBMITTER: Knudsen JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7393878 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature