Thermal Comfort and Indoor Environment with Wearing a Mask

The purpose of this study is to clarify the respiratory characteristics and productivity with wearing a mask, and to propose the indoor control strategy to maintain the thermal comfort. With the worldwide spread of biological hazards including COVID-19, it has become common to wear a mask as a countermeasure against infection in public places. Because of this influence, it is necessary to take measures against health hazards caused by wearing a mask (increased respiratory load and oxygen poverty due to wearing a mask for a long time, heat stroke in summer). In this study, there are two stages of methods; (1) clarification the characteristics of exhalation and inspiration when wearing a mask, (2) understanding the causes of reduced work efficiency that cause oxygen deficiency and destruction of the human body heat balance. Respiratory characteristics from the human body differ depending on the type of mask, the amount of metabolism due to exercise, and the surrounding environment. Therefore, we measure changes in respiratory characteristics (respiratory cycle, CO2 concentration, temperature, humidity) and build a predictable numerical model. By measuring changes in work efficiency and intellectual productivity due to various changes in the indoor environment, the effects of oxygen deficiency and destruction of the human body heat balance due to wearing a mask are clarified, and indoor air and thermal environment control that can respond to them It will be a great achievement for the proposal of the law. In this study, we conducted a subject experiment on the simple work efficiency and the expiratory/inspiratory characteristics when wearing a mask and confirmed the deterioration of the air taken into the human body and the damage of exhaust heat. In addition, new standards for the indoor environment were set based on the findings obtained.