Abstract:
The objective of this work is the assessment of human thermal bioclimatic conditions in the Athens University Campus (AUC), including the Faculties and their respective Departments of the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. The analysis of bioclimate was carried out, using the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), which is based on the energy balance model of the human body. The meteorological data required for the calculation of PET concern hourly values of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and total solar radiation, for the time period 1999-2007. The recorded data sets were obtained from the meteorological station of the Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment of the University of Athens. The results revealed the hours of the day in which thermal comfort or stress prevails, as well as the trends and variability of PET, for the studied period. Finally, the intense heat waves occurred during summer 2007 along with extreme cold conditions during December 2003-February 2004 were analyzed in terms of PET classes and compared to the respective average bioclimatic conditions of the study period. © 2013 Panagiotis T. Nastos and Andreas Matzarakis.
Notes:
Cited By :2Export Date: 2 November 2015Correspondence Address: Nastos, P.T.; Department of Geography and Climatology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece; email:
nastos@geol.uoa.grReferences: Schwartz, J., Samet, J.M., Patz, J.A., Hospital admissions for heart disease: The effects of temperature and humidity (2004) Epidemiology, 15 (6), pp. 755-761. , DOI 10.1097/01.ede.0000134875.15919.0f;Nastos, P.T., Matzarakis, A., Weather impacts on respiratory infections in Athens, Greece (2006) International Journal of Biometeorology, 50 (6), pp. 358-369. , DOI 10.1007/s00484-006-0031-1;
Michelozzi, P., Kirchmayer, U., Katsouyanni, K., Biggeri, A., McGregor, G., Menne, B., Kassomenos, P., Kosatsky, T., Assessment and prevention of acute health effects of weather conditions in Europe, the PHEWE project: Background, objectives, design (2007) Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source, 6, p. 12. , DOI 10.1186/1476-069X-6-12;
Curriero, F.C., Heiner, K.S., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L., Strug, L., Patz, J.A., Temperature and mortality in 11 cities of the eastern United States (2002) American Journal of Epidemiology, 155 (1), pp. 80-87. , DOI 10.1093/aje/155.1.80;
Analitis, A., Katsouyanni, K., Biggeri, A., Baccini, M., Forsberg, B., Bisanti, L., Kirchmayer, U., Michelozzi, P., Effects of cold weather on mortality: Results from 15 European cities within the PHEWE project (2008) American Journal of Epidemiology, 168 (12), pp. 1397-1408. , 2-s2.0-57749207428 10.1093/aje/kwn266;
Baccini, M., Biggeri, A., Accetta, G., Kosatsky, T., Katsouyanni, K., Analitis, A., Anderson, H.R., Michelozzi, P., Heat effects on mortality in 15 European cities (2008) Epidemiology, 19 (5), pp. 711-719. , 2-s2.0-50549104811 10.1097/EDE.0b013e318176bfcd;
Almeida, S.P., Casimiro, E., Calheiros, J., Effects of apparent temperature on daily mortality in Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal (2010) Environmental Health, 9 (1). , 2-s2.0-77949732510 10.1186/1476-069X-9-12;
Nastos, P.T., Matzarakis, A., The effect of air temperature and human thermal indices on mortality in Athens, Greece (2012) Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 108 (3-4), pp. 591-599. , 2-s2.0-84860470764 10.1007/s00704-011-0555-0;
De Freitas, C.R., Tourism climatology: Evaluating environmental information for decision making and business planning in the recreation and tourism sector (2003) International Journal of Biometeorology, 48 (1), pp. 45-54. , DOI 10.1007/s00484-003-0177-z;
Didaskalou, E.A., Nastos, P.Th., The role of climatic and bioclimatic conditions in the development of health tourism product (2003) Anatolia, 14 (2), pp. 107-126;
Hamilton, J.M., Lau, M.A., The role of climate information in tourist destination choice decision-making (2005) Proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Biometeorology, pp. 608-611;
Matzarakis, A., Nastos, P.T., Analysis of tourism potential for Crete Island, Greece (2011) Global Nest Journal, 13, pp. 141-149;
Nikolopoulou, M., Lykoudis, S., Thermal comfort in outdoor urban spaces: Analysis across different European countries (2006) Building and Environment, 41 (11), pp. 1455-1470. , DOI 10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.05.031, PII S0360132305002039;
Thorsson, S., Lindqvist, M., Lindqvist, S., Thermal bioclimatic conditions and patterns of behaviour in an urban park in Göteborg, Sweden (2004) International Journal of Biometeorology, 48 (3), pp. 149-156. , DOI 10.1007/s00484-003-0189-8;
Thorsson, S., Honjo, T., Lindberg, F., Eliasson, I., Lim, E.-M., Thermal comfort and outdoor activity in Japanese urban public places (2007) Environment and Behavior, 39 (5), pp. 660-684. , DOI 10.1177/0013916506294937;
Givoni, B., (1969) Man, Climate and Architecture, , Amsterdam, Netherlands Elsevier;
Thom, E., The discomfort index (1959) Weatherwise, 12, pp. 57-60;
Siple, P.A., Passel, C.F., Measurements of dry atmospheric cooling in subfreezing temperatures (1945) Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 89, pp. 177-199;
Tzenkova, A.S., Kandjov, I.M., Ivancheva, J.N., Some biometeorological aspects of urban climate in Sofia (2003) Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Urban Climate, 2, pp. 103-106. , Lodz, Poland;
Buttner, K., (1938) Physikalische Bioklimatologie, , Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft;
Fanger, P.O., Thermal Comfort, , New York, NY, USA McGraw-Hill;
Jendritzky, G., Bioklimatische Bewertungsgrundlage zur Beschreibung des thermischen Milieus in der Stadt- und Landschaftsplanung (1990) ARL Beitrdge, (128);
Höppe, P., (1984) Die Energiebilanz des Menschen, 49. , Meteorologisches Institut, Universitat Munchen;
Driscoll, D.M., Houghton, D.D., Human health (1985) Handbook of Applied Meteorology, pp. 778-814. , John Wiley and Sons;
Kalkstein, L.S., Valimont, K.M., An evaluation of summer discomfort in the United States using a relative climatological index (1986) Bulletin of American Meteorological Society, 67 (7), pp. 842-848. , 2-s2.0-0022835576;
Hoppe, P., The physiological equivalent temperature - A universal index for the biometeorological assessment of the thermal environment (1999) International Journal of Biometeorology, 43 (2), pp. 71-75;
D'Ambrosio Alfano, F.R., Palella, B.I., Riccio, G., Thermal environment assessment reliability using temperature-humidity indices (2011) Industrial Health, 49 (1), pp. 95-106. , 2-s2.0-79951567127 10.2486/indhealth.MS1097;
(1998) VDI, 3787, Part I: Environmental Meteorology, Methods for the Human Biometeorological Evaluation of Climate and Air Quality for the Urban and Regional Planning at Regional Level. Part I: Climate, , Berlin, Germany Beuth;
Fanger, P.O., (1972) Thermal Comfort, , New York, NY, USA McGraw-Hill;
Höppe, P., Heat balance modeling (1993) Experentia, 49, pp. 741-746;
Jendritzky, G., Havenith, G., Weihs, P., Batchvarova, E., De Dear, R., The universal thermal climate index UTCI - Goal and state of COST action 730 and ISB commission 6 Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Biometeorology (ICB '08), , Septembe 2008 Tokyo, Japan;
Fiala, D., Havenith, G., Bröde, P., Kampmann, B., Jendritzky, G., UTCI-Fiala multi-node model of human heat transfer and temperature regulation (2012) International Journal of Biometeorology, 56 (3), pp. 429-441. , 2-s2.0-84860370638 10.1007/s00484-011-0424-7;
Budapest Declaration, 2004, ,
http://www.euro.who.int/document/e83335.pdf, Regional Office For Europe;
Robine, J.M., Cheung, S.L.K., Le Roy, S., Van Oyen, H., Griffiths, C., Michel, J.P., Herrmann, F.R., Death toll exceeded 70,000 in Europe during the summer of 2003 (2008) Comptes Rendus, 331 (2), pp. 171-178. , 2-s2.0-38749147699 10.1016/j.crvi.2007.12.001;
Schar, C., Vidale, P.L., Luthi, D., Frei, C., Haberli, C., Liniger, M.A., Appenzeller, C., The role of increasing temperature variability in European summer heatwaves (2004) Nature, 427 (6972), pp. 332-336. , DOI 10.1038/nature02300;
Vandentorren, S., Bretin, P., Zeghnoun, A., Mandereau-Bruno, L., Croisier, A., Cochet, C., Riberon, J., Ledrans, M., August 2003 heat wave in France: Risk factors for death of elderly people living at home (2006) European Journal of Public Health, 16 (6), pp. 583-591. , DOI 10.1093/eurpub/ckl063;
Improving public health responses to extreme weather/heat-waves - EuroHEAT (2009) Technical Summary;
Kuttler, W., Guderian, R., Stadtklima (2000) Handbuch der Umweltveränderungen und Ökotoxologie. Band 1B: Atmosphäre (Hrsg.), pp. 420-470. , Springer;
Troen, I., Petersen, E.L., (1989) European Wind Atlas, , Roskilde, Denmark Risø National Laboratory;
Stolwijk, J.A.J., Hardy, J.D., Douglas, H.K., Bethesda, M.D., Control of body temperature (1977) Handbook of Physiology, Section 9, Reactions to Environmental Agents, pp. 45-69. , American Physiological Society;
Mayer, H., Höppe, P., Thermal comfort of man in different urban environments (1987) Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 38 (1), pp. 43-49. , 2-s2.0-0023500451 10.1007/BF00866252;
Matzarakis, A., Mayer, H., Iziomon, M.G., Applications of a universal thermal index: Physiological equivalent temperature (1999) International Journal of Biometeorology, 43 (2), pp. 76-84;
Matzarakis, A., Rutz, F., Mayer, H., Modelling radiation fluxes in simple and complex environments: Basics of the RayMan model (2010) International Journal of Biometeorology, 54 (2), pp. 131-139. , 2-s2.0-77951740112 10.1007/s00484-009-0261-0;
Gulyas, A., Unger, J., Matzarakis, A., Assessment of the microclimatic and human comfort conditions in a complex urban environment: Modelling and measurements (2006) Building and Environment, 41 (12), pp. 1713-1722. , DOI 10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.07.001, PII S036013230500274X;
Lin, T.P., Matzarakis, A., Hwang, R.L., Shading effect on long-term outdoor thermal comfort (2010) Building and Environment, 45 (1), pp. 213-221. , 2-s2.0-70249098792 10.1016/j.buildenv.2009.06.002;
Lin, T.P., Thermal perception, adaptation and attendance in a public square in hot and humid regions (2009) Building and Environment, 44 (10), pp. 2017-2026. , 2-s2.0-67349130799 10.1016/j.buildenv.2009.02.004;
Svensson, M.K., Thorsson, S., Lindqvist, S., A geographical information system model for creating bioclimatic maps - Examples from a high, mid-latitude city (2003) International Journal of Biometeorology, 47 (2), pp. 102-112;
Bouyer, J., Vinet, J., Delpech, P., Carre, S., Thermal comfort assessment in semi-outdoor environments: Application to comfort study in stadia (2007) Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 95 (9-11), pp. 963-976. , DOI 10.1016/j.jweia.2007.01.022, PII S016761050700027X;
Cohen, P., Potchter, O., Matzarakis, A., Human thermal perception of Coastal Mediterranean outdoor urban (2012) Applied Geography, 37, pp. 1-10;
Grigorieva, E., Matzarakis, A., Physiologically equivalent temperature as a factor for tourism in extreme climate regions in the Russian Far East: Preliminary results (2011) European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, 3, pp. 127-142;
Metaxas, D.A., Bartzokas, A., Pressure covariability over the Atlantic, Europe and N. Africa application: Centers of action for temperature, winter precipitation and summer winds in Athens, Greece (1994) Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 49 (1), pp. 9-18. , 2-s2.0-0028551883 10.1007/BF00866284;
Nastos, P.T., Philandras, C.M., Repapis, C.C., Application of canonical analysis to air temperature and precipitation regimes over Greece (2002) Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 11 (8), pp. 488-493. , 2-s2.0-0036697151;
Matzarakis, A., Nastos, P.T., Heat waves in Athens Proceedings of the 8th Hellenic Conference on Meteorology, Climatology and Atmospheric Physics, 3, pp. 153-160. , May 2006 Athens, Greece
Website
