Comparison among WBGT values observed at various living and sports spaces in urban area

Abstract

Various human living and sport activity spaces exist in an urban area, where people are active daily there. The incidence of heat disorder is strongly affected by the micro-meteorological conditions at the spaces. Our study clarified the difference in wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which is used as a representative heat disorder index, among the spaces: playground, gymnasium (indoor), athletic track, grass square, street of office buildings, and residential street. The differences of the daily maximum WBGT among these appeared with maximum values of 4.0°C between the athletic track and the gymnasium for all the spaces, and 3.4°C between the athletic track and the street of office buildings for outdoor spaces. The results were mainly attributed to the globe-temperature differences; these relate to the radiation environments to human bodies at spaces. The above WBGT difference among the human activity spaces cannot be quantitatively neglected from the view point of the risk of heat disorder. Therefore, it should be paid attention to that the WBGT is estimated from only dry- and wet-bulb temperatures (i.e., without globe temperature).