In order to obtain some basic data for odor control in houses, a self administered questionnaire on the odor environment in residential houses and odor consciousness of residents was coducted. The results are as follows. As the most offensive odor, the largest number of the respondents answers, is the odor of cigarette smoking and they want to eliminate it first. The second worst is the odor of garbage. The way how to expel these malodors, most of the respondents, take, is to ventilate the room. Some of them use aromatics in toilets or at the entrance to the house. Young women in their twenties are more sensitive than those in their forties and fifties. On the whole, women are more sensitive to odors than men.

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The environmental impact of buildings and its recent assessment methods are outlined mainly with reference to the global warming issue. Case studies on an office building are included in a discussion on how to improve the indor environment while reducing the environmental burden, and how to reduce life cycle CO_2 emissions causing the global warming.

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Noise exposure was determined every 10 minutes during 24 hours of daily life in 6 students of a female junior college. The average exposure level was 68 dB in equivalent sound level (L_<Aeq>). By applying the noise levels of each activity to the results of a time study of 330 students, the average whole day level of exposure was estimated to be 67 dB. This level was close to the standard limit, 70 dB, for preventing noise induced hearing loss, recommended by USEPA. The highest level in their daily exposure appeared during commuting, especially by train. It was higher than 75dB. Noise levels in subway trains and in transfer stations were higher than in surface trains. Sound levels in the headphones worn by students listening to music while commuting were determined and were found to be 90-100 dB. These levels were very high and their allowable time limit per day was less than 2 hours according to the occupational standard.

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Physiological responses of the human body for four different exercises were examined in this study. Exercises consisted of arm and leg exercises in the supine and sitting postures. Ten untrained female subjects performed 15 minutes of exercise at 50% of maximal oxygen intake (VO_2Pmax), which of each subject for each kind of exercise was decided by use of a bicycle ergometer in each exercise condition. Exercises were carried out in a climatic chamber under environmental conditions of 30℃ and 50% relative humidity. Metabolic rate (MR), Heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (Tre) and mean skin temperature (Tsk) during exercise were measured. It was found that VO_2Pmax in the sitting posture was 20〜24% higher than that in the supine posture, and VO_2Pmax for the leg exercise was 25〜30% higher than that for the arm exercise. The results between physiological responses and MR during exercises were summarized as follows: (1) HR showed an almost linear relationship with MR irrespective of the kind of exercise. (2) Tre increased with MR as well with as HR with an exceptional tendency to rise during the supine leg exercise. (3) Changes in Tsk had no relationship to MR. The reason for this will be the focus of the following study.

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Moxibustion is a traditional method to cause intercutaneous thermal stimulation onto the human body by moxa smoldering. The thermal stimulation is greatly affected by the transient temperature of smoldering moxa. Until now published studies on the transient temperature of smoldering moxa have been imperfect in that the many influencing factors have not been sufficiently noticed. As part of a thermal engineering study on thermal stimulation caused by moxibustion, the relationship between the transient temperature of smoldering moxa and the influencing factors is investigated. The results are as follows. 1) The transient temperature of smoldering moxa not only related to the weight of the moxa and its density, but also to its size. 2) The transient temperature of smoldering moxa is affected by environmental factors (humidity, temperature and air flow). 3) For the purpose of realizing a desired transient thermal stimulation onto the human body, the mere adjustment of the weight, density, and size or shape of the moxa before smoldering, will be only an insufficient means to meet our expectation.

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In the maker's office space with a multi-board radiant cooling system, subjective response, e.g. thermal comfort, thermal sensation etc., and skin temperature of occupants were measured as well as thermal conditions, e.g. air temperature, air humidity, etc. We focused on the air temperature to evaluate the thermal condition, because air temperature is decreased by the multi-board type of radiant cooling system more than by the single-board type. It was shown that a radiant cooling system is suitable to use in an office and that mechanical ventilation is recommended to use together with a radiant cooling system.

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