Cargando…

Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea

Farmers working inside greenhouses during summer are at risk of heat-related illness. In this study, we compared the dry-bulb temperatures (DTs) and the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index inside and outside greenhouses. We then determined the criteria for appropriate working and resting times i...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Jung, Wongeon, Kim, Hyocher
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9564540/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36231793
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912497
_version_ 1784808670294441984
author Jung, Wongeon
Kim, Hyocher
author_facet Jung, Wongeon
Kim, Hyocher
author_sort Jung, Wongeon
collection PubMed
description Farmers working inside greenhouses during summer are at risk of heat-related illness. In this study, we compared the dry-bulb temperatures (DTs) and the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index inside and outside greenhouses. We then determined the criteria for appropriate working and resting times inside greenhouses. The measurements were performed during the hottest period in 2020 and 2021 for two greenhouses, representative of those commonly found in rural areas. A direct-reading WBGT index meter was used for these measurements, and Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) data were used to obtain regional DT data. DTs inside the greenhouses were significantly higher than the ASOS DTs (p < 0.001). In addition, the August WBGT index inside was significantly higher than that outside the greenhouses (p < 0.001). We found that the temperature during the period between 08:00 and 19:00 exceeded the international threshold of 28 °C for heat-acclimatized workers performing moderate-intensity work, above which heat stress becomes a concern. Our results revealed that the thermal index inside can be significantly higher than that found outside greenhouses. Therefore, when work is required inside greenhouses during the summer, stricter standards and safety measures should be considered.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-9564540
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2022
publisher MDPI
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-95645402022-10-15 Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea Jung, Wongeon Kim, Hyocher Int J Environ Res Public Health Article Farmers working inside greenhouses during summer are at risk of heat-related illness. In this study, we compared the dry-bulb temperatures (DTs) and the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index inside and outside greenhouses. We then determined the criteria for appropriate working and resting times inside greenhouses. The measurements were performed during the hottest period in 2020 and 2021 for two greenhouses, representative of those commonly found in rural areas. A direct-reading WBGT index meter was used for these measurements, and Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) data were used to obtain regional DT data. DTs inside the greenhouses were significantly higher than the ASOS DTs (p < 0.001). In addition, the August WBGT index inside was significantly higher than that outside the greenhouses (p < 0.001). We found that the temperature during the period between 08:00 and 19:00 exceeded the international threshold of 28 °C for heat-acclimatized workers performing moderate-intensity work, above which heat stress becomes a concern. Our results revealed that the thermal index inside can be significantly higher than that found outside greenhouses. Therefore, when work is required inside greenhouses during the summer, stricter standards and safety measures should be considered. MDPI 2022-09-30 /pmc/articles/PMC9564540/ /pubmed/36231793 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912497 Text en © 2022 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Jung, Wongeon
Kim, Hyocher
Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea
title Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea
title_full Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea
title_fullStr Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea
title_short Evaluation of Heat Stress Levels Inside Greenhouses during Summer in Korea
title_sort evaluation of heat stress levels inside greenhouses during summer in korea
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9564540/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36231793
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912497
work_keys_str_mv AT jungwongeon evaluationofheatstresslevelsinsidegreenhousesduringsummerinkorea
AT kimhyocher evaluationofheatstresslevelsinsidegreenhousesduringsummerinkorea