Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics
Ensuring adequate Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in passenger vehicles is essential for safeguarding commuters’ health, comfort, and safety. This is particularly true in developing tropical regions (DTs), where higher commuter density, inadequate infrastructure, poor vehicle maintenance, extreme...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Results in Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025022017 |
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| author | John Omomoluwa Ogundiran Jean-Paul Kapuya Bulaba Nyembwe James Ogundiran Vaibhav C. Gandhi Anabela Ribeiro Manuel Gameiro da Silva |
| author_facet | John Omomoluwa Ogundiran Jean-Paul Kapuya Bulaba Nyembwe James Ogundiran Vaibhav C. Gandhi Anabela Ribeiro Manuel Gameiro da Silva |
| author_sort | John Omomoluwa Ogundiran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ensuring adequate Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in passenger vehicles is essential for safeguarding commuters’ health, comfort, and safety. This is particularly true in developing tropical regions (DTs), where higher commuter density, inadequate infrastructure, poor vehicle maintenance, extreme climatic conditions, and the absence of IEQ regulations form a set of conditions that exacerbate public health risks. The current study aimed to evaluate indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and ventilation performance in public transport vehicles in Lagos and to develop pragmatic improvement strategies. It examines the IEQ conditions in Nigeria's public transportation system, specifically focusing on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses, light rail (LR), and intercity trains in Lagos. A mixed-methods approach was employed, mixing real-time measurements of key parameters, including temperature, humidity, concentrations of CO₂, PM2.5, PM10, and sound pressure level, collected during 96 trips between 2021 and 2024. The results reveal substantial IEQ deficits, including elevated CO₂ concentrations, up to 5882 ppm in BRT buses, thermal discomfort (PMV-PPD values outside the -0.5 to +0.5 range in over 80 % of BRT trips), high pollutant levels on the PM2.5 exceeding 25 µg/m³ in most train trips, and noise exposure, driven by overcrowding, faulty HVAC systems, and suboptimal cabin design. This study proposed actionable strategies for enhancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in public vehicles, including ventilation approaches, cabin management, maintenance protocols, and public awareness campaigns. Recommendations also call for establishing localized IEQ regulations, implementing real-time monitoring systems, and promoting sustainable mobility initiatives and effective urban planning, including policy reforms. This study contributes to the limited literature on IEQ in tropical public transport vehicles (PTVs). It provides relevant insights for future frameworks that can enhance commuter experience and mitigate public health risks in similar or different contexts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ad5ea9b4e2b4f50b2a291aa109d69c0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2590-1230 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ad5ea9b4e2b4f50b2a291aa109d69c02025-08-20T03:17:36ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302025-09-012710612910.1016/j.rineng.2025.106129Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropicsJohn Omomoluwa Ogundiran0Jean-Paul Kapuya Bulaba Nyembwe1James Ogundiran2Vaibhav C. Gandhi3Anabela Ribeiro4Manuel Gameiro da Silva5Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, ADAI, Rua Luís Reis Santos, Pólo II, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal; Corresponding author.Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, ADAI, Rua Luís Reis Santos, Pólo II, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mbuji-Mayi, Av Kalonji 27, 8330 Mbuji-Mayi, DR CongoDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, ADAI, Rua Luís Reis Santos, Pólo II, 3030-788 Coimbra, PortugalDepartment of Computer Engineering, Madhuben and Bhanubhai Patel Institute of Technology, New Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat 388345, IndiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II, 3030-790 Coimbra, PortugalDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, ADAI, Rua Luís Reis Santos, Pólo II, 3030-788 Coimbra, PortugalEnsuring adequate Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in passenger vehicles is essential for safeguarding commuters’ health, comfort, and safety. This is particularly true in developing tropical regions (DTs), where higher commuter density, inadequate infrastructure, poor vehicle maintenance, extreme climatic conditions, and the absence of IEQ regulations form a set of conditions that exacerbate public health risks. The current study aimed to evaluate indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and ventilation performance in public transport vehicles in Lagos and to develop pragmatic improvement strategies. It examines the IEQ conditions in Nigeria's public transportation system, specifically focusing on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses, light rail (LR), and intercity trains in Lagos. A mixed-methods approach was employed, mixing real-time measurements of key parameters, including temperature, humidity, concentrations of CO₂, PM2.5, PM10, and sound pressure level, collected during 96 trips between 2021 and 2024. The results reveal substantial IEQ deficits, including elevated CO₂ concentrations, up to 5882 ppm in BRT buses, thermal discomfort (PMV-PPD values outside the -0.5 to +0.5 range in over 80 % of BRT trips), high pollutant levels on the PM2.5 exceeding 25 µg/m³ in most train trips, and noise exposure, driven by overcrowding, faulty HVAC systems, and suboptimal cabin design. This study proposed actionable strategies for enhancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in public vehicles, including ventilation approaches, cabin management, maintenance protocols, and public awareness campaigns. Recommendations also call for establishing localized IEQ regulations, implementing real-time monitoring systems, and promoting sustainable mobility initiatives and effective urban planning, including policy reforms. This study contributes to the limited literature on IEQ in tropical public transport vehicles (PTVs). It provides relevant insights for future frameworks that can enhance commuter experience and mitigate public health risks in similar or different contexts.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025022017Indoor environmental qualityVentilation strategiesPublic transportPassenger vehiclesSustainable transportation, Developing tropicsNigeria |
| spellingShingle | John Omomoluwa Ogundiran Jean-Paul Kapuya Bulaba Nyembwe James Ogundiran Vaibhav C. Gandhi Anabela Ribeiro Manuel Gameiro da Silva Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics Results in Engineering Indoor environmental quality Ventilation strategies Public transport Passenger vehicles Sustainable transportation, Developing tropics Nigeria |
| title | Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics |
| title_full | Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics |
| title_fullStr | Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics |
| title_short | Cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics |
| title_sort | cabin management and ventilation strategies for improved indoor environmental quality in passenger vehicles of developing tropics |
| topic | Indoor environmental quality Ventilation strategies Public transport Passenger vehicles Sustainable transportation, Developing tropics Nigeria |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025022017 |
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