Experimental study on physiological and psychological effects of heat acclimatization in extreme hot environments

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 46; no. 10; pp. 2033 - 2041
• Main Authors: Tian, Zhe, Zhu, Neng, Zheng, Guozhong, Wei, Huijiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Blood pressure; Buildings. Public works; Bulbs; Chambers; Climatology and bioclimatics for buildings; Computation methods. Tables. Charts; Exact sciences and technology; Extreme hot environment; Fatigue; Heart rate; Heat acclimatization; Human body; Psychological effects; Relative humidity; Simulation; Structural analysis. Stresses; Sweating rate; Sweating rate; Fatigue; Blood pressure; Heat acclimatization; Extreme hot environment; Productivity; Sensation; Climatology; Statistical analysis; Risk analysis; Psychological effect; Experimental study; Heat; Survey; Biological effect; Extreme environment
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2011.04.027

Extreme hot environments are prevalent in many industries. Exposed to extreme hot environments, people are at great risk of a variety of heat-related disorders and safety problems. In this paper, a climate chamber was built to simulate the extreme hot environment. The dry bulb temperature in the chamber was 37.0 ± 1.0 °C, the relative humidity was 20–40%, and the black bulb temperature was 41.0 ± 1.0 °C. Eleven healthy male university students were asked to do stair stepping in prescriptive speeds to simulate manual work. The physiological indexes (oral temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and sweating rate) and the psychological effects (comprehensive thermal sensation and fatigue feeling) were measured. The effects of heat acclimatization in extreme hot environments were determined by paired sample t-tests. The results demonstrate that the effects of heat acclimatization are significant and the heat acclimatization training can improve adaptability of human body to extreme hot environments. ► We build a climate chamber to simulate the extreme hot environment. ► We study the health effects of heat acclimatization. ► The effects of heat acclimatization are significant. ► The heat acclimatization can improve adaptability of human body to extreme hot environment.