Diurnal change in psychological and physiological responses to consistent relative humidity

Publication date: Available online 25 December 2019Source: Journal of Thermal BiologyAuthor(s): Naoshi Kakitsuba, Qimin Chen, Yoshinori KomatsuAbstractDiurnal changes in physiological and psychological responses to consistent relative humidity (RH) conditions were investigated in the present study. Lightly clothed six male and six female subjects participated in the first experiment at 40% and 50% RH, and seven male and seven female subjects participated in the second experiment at 60%, 70%, and 80% RH. Both experiments were conducted at 28 °C air temperature (Ta) from 9:00–18:30. Skin temperatures, local heat flux rates and tympanic temperature (Tty) were monitored at 2-min intervals throughout the experimental period. Body weight loss and oxygen consumption rate were measured during the 9:30–10:30, 13:30–14:30, and 17:30–18:30 periods. Thermal sensation and thermal comfort responses were recorded at the same periods. The amount of heat loss was greater than metabolic heat production (M) in the male subjects but was well balanced with M in the female subjects. A morning increase in Tty at 50%–80% RH was observed, and mean skin temperature (T¯sk) at 70% and 80% RH was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than Tsk at 40% and 50% RH in both subject groups. Although difference in the relationship between thermal sensation and T¯sk based on sex was confirmed, diurnal changes in thermal sensation were observed in both subject groups based on the responses of “w...
Source: Journal of Thermal Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research