| Keywords |
Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT); heat stress; thermoregulatory behavior; self-identified heat tolerance; thermal comfort |
| Abstract |
The purpose of the present study was to investigate relationships between Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), subjective perception and thermoregulatory behavior of residents in Seoul and Busan during summer. A total of 2,652 adults (1,327 in Seoul and 1,325 in Busan) participated in the six times of surveys with an identical questionnaire from June to August, 2021. WBGT was measured in Seoul and Busan six times on the same days as the survey conducted. WBGT was 28.3 ± 2.7oC in Seoul and 27.8 ± 2.4oC. Globe temperature was higher in Seoul than in Busan, while air humidity was higher in Busan than in Seoul. Residents in Seoul felt more thermally uncomfortable to temperature rise compared to residents in Busan. There was not a big difference in air temperature to be perceived as hot weather between residents in Seoul (30.4 ± 2.6oC) and in Busan (29.7 ± 2.5oC). Also, no differences in self-identified heat tolerance, clothing insulation in summer, and thermoregulatory behaviors to heat stress between residents in Seoul and Busan. In summary, the difference in the relationship between WBGT and thermal comfort which were measured on the WBGT-recorded days in Seoul and Busan indicated the difference between continental and marine climates, while no difference was found in thermoregulatory behavior or usual cognition to thermal environments between two cities. These results suggest that the impact of summer weather on human adaptation to heat was waned due to indoor air-conditioning systems in summer spread out in two cities. |