Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors
Wood, as a natural material that stores carbon, is gaining increasing attention and has potential for use in interior architectural applications. Given the long indoor stay time characteristic of modern society, it is important to scientifically understand the effects of indoor wood application on t...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Su-Yeon Lee Yoon-Seong Chang Chang-Deuk Eom Oh-Won Kwon Chun-Young Park |
| author_facet | Su-Yeon Lee Yoon-Seong Chang Chang-Deuk Eom Oh-Won Kwon Chun-Young Park |
| author_sort | Su-Yeon Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wood, as a natural material that stores carbon, is gaining increasing attention and has potential for use in interior architectural applications. Given the long indoor stay time characteristic of modern society, it is important to scientifically understand the effects of indoor wood application on the occupants. In this study, three residential buildings with an identical area and structure were constructed with different degrees of wood coverage (0%, 45%, 90%) using <i>Larix kaempferi</i>. Subsequently, indoor air quality (IAQ) evaluations and relative humidity measurements were conducted to assess the physical and chemical changes in each environment. The IAQ in wooden and non-wooden environments met the recommended IAQ standards established in South Korea. The results of the 8-month observation showed that, the higher the wood coverage ratio, the more the indoor humidity fluctuations were alleviated, and, in the case of the 90% wood coverage ratio condition, the humidity was maintained 5.2% lower in the summer and 10.9% higher in the winter compared to the 0% condition. To further assess the physiological responses induced by the wooden environment, the heart rate variability (HRV) was measured and compared for 26 participants exposed to each environment for two hours. In environments with a 0% and 90% degree of wood coverage, no statistically significant differences were found in the participants’ HRV indicators. But, in the group exposed to the 45% wooden environment, the results showed an increase in HRV indicators, natural logarithm of high frequency power (lnHF): 4.87 → 5.40 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN): 30.57 → 38.48 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), which are known indicators of parasympathetic nervous system activation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aca0a782e0cd4dc39604cced12c6ace8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-aca0a782e0cd4dc39604cced12c6ace82025-08-20T03:35:57ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-07-011515839210.3390/app15158392Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood InteriorsSu-Yeon Lee0Yoon-Seong Chang1Chang-Deuk Eom2Oh-Won Kwon3Chun-Young Park4National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaNational Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaNational Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaKorea Association of Wood Culture, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaKorea Association of Wood Culture, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaWood, as a natural material that stores carbon, is gaining increasing attention and has potential for use in interior architectural applications. Given the long indoor stay time characteristic of modern society, it is important to scientifically understand the effects of indoor wood application on the occupants. In this study, three residential buildings with an identical area and structure were constructed with different degrees of wood coverage (0%, 45%, 90%) using <i>Larix kaempferi</i>. Subsequently, indoor air quality (IAQ) evaluations and relative humidity measurements were conducted to assess the physical and chemical changes in each environment. The IAQ in wooden and non-wooden environments met the recommended IAQ standards established in South Korea. The results of the 8-month observation showed that, the higher the wood coverage ratio, the more the indoor humidity fluctuations were alleviated, and, in the case of the 90% wood coverage ratio condition, the humidity was maintained 5.2% lower in the summer and 10.9% higher in the winter compared to the 0% condition. To further assess the physiological responses induced by the wooden environment, the heart rate variability (HRV) was measured and compared for 26 participants exposed to each environment for two hours. In environments with a 0% and 90% degree of wood coverage, no statistically significant differences were found in the participants’ HRV indicators. But, in the group exposed to the 45% wooden environment, the results showed an increase in HRV indicators, natural logarithm of high frequency power (lnHF): 4.87 → 5.40 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN): 30.57 → 38.48 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), which are known indicators of parasympathetic nervous system activation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8392<i>Larix kaempferi</i>wooden interiorshumidity regulationphysiological responses |
| spellingShingle | Su-Yeon Lee Yoon-Seong Chang Chang-Deuk Eom Oh-Won Kwon Chun-Young Park Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors Applied Sciences <i>Larix kaempferi</i> wooden interiors humidity regulation physiological responses |
| title | Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors |
| title_full | Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors |
| title_short | Investigation of Humidity Regulation and Heart Rate Variability in Indoor Environments with <i>Larix kaempferi</i> Wood Interiors |
| title_sort | investigation of humidity regulation and heart rate variability in indoor environments with i larix kaempferi i wood interiors |
| topic | <i>Larix kaempferi</i> wooden interiors humidity regulation physiological responses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8392 |
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