Indoor Air Cartoon Journal

Indoor Air Cartoon Journal, June 2023, Volume 6, #143

[Cite as: Fadeyi MO (2023). Exposure to air pollutants of indoor sources can be very high in residential buildings during a haze episode. Indoor Air Cartoon Journal, June 2023, Volume 6, #143.]

Fictional Case Story (Audio – available online) – Part 1

Fictional Case Story (Audio – available online) – Part 2

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For many years, building occupants’ lack of awareness about indoor air pollutants, dynamics of air pollutants, and sources of the air pollutants hindered the motivation to make interventions to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions of their indoor environments. The lack of awareness contributed to many health problems, especially during haze episodes when outdoor air was highly polluted, and the polluted outdoor air compromised indoor air quality. Health problems caused by air pollutants of indoor and outdoor origins were significantly reduced due to IAQ solutions development led by a man. The main IAQ solution developed provided the required awareness needed to enhance motivation for making interventions to improve IAQ conditions. The main IAQ solution development led by the man was an artificial intelligent-based IAQ measuring device integrated with an augmented reality solution. The man also collaborated in developing a do-it-yourself filter to provide comfort and convenience that will enhance indoor occupants’ motivation to make the required intervention for improving IAQ conditions. The journey of the man in contributing to human development and bringing fulfillment to his family is the subject of this short fiction story.

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A very rich and highly influential Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe were overjoyed with the arrival of their third child and their first son at Kenton Memorial Hospital in the town of Cookridge in a country called Arayezia. Unknown to Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe, a cunning and deceitful woman, Monica Jones, was lurking around the hospital in search of a newborn baby to abduct. Monica abducted babies of the same race as her to reduce suspicion as much as possible. Monica was not from Arayezia. She was from a country called Tigeriam. Tigeriam was a mono-racial country, while Arayezia was a multi-racial country.

Arayezia was a country many miles away from Tigeriam. Monica would sell the newborn babies she abducted at exorbitant prices to the highest bidders in Tigeris. She had partners in Arayezia, including people at the airport, that helped her smuggle abducted babies out of the country. She abducted one baby at a time and moved from one hospital to another in Arayezia to abduct newborn babies. Arayezia was a large country with an area of approximately 10 million square kilometers.

Monica disguised herself as a nurse and blended seamlessly into the Kenton Memorial Hospital’s busy environment, where she was about to carry out her evil act. At Kenton Memorial Hospital, she paraded herself as a new nurse, Benita, who was supposed to start work on the fateful day. Benita was of the same race as Monica. Monica, a computer wizard, had hacked into the hospital computer system to get the required information. Monica went to the house of Benita, a single lady living alone, and collected all her identification information before murdering and throwing her in a lagoon. Monica then disguised herself like Benita before resuming work at Kenton Memorial Hospital.

On the fateful day, Monica came in contact with Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe in Mrs. Mbappe’s private ward and was very pleasant to them. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe were of the same race as Monica. So, they connected very fast. Monica introduced herself to Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe as Benita Malcom. So, they knew her as Benita. After a few friendly conversations, she asked Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe the name they planned to give their baby. “Tani!” Mrs. Mbappe responded with a smile and pointed to the baby clothes they brought to the hospital with the name Tani inscribed on them. “What a lovely name for a beautiful baby,” Monica complimented. ‘Thank you!” Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe showed their appreciation.

Monica struck at night. She poisoned the cup of Mrs. Mbappe’s dinner with a sleeping drug. Mr. Mbappe had left the hospital at that time. She also poisoned two nurses with her in the nursery where newborn babies were sleeping. Monica carried the baby, Tani, from his crib, stole his clothes with his name inscribed, and left the hospital immediately.

Mrs. Mbappe woke up in her private ward the next day feeling very tired because she had been drugged. She called one of the nurses to help bring his son for breastfeeding. To her shock, the nurse on duty returned to say they could not find her baby. “What do you mean you cannot find my baby? Where is my baby?” She shouted. With adrenaline running through her body, she jumped out of bed and ran to the nursery screaming. She fainted upon getting to the nursery when she could not find her baby. She was revived, and the hospital called her husband, Mr. Mbappe. Mr. Mbappe got to the hospital within a few minutes.

Many of the hospital staff, including the senior management, started to look for the abducted baby. The incident became a very bad public relation for the hospital. By this time, the police were already involved. The hospital surveillance video showed the video of a woman known as Benita Malcom to Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe and the hospital staff carrying the baby his parents wanted to name Tani out of the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe later learnt Monica Jones disguised herself as a nurse in the hospital.

Benita’s body was found in the lagoon where she was thrown. The decomposed state of Benita suggested that she could not be the person that abducted the baby. Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe returned home without their newborn baby and did not know the name and real face of the woman who abducted their baby.

By this time, Monica was already on her way to her country, Tigeriam. When she got to Tigeriam airport, she went to take the car she parked at the car park at the airport. Unfortunately, with the abducted baby in the car, Monica had a ghastly accident while driving from the airport to her secluded house, where she does her unlawful business.

A 52-year-old man, Mr. Faizal Abubakar, was replacing his burst car type on the secluded 2-lane wooded express road when he witnessed Monica’s car careening and sliding on the road without control in broad daylight before the car eventually crashed. Upon seeing the car coming to a halt and damaged far ahead of him, Mr. Abubakar, a supervisor at a construction site, rushed to the accident scene to see if he could save people inside. He was the only one at the scene at the time of the accident.

Mr. Abubakar saw the bloodied face of Monica, who had died. The sound of a crying baby made the man know there was a baby in the car and the baby was still alive. He sprinted to his car like a 100-meter sprint specialist to pick up some of his construction work tools and equipment to single-handedly save the baby from the wrecked car. Miraculously, the baby survived the accident with minor bruises. Upon carrying the baby to safety in his car, the wrecked car exploded. Monica and the wrecked car were burnt beyond recognition.

Mr. Abubakar could not believe what had just happened. “I could have been caught in the explosion. If I did not rescue the baby, the baby could have been burnt alive.” Mr. Abubakar thought to himself. He called the police immediately and recounted what had happened. Mr. Abubakar’s construction tools and equipment were caught in the explosion. Surveillance cameras on the road caught the whole event.

At the time of police arrival, some people were at the scene to give Mr. Abubakar a helping hand in taking care of the baby in his car. Mr. Abubakar was in shock. The baby was sent to the nearest general hospital for treatment. Mr. Abubakar was given a bravery award for risking his life to save the baby. A sketch drawing of Monica was made based on the description given by Mr. Abubakar. The accident was broadcasted on the national news with the photo of the baby and the sketched face of Monica. The police wanted to know of any relatives that could help identify Monica and the baby. However, it led nowhere.

Meanwhile, back at Arayezia, Monica’s evil and heart-wrenching act left the Mbappe family devastated and searching for answers. They sued the hospital for multi-million dollars. The hospital eventually settled out of court. They used part of their wealth and the money from the lawsuit to set up a trust fund for their son Tani Mbappe and hired several private investigators to help search for their abducted baby.

The private investigators hired by Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe uncovered a video of the woman believed to be Monica before disguising herself as Benita. They saw the woman entering Benita’s house several times and, at some point, carrying the black bag in which the dead body of Benita was later found. A boy took the video as part of his 3-day video of his neigbourhood for his Geography school assignment. The boy uploaded the video on the cloud for his safekeeping without knowing he had taken a video of a possible crime and criminal. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe gave the police the information.

Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe’s richness, influence, and efforts failed to find their precious son. They had no choice but to move on with their life for the sake of their twin daughters, who were three years older than Tani. However, they never forgot about their baby. Unknown to Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe, their abducted son, Tani, was living many miles away from Arayezia.

The abducted baby was named Tani X at the hospital, where he was sent for treatment. The hospital used the name Tani on the cloth he was wearing. He was given the surname X because they had no information about his relatives. Tani X received treatment for his bruises and a checkup for any possible damage to his brain and other parts of his body. He was found not to have any medical problems apart from the bruises. He was later discharged and sent to an orphanage.

After a year of living at the orphanage, Tani X was adopted by a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, who could not have their own child. The couple changed Tani’s name from Tani X to Tani Layeyi. Two years after Tani was adopted, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi had their own biological child. They went on to have two more children. Tani was lovely and caring to all his three siblings. His siblings loved him and looked up to him as their elder brother. Mr. and Mrs. strongly believed Tani was a blessing to their family. They doted on him like his other siblings. The family lived very comfortably as Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi had well-paying jobs.

Unfortunately, when Tani was about twelve, the family experienced financial problems. Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi were retrenched from their jobs due to a global financial crisis. Many families around the world experienced a similar fate. Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, who were in their mid-forties, found it difficult to find new jobs similar to their previous jobs.

They had no choice but to settle for very low-paying jobs to survive. As a result, the Layeyi family struggled financially, so basic needs were often scarce for the family. Things became very tough for them. They moved out of their five-bedroom rented apartment to live in a small, run-down two-bedroom apartment. Tani and his siblings had to adapt to the challenging circumstances.

From a young age, before the unexpected changes in financial condition, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi had taught Tani and his siblings the value of perseverance and resourcefulness. Tani witnessed his parents working hard, instilling a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility in him and his siblings. Despite the financial struggles, Tani, same with his siblings, was determined to excel in school and worked tirelessly to achieve good grades. The financial challenges fueled Tani’s drive to create a better life for himself, his family, and people’s lives.

Tani immersed himself in his studies to shield himself from the pain associated with their new poor living conditions. Tani sought refuge in libraries, immersing himself in books that exposed him to new ideas and perspectives. He recognised education as his ticket to a brighter future and seized every opportunity to expand his knowledge. Despite lacking the privileges many took for granted, Tani refused to let his circumstances define him or limit his potential.

Tani’s challenges instilled in him a profound empathy for others who struggled with adversity. Tani did very well at school and was a good role model and brother to his siblings. As a result, Tani’s siblings were top of their classes at school, like Tani. The performance of Tani and his siblings in their education cushioned the pain experienced by Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi due to their poor living conditions.

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Years passed, Tani graduated from high school, and it was time for a university education. He was acutely interested in creating a healthy and comfortable living environment for people. His sentiment was largely due to the poor condition of the house he lived in with his family. Tani was interested in studying architectural engineering at the university.

Tani was interested in understanding how building design, construction, and management affect indoor environmental quality. He was particularly interested in indoor air quality because two of his siblings have asthma. He learnt from the books, research, and educational materials he read at the library and credible only public education resources that poor indoor air quality is a major risk factor for asthma and other health conditions and the well-being of indoor occupants. Tani got admission to study architectural engineering at the Ifeadigo State University, a university considered to have the best architectural engineering education in the country, Tigeriam, and one of the best in the world.

Tani graduated from the university with second class upper division, also known as 2-1. Tani learnt firsthand how outdoor air pollution exacerbated by human activities, climate change, and haze episodes threatened indoor air quality. He also learnt how air pollutants emitted and generated from indoor environments compromise indoor air quality indoor occupants are exposed to and breathe. Tani firmly believed that everyone should have the right and access to clean and safe indoor air, even if outdoor air is highly polluted.

Tani learnt how poor indoor air quality could lead to various health issues, including respiratory problems, allergies, and long-term complications. He understood that many factors contributed to poor indoor air quality. Tani learnt that sources could have originated indoors or outdoors, contributing to increased indoor air pollutants concentrations.

Tani learnt that sinks in indoor environments remove air pollutants in the indoor air or reduce the concentrations of indoor air pollutants. Tani’s fundamental takeaway knowledge from his indoor air quality classes is that the sink rate should be higher than the source rate, and effort should be made to avoid or limit sinks turning to the source of air pollutants to reduce indoor air pollutants concentrations.

Driven by his own experiences and a deep sense of empathy, Tani became passionate about raising awareness and advocating for healthy indoor air. To better equip himself for the task ahead, Tani decided to further his education by pursuing a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies, Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability at Ifeadigo State University.

Driven by his interest and an unwavering desire to make a positive impact on the world, Tani embarked on a transformative journey to be an advocate for healthy indoor air. Despite the focus of his MSc degree not specifically on indoor air quality, his passion and determination for the subject area became the driving force behind his self-education and expertise.

Tani wanted to apply the knowledge, understanding, and skills gained from the MSc programme to advocate for healthy indoor air. Thus, in his award-winning MSc dissertation, Tani explored innovative technologies and sustainable practices that could improve indoor air quality. During his MSc dissertation, Tani first explored and developed a prototype of IAQ’s technological advancement that changed the cause of his life. This will be addressed later.

Recognising the need to acquire in-depth knowledge during the development of his MSc dissertation, Tani delved into extensive research. He immersed himself in studying various aspects related to indoor air quality, including air purification technologies, ventilation systems, and sustainable building practices. His thirst for knowledge was uncontrollable. He devoured scientific papers, industry publications, and academic resources to comprehensively understand the subject of technology advancement for IAQ.

Through countless hours of self-study, Tani became well-versed in the latest advancements and best indoor air quality management practices and solutions. He familiarised himself with cutting-edge air purification technologies, understanding their mechanisms and effectiveness in identifying the source of air pollutants, the sources emission rate, air pollutants dynamics, and eliminating indoor air pollutants. He also explored the science of ventilation, learning how to design and optimise the systems for proper air exchange and filtration.

Tani sought mentorship from experts in the field, engaging with scientists, engineers, and industry professionals who were eager to share their knowledge and experiences. Through these connections, Tani gained invaluable insights and practical guidance that further enhanced his expertise and the development of the prototype for his MSc dissertation.

Tani went beyond the expectation of an MSc dissertation. He actively sought opportunities to apply his newfound understanding in real-world settings. He collaborated with local building professionals, conducting on-site assessments of indoor air quality and providing recommendations for improvement. These hands-on experiences deepened his understanding and allowed him to witness the possible impact of his work.

It was no wonder the examiners commented that Tani’s work was so good that he had to remind himself that he was not examining a PhD thesis. To achieve this feat, Tani spent 18 months on the dissertation instead of the 9 months MSc students in the programme typically spend on their dissertations after completing their 6 coursework modules. Tani’s field study to test the effectiveness of his prototype made him spend an extra 9 months on the dissertation.

The MSc programme equipped Tani with the ability to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences. He honed his skills as a public speaker, adeptly translating technical information into accessible language. Tani recognised the importance of bridging the gap between scientific research and public understanding, and he became an engaging advocate, captivating audiences with his passion and expertise, as evident during organised events by his university during his MSc programme, and later in life.

After graduating from the MSc programme with distinction, Tani became determined to share his knowledge and insights with others. He worked for the Ministry of Environment of Tigeriam. Tani worked in the department responsible for industry and community engagement to increase awareness of delivering healthy, energy-efficient buildings.

Tani and his team from his department engaged with local communities, organised educational workshops, and collaborated with several relevant organisations, and institutes of higher learning to disseminate information about the importance of healthy indoor air. Tani sharpened his sustainable building engineering communication skills, which proved useful for him and made him someone to reckon with in the industry, locally and globally.

While at the Ministry, Tani thought of having his own company one day. So, he decided to pursue an MBA degree at the National University of Tigeriam, the number 1 university in the country and one the best in the world. The MBA programme at NUT was also one of the best in the world. Tani got a three-year bond scholarship from the government of Tigeriam. to receive world-class MBA education at NUT.

The MBA training equipped Tani with the knowledge, understanding, and skills needed to operate a profitable business meant to for delivering healthy buildings and any kind of business with sustainability at the core. Tani returned to the Ministry of Environment after his MBA programme to serve his three-year bond. The Ministry benefited enormously from the experience the MBA training gave Tani.

Tani started his own company called Healthy Indoor Air Advocates Private Limited, HIAA for short, after he finished serving his bond. Tani’s company was into providing healthy indoor delivery consultancy services for companies, government agencies, and building residents. The company was also fully into research and development of IAQ solutions. Tani led his team to different parts of the country to convenience citizens to take indoor air quality seriously to have a better chance of experiencing healthy indoor air.

Prior to the advocacy of Tani and his team, indoor air quality was a subject of little interest to people in industry and community. People also had very little knowledge about indoor air quality despite tremendous scientific advancement in academia. The healthy indoor air advocacy in different parts of the country also increased the visibility of his company and earned him support from the government. Below is an extract from one of Tani’s speeches in one of his public speeches.

“It is common sense to take refuge indoors during a haze episode when outdoor air is highly compromised with air pollutants such as PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, SO₂, NO₂, NO, CO, VOCs, and heavy metals. Windows and other openings are typically closed to prevent the pollutants from finding their way indoors. Unfortunately, infiltration rates in many of our residential buildings are typically high due to poor construction practices, causing many of these unwanted air pollutants to infiltrate indoors with many sources of air pollutants. Indoor sources also include humans and their activities.

The concentrations of pollutants generated from indoor sources, including indoor air chemistry, can increase sporadically due to high sources emission and pollutants’ chemistry rates and increased pollutants’ resident time in indoor air due to no ventilation. There is a need for investments in research and development of low-cost, effective, and safe air filters and air purifiers. Healthy indoor air is a basic right of all humans, irrespective of their socio-economic conditions.”

Despite Tani’s company making profits, Tani believed that indoor air quality was still not a priority for many people in the industry and community. Air quality became of interest to people only when outdoor air quality was visibly poor, like during haze episodes. Virus outbreaks predominately transmitted through the air were another situation that made air quality come to the forefront of people’s minds.

The low priority for air quality in indoor environments, where humans spend more than 90% of their time, made people very vulnerable to experiencing health problems which could range from mild to severe, or even death. Many companies with the so-called air purifier that further pollute the air capitalised on the vulnerability of people to sell their products. For example, companies sold ozone generators and products that emitted considerable amounts of ozone to people as a solution for purifying their indoor air.

“Ozone is very powerful in killing biological organisms. However, what makes ozone potent for microorganisms also makes it react with human organs to cause harm. Furthermore, ozone is a powerful oxidising agent that reacts with volatile organic compounds to generate more air pollutants that are harmful to humans. You can imagine using these ozone-emitting products during haze episodes when there is no adoption of ventilation. Unfortunately, many scientists who have raised these concerns have been sued by companies selling such harmful products.” Tani shared this in one of his public engagements.

There was a time when an unprecedented health disaster occurred in the country due to a prolonged haze episode. The haze lasted for more than three months. The haze episode brought air quality to the mind of people again. The haze was predominately due to deliberate forest burning and the spread of wildfires. High temperatures and environmental conditions caused by climate change supported the spread and increased the resident time of the combustion-related air pollutants. The hospitals overflowed with patients suffering from severe respiratory distress, and the death toll rose rapidly. Panic gripped the nation, and people demanded answers.

It was one breaking news that made Tani emotional. The breaking news went like this. “Haze episode health crisis: High indoor air pollutants exposure linked to severe health problems. Urgent measures required for public safety!” “I’ve been warning everyone about this for years, but nobody listened! As usual, everyone will forget about these adverse health problems when a haze episode is over, and they will continue to show concern again when the next episode starts. To many people, the indoor air pollutants they can’t see are not something to worry about.” Tani said with a frustrated tone.

“I need to find a way to let people see indoor air pollutants they are exposed to and make necessary interventions,” Tani said to his friend in the room, determined to prevent the cycle from continuing. He was fueled by a deep-rooted commitment to protecting human health and well-being, regardless of the outdoor conditions. At that time, traditional IAQ measuring instruments were used to monitor indoor air quality. The data collected from the IAQ measuring instruments were in numerical readings or basic graphs for the users of the instruments to interpret and analyse the data themselves.

The interpretation and analysis of the data required high IAQ technical knowledge, understanding, and skills which a more significant proportion of building users do not have. The IAQ instruments could only provide basic measurements of air quality parameters but did not have advanced features like real-time analysis, predictive modeling, or personalised recommendations.

To enhance the IAQ instrument to provide information that is useful for IAQ experts and non-experts to make decisions for improving their IAQ, HIAA, Tani’s company, decided to develop an AI-based IAQ measuring device. The development of the device was the first phase of HIAA’s endeavour to create IAQ measuring device solutions that would let building occupants see and get information about indoor air pollutants they are exposed to and be motivated enough to make necessary interventions.

With research and development funding from the government, investors, self-funding, and high-level dedication, HIAA developed a market-ready artificial intelligence-based IAQ measuring device within six years. Tani assembled a team of brilliant engineers, data scientists, and designers who shared his vision which started during his MSc days.

Their collective efforts resulted in the birth of the market-ready AI-based IAQ measuring device. Tani’s company also leveraged existing technological developments in the industry to develop the AI-based IAQ measuring device within six years. Tani’s company also benefited from its previous in-house technological developments and the prototype he developed during his MSc education.

The AI-based IAQ measuring device was portable. It was the size of a table alarm clock. The AI-based IAQ measuring device had several air pollutants sensors inside it. The air pollutants measured by the device include PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, SO₂, NO₂, NO, CO, VOCs air pollutants. There was a ball-like element within the device that contained the sensors. The ball-like shape element in the AI-based measuring device could rotate 360 degrees. The AI-based IAQ measuring device could cover a 25 m² area and height from the ground of 5 m.

The developed AI-based measuring IAQ device by Tani’s company, HIAA, could identify emission sources of indoor air pollutants of interest, provide emission rates from the sources, and determine the impact or contribution of each source to indoor air pollutants concentrations. The device could also calculate and predict the impact of interventions on indoor air pollutants concentrations.

The AI-based measuring device could map surfaces in an indoor environment within the device’s measurement range. The measuring device had data acquisition and processing capabilities. The data processing and analysis of the measuring device were based on AI algorithms, such as machine learning or deep learning models. The AI algorithms could learn patterns and correlations between pollutant emissions and other environmental factors.

The AI algorithms training was based on a dataset of labelled samples collected through controlled experiments or field measurements conducted by researchers worldwide in real-world settings. With the use of AI and access to a database of reference measurements and established standards, certain aspects of calibration and validation processes could be automated. Yes! AI aided the self-calibration and self-validation of sensors.

The developed AI-based IAQ measuring device by HIAA benefited from a comprehensive and up-to-date database of reference measurements or established standards necessary for the AI-enabled sensor to access reliable information for self-calibration and self-validation. The AI-enabled measuring device was equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity options to enable data transmission to a cloud-based platform for storage. The information of the AI-based IAQ measuring device could also be transmitted to computers, smartphones, and other mobile devices through wired or wireless connection options.

The AI-based IAQ measuring device was well-received in the market. HIAA’s economic and market value increased sporadically. HIAA’s effort, led by Tani, did not stop there. Tani hypothesised that a seamless transmission of indoor air pollutants from the AI-based IAQ measuring device to an augmented reality solution for enhanced user interactions would provide a better motivation for building occupants to make interventions needed for improving IAQ condition. Tani’s hypothesis was rooted in his belief that a better interaction leads to a better chance of motivation due to increased awareness creation.

With a well-funded research effort, HIAA embarked on a journey of developing an augmented reality solution called VisioloLens. Tani came out with the name. The development of Visiololens took HIAA three years to complete to be market ready. HIAA leveraged existing augmented reality technology solutions that were not a specific IAQ solution for developing Visiololens. However, Visiololens was the first to be dedicated to IAQ.

The AI-based measuring device, which could perform remote monitoring, real-time analysis, and better data visualisation than the traditional IAQ measuring instruments, transmits indoor air pollutants information to VisioloLens. The transmitted indoor air pollutants information is displayed to the VisioloLens in an augmented reality environment by overlaying virtually represented indoor air pollutants information on top of the physical indoor environment.

HIAA developed Visiololens to have visual animation effects or indicators that signify indoor air pollutants’ emissions and dynamics. The transmitted indoor air pollutants information includes the emission source, emission rate, movement, deposition rate, interaction, and chemistry. It also includes historical data on air pollutants in an indoor environment, actionable insights on the implications on humans, and interventions that could be taken to reduce health risks.

VisioloLens provided advanced multiple inputs methods for enhanced user-friendly interactions with virtual content. Users of Visiololens could use air tapping or finger gestures to select and manipulate objects in the augmented space. The VisioloLens could be worn as a headset. The visor-like Visiololens, which still exist today, have transparent lenses.

The transparent lenses display virtual images of indoor air pollutants information transmitted by the AI-based measuring device onto the Visiololens user’s field of view. The optics systems in the Visiololens use waveguides to direct light to create the illusion of virtual indoor air pollutants information into the real world.

With a depth-sensing and high-resolution camera, Visiololens provides environmental understanding and tracking of the surrounding physical spaces. To get information about air pollutants information in any part of an indoor environment, the users of the Visiololens just needed to move their heads in the direction of points of interest.

There is no limitation to the number of AI-based IAQ measuring devices that the Viosiololens can be connected to simultaneously. Thus, building occupants could use more than one AI-based IAQ measuring device to cover all indoor environments in a building. A person using the Visiololens could stay in one location and get information from all the devices connected to the Visiololens.

With the spatial mapping and localisation abilities of the Visiololens as designed by HIAA, interventions for better IAQ conditions could be explored. For example, IAQ-friendly equipment or materials, air filters, and air cleaners or air purification systems could be virtually anchored to specific locations in an indoor environment to explore their possibilities and the extent to which they could improve IAQ conditions.

The virtual exploration provided by Visiololens could help explore possible environmentally friendly IAQ solution options with their financial and maintenance implications before investing resources to procure them. Before releasing the developed Visiololens to the market, Tani and his team from HIAA decided to conduct experiments to confirm or reject their hypothesis. They intended to make adjustments to their solutions if necessary. HIAA collaborated with researchers from the Architectural Engineering Department of Ifeadigo State University.

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The experiment conducted by HIAA and its collaborators relied largely on subjects’ feedback to answer the research question. However, the details of IAQ information were also examined. A total of 105 subjects were recruited from occupants of residential buildings. The experimental study was done in the residence of the recruited subjects. A total of 105 residential households were involved in the experimental study.

Thus, a representative from each residential household provided the required feedback needed to answer the research question. Privacy concern was adequately addressed. The Visiololens was set to visually show human presence at any location in a building as a stationary object, as the information of interest was the emission of air pollutants.

There were three groups in the experimental study. The three groups were named the Control group, the AI-based IAQ measuring device group, and the AI-based IAQ measuring device with the Visiololens group. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental groups. That means 35 residential households were randomly assigned to each group. The randomisation was done to ensure that the groups were similar in terms of demographics and other relevant factors. Ethical approval was obtained to proceed with the study.

Subjects in the Control group were provided with traditional IAQ measuring instruments to measure IAQ conditions throughout the study period. Subjects in the AI-based IAQ measuring devices were required to use the AI-based device to monitor the IAQ conditions in their households. Subjects in the third group were given the AI-based IAQ measuring device along with Visiololens, an augmented reality solution to monitor the IAQ condition in their households.

Air pollutants emission rates, indoor air pollutants concentrations, indoor air pollutants chemistry, air flow rates, relative humidity, and temperature were the primary IAQ conditions measured in the Control group and the other two experimental groups.

The specific differences between the Control group and the AI-based IAQ measuring device group lie in the level of data analysis, feedback, and visualisation provided to the subjects. The AI-based IAQ measuring devices offered the subjects real-time analysis, better data visualisation, and personalised recommendations. However, subjects in the Control group relied on more basic IAQ measuring instruments without these enhanced features.

The key differences between the AI-based IAQ measuring device group and the AI-based IAQ measuring device with Visiololens augmented reality solution group lie in the additional features provided by Visiololens. Visiololens enhances the user experience by offering augmented reality visualisations, interactive guidance, and an immersive environment to understand, interact with indoor air quality data, and explore possible interventions for improving IAQ conditions.

All 105 subjects answered pre-IAQ measurement survey questions before they were assigned to a group. The survey questions were designed to collect baseline data on subjects’ motivation to make interventions for improving IAQ conditions in their households. The survey questions include questions related to their current awareness, attitudes, intentions, and behaviours regarding making interventions to improve the IAQ conditions in their households.

Prior to carrying out the requirements in the assigned group, subjects received appropriate training and familiarisation with the assigned. This was done to ensure all subjects clearly understood how to use the IAQ condition determination technology assigned to them based on their grouping. The training covered device operation, data interpretation, and any necessary guidelines for successfully carrying out the experimental study tasks.

Throughout the experimental study, subjects in all three groups were instructed to use the assigned devices to monitor their IAQ conditions regularly. They were told to collect, record, and analyse IAQ data. It was important for subjects to analyse the collected and recorded data to let the researchers understand the relationship between the analysis detail and quality the IAQ monitoring device given them can provide and their motivation to make interventions to improve IAQ conditions.

The experimental study’s data recording and collection portion was seven days for all subjects across groups. Subjects were given an additional three days to do data analysis if they had not done so within the seven days spent collecting and recording data or in case they wanted to do more analysis than what they had done during the seven days.

After ten days of data collection, recording, and analysis, a post-IAQ measurement survey was conducted for all subjects across the three groups using the same set of questions as the pre-intervention survey. This was done to assess any changes in the motivation and intention of subjects across the three groups to make interventions to improve IAQ conditions in their households.

The findings from the research study gave Tani and his team confidence that the marriage between their developed AI-based IAQ measuring device and the Visiololens would significantly motivate building occupants to make decisions and actions to improve IAQ conditions of their indoor environments. The following are the key findings from the experimental study.

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The pre-IAQ measurement survey indicated that subjects across all three groups had a relatively similar baseline level of motivation to make interventions for improving IAQ conditions. There were no significant differences in motivation between the groups at the beginning of the study. Subjects’ awareness of IAQ issues varied, with no significant differences observed. However, the overall level of awareness was relatively low, suggesting a need to increase their awareness and knowledge about IAQ.

The post-IAQ measurement survey revealed that subjects in the AI-based IAQ measuring device with the Visiololens group reported a significantly higher level of motivation to make interventions to improve their households’ IAQ conditions compared to the control group and the AI-based IAQ measuring device group. Subjects in the AI-based IAQ measuring device group showed a moderate level of motivation to make interventions to improve IAQ conditions. However, their motivation was considerably higher than the baseline obtained from the pre-IAQ measurement survey.

Subjects in the control group, which had access to traditional IAQ measuring instruments only, exhibited a relatively lower motivation to make interventions to improve IAQ conditions. Their motivation to improve IAQ conditions in their households remained relatively unchanged compared to the baseline, indicating that the traditional instruments did not significantly impact their motivation.

Across all three groups, there was an increase in subjects’ awareness of IAQ conditions of their households after the IAQ measurements. However, subjects in the AI-based IAQ measuring device with the Visiololens group showed the highest increase in awareness. Subjects in this group had a very high awareness of indoor air pollutants they are exposed to and the necessary interventions to be taken to improve the IAQ conditions of their households. The high level of awareness caused by the immersiveness benefit provided by Visiololens was responsible for the high-level motivation of subjects in this group to make interventions.

Tani and his team learnt that it is important to incorporate augmented reality solutions like Visiololens with the AI-based IAQ measuring device to enhance and increase motivation and awareness for improving IAQ conditions of an indoor environment.

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The AI-based IAQ measuring device with the Visiololens was very popular in the industry and communities. Occupants of indoor environments, e.g., schools, offices, and residences, were motivated and able to make informed decisions to improve the IAQ conditions of their indoor environments, irrespective of their prior knowledge about IAQ. This technological advancement led by Tani also revolutionised how IAQ research was done worldwide and the development of innovative solutions for improving human lives through the provision of healthy indoor air.

The revolution of practices in the built environment, medical, and public health industries resulted from the technological advancement created by HIAA. The way IAQ was taught in the education sector was also revolutionised due the technological advancement. This worldwide acceptance made Tani a global icon and made his company, HIAA, worth multi-billion dollars.

The new technological development by Tani’s company became extremely popular during haze episodes. Occupants of indoor environments, especially in residential buildings, were well aware of indoor air pollutants and their sources and were motivated well enough to make informed decisions to make appropriate interventions to improve their IAQ conditions. With the use of the Visiololens with the AI-based measuring device, building occupants were able to see how the infiltration of haze air pollutants compromises IAQ conditions.

The awareness of the impact of haze episodes on indoor occupants’ exposure to pollutants from indoor and outdoor sources provided by the technological advancement of HIAA also puts pressure on policymakers worldwide. Policymakers made policies that effectively reduced the deliberate and unethical forest burning known to be a major cause of the haze.

For context, prior to the technological advancement of HIAA, there were many talks by policymakers and policies made by them to solve the haze occurrence problem. Still, the talks and policies were ineffective in preventing or reducing deliberate and unethical forest burning behaviour. The technological advancement of HIAA also made policymakers make policies that effectively reduced human impacts on climate change and crises resulting from it. The very high temperature caused by climate change is also known to cause forest burning.

Tani knew that being aware of a situation and motivated enough to intervene is one thing, but doing it is another. Human motivation can be limited or cut back if a high level of inconvenience and discomfort is involved in procuring, adopting, and maintaining the available solutions. Luckily for Tani and his company, they had previously collaborated with a worldwide-renowned professor and scientist from Ifeadigo State University to develop a cheap, easy-to-make, easy-to-maintain, and do-it-yourself filter box that effectively improves IAQ conditions.

With awareness, comfort, and convenience needed to motivate humans to act, Tani’s company ticked all the boxes to motivate occupants of indoor environments to take action to improve their IAQ conditions. Tani’s company became a go-to IAQ company for IAQ solutions and IAQ consultancy services. Tani’s company had a slogan for promoting its business. “When life gives you haze, make your indoor air quality condition a-maze-ing!” Tani and his company won several government, industry, and community awards for contributing to sustainability and human development. Tani was awarded several honorary doctorate degrees.

Of note is Tani’s invitation to give a keynote speech at a sustainable development goals (SDG) summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York, United States of America. Global acceptance and the impact the technological advancement of his company had made on industry and community globally led to his invitation to give the keynote speech. Tani’s keynote speech was well received.

Tani returned to his hotel after his successful keynote speech. It was at the hotel that Tani lodged that something that changed the course of his life happened. Tani had planned to go back to his country, Tigeriam, the next day to attend to some business commitments. The next day came. Tani and his wife, who had followed him to the US, were at the hotel reception planning to check out of the hotel. A woman and his husband and children arrived at the hotel to check in when Tani and his employee were checking out. The woman and her family came to New York for the holidays.

The woman was standing beside Tani, and her shoulder mistakenly hit Tani. “Sorry!” The woman apologised. “No problem,” Tani responded politely. The voice sounds familiar to the woman. “Excuse me, Sir!” The woman said. Tani turned around and faced the woman to repeat himself. I said no problem, Madam. Upon seeing the face of Tani and hearing the voice again, the woman froze for about 3 seconds before she collapsed and fainted.

Tani was surprised at what happened and wondered what he had done to the woman. Tani and the woman’s husband rushed to resuscitate her. “Any doctor around,” the woman’s husband shouted. There was panic at the hotel reception. The hotel staff quickly brought out their first aid kits. The woman that collapsed had a history of high blood pressure, which was well managed before the incident.

The woman gained consciousness about five minutes later. She started crying and kept repeating a question while pointing at Tani. “Are you Tani?” The woman asked several times. “Yes, I am Tani,” Tani responded after every question the woman asked. The woman’s husband, children, and Tani’s wife did not understand why the woman kept asking the question. At one point, Tani said, “I am Tani Layeyi. Do you know me from somewhere?”

They moved the woman to a resting room for the receptionist near the reception desk. The woman’s husband and Tani asked the woman what was happening when she was calm. At this point, the woman said, Tani looked exactly like her father, especially when her father was much younger. She further said Tani’s voice was exactly like her father’s voice. “That is true.” The woman’s husband testified to what her wife said. The woman’s husband did not see Tani’s face nor hear his voice before his wife collapsed and fainted. The woman’s husband rushed to the toilet when they first got to the reception desk. His wife collapsed as he was approaching the reception desk after coming from the toilet.

The woman was 45 years old. Tani was 42 years old at that time. The woman introduced herself to Tani as Dr. Taiwo Mbappe-Lewis. “I am a medical doctor and have a twin sister called Kenny. My twin sister is an Architect and a professor in my country, Arayezia.” ” Dr. Taiwo said. “I still do not understand what is going on, Madam,” Tani said in a confused tone. “Can’t you see that we look alike?” Dr. Taiwo asked. At this point, Tani returned to his senses after the fear that the woman had collapsed because of him. “That is true!” Tani turned his face towards his wife. “That is true, Darling,” His wife replied.

Dr. Taiwo said her parents had a son when she and her sister were three years. Unfortunately, the baby boy was abducted by a woman at the hospital three days after birth. Dr. Taiwo said she and her sister did not even meet the baby boy. At this point, reality dawned on Tani that what Dr. Taiwo was saying could be the answer to the question that had been bothering him for many years. “Who is my biological father?” Tani believed his biological mother died in a car accident.

Tani knew that he had been adopted. Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi made this known to him when he was 11 years old. However, everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, thought Monica, the woman that died in the car accident, was Tani’s mother. Although, no one knew her name to be Monica.

At this point, Tani believed Dr. Taiwo Mbappe-Lewis could be her biological sister as they looked alike, and their mother died in an accident when he was a baby. “As our mother is dead, where and how is our father?” Tani asked Dr. Taiwo. Dr. Taiwo told Tani that her father and mother were alive and were in Arayezia. Tani got very confused. “But my mother died in the accident?” Tani said this, still believing Monica was his mother.

Tani asked Dr. Taiwo if he could get a DNA test with her, her sister, and her parents to double confirm they are related and dispelled the belief that Monica was his biological mother. “No problem with that!” Dr. Taiwo replied emphatically. I will call my parents and sister now. I am sure they will take the next available flight to New York. Dr. Taiwo showed Tani the picture of her parents and twin sister. Tani was surprised to see that he looked exactly like Mr. Mbappe.

Tani and his wife cancelled their flight and checked in again to the hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe, who were now 76 years old, and their daughter, Professor Kenny James-Brown, could not believe their eyes and ears when Dr. Taiwo video-called them and surprised them with the face and voice of Tani. They took the first flight to New York the next day. Professor Kenny’s husband and two children came with them.

Upon seeing his father, Tani felt he had taken a travel machine to the future to see the 76 years old of himself. Upon seeing Tani, Mrs. Mbappe fainted. Mr. Mbappe and Prof. Kenny’s eyes were filled with tears of joy. Mrs. Mbappe gained consciousness within a few seconds and started crying and hugging Tani. Mr. Mbappe, Dr. Taiwo, and Prof. Kenny joined in. They hugged Tani so tightly. Tani introduced his wife to them. They were so pleased to meet her and hugged her so tightly too. Tani was happy to also meet his nephews, nieces, and brothers-in-law.

It was a beautiful family reunion after 42 years of separation. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe brought Tani’s birth certificate and baby photo with them. They told him they never forgot about him for once in the 42 years that he had been missing, and they did everything possible to find him. “Wherever we go in or outside the country, we always look around hoping that we would see someone that resembles our abducted son.” Mr. Mbappe shared. “We are lucky Taiwo found you.” Mrs. Mbappe shared.

To think of it, I did not want to travel for this holiday due to busy work at my hospital. My husband and children forced me to follow. In fact, my husband chose this hotel.” Dr. Taiwo shared while looking, in an eternally grateful manner, at her husband, who was smiling. “Let us thank God,” Dr. Taiwo’s husband responded. “The Almighty has destined that we will meet here. Thus, all our actions and decisions were guided so we would meet here.” Dr. Taiwo’s husband said.

Tani shared everything about himself with his newly found family. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe and his sisters were very proud of his accomplishments despite his tough childhood experience. Mrs. Mbappe could not stop crying hearing what her son went through as a child. They were all grateful Tani, even as a newly born baby, survived the horrific accident that claimed the life of his abductor.

Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe brought the picture of the woman, taken from the captured video, believed to have abducted Tani when he was 3 days old. Tani was surprised the woman’s photo was similar to the police sketched photo, given to him by Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, of the woman he believed was his mother. No one, including Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe, who brought the captured photo, knew the woman’s name was Monica Jones.

They all agreed to take the DNA to remove outsiders’ doubts or suggestions that Tani was not Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe’s biological son. The DNA results were out within two days and confirmed that Tani was Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe’s biological son. When the hotel’s senior management learnt about their story, they found it very emotional. They gave Tani and his newly found family gifts and did not charge them for three days’ stay at the hotel.

Tani and his wife video-called his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, to tell them about the events unfolding in the US. Tani decided to call first to address any potential inconvenience and insecurities Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi might have before introducing his newly found family to them. Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi were surprised about the reunion but were very happy for Tani. They knew the question about his biological father and the woman that died in the accident that he thought was his biological mother had been bothering him for so many years.

This was obvious to Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi even when Tani tried not to show it and hide his feelings about it. Tani was their son anyway. They knew him more than anybody in this world. Tani made it categorically clear to Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi that they are his parents and will always be. Tani said he believes he now has four wonderful parents and considers himself uniquely lucky and blessed. Tani also shared the news with his four children on holiday with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, while he and his wife were in the US.

Tani video-called Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi and his children again the next day to introduce his newly found family to his family at Tigeriam. It was an emotional and beautiful family meeting, even if it was a video call. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe were grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi for caring for Tani.

Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe used the opportunity to ask if they could be part of Tani’s life. “There is no need to ask for such permission. Tani is your son, too. You can be part of his life.” Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi made this known to Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe and other members of Mbappe present were very grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi for their kind understanding.

Tani, his wife, and his newly found family travelled to Tigeriam a few days later. Tani’s children, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, Tani’s siblings, family, and friends, came to the airport to give Tani’s biological family a magnificent welcome. Journalists were also present. The physical meeting of the two families was a beauty to behold. The reunion was a piece of news that went viral worldwide. The same happened when Tani’s family from Tigeriam travelled to Arayezia. Tani travelled to different parts of Arayezia.

While at Tigeriam, Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe also went to the house of Mr. Faizal Abubakar, the man that rescued Tani from the wrecked car and saved his life. They went there to show their gratitude. Unfortunately, Mr. Abubakar was no more. However, they met his wife, who was 90 years old, children, and grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe donated 1 million dollars to the family as a little gesture of appreciation. They said no amount of what they do can quantify how grateful they are to Mr. Abubakar for saving the life of Tani.

The same public interest and fanfare at Tigeriam also happened when Tani’s family from Tigeriam travelled to Arayezia. Tani travelled to different parts of Arayezia. The first time Tani went to Arayezia, he also went to see the Kenton Memorial Hospital, where he was abducted. He also met with some former staff working there when he was abducted. It was a beautiful reunion with them too.

The government of Arayezia gave Tani Arayezia citizenship. The good news was that Tigeriam allowed dual citizenship. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe were grateful to God. They prayed to God to see and touch Tani at least once before they dye. God answered their prayer and gave them more. They were able to be part of Tani’s life.

Mr. Mbappe died 5 years after the reunion, and Mrs. Mbappe died 11 years after the reunion. Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe got to know before they died that the name of the woman that abducted their son was Monica Jones, and she was a native of Tigeriam. A man who used to do business with Monica in Arayezia, who was now in prison for multiple life sentences for another crime in Arayezia, provided information about Monica to the police to help them solve the puzzle on the condition that he would not be prosecuted for the crime.

The federal prosecutor did not see the need to prosecute him anyway, as he was already imprisoned for multiple life sentences. The man also asked for better privileges in prison which the prosecutor agreed to. The man who was already in prison when Monica abducted Tani told police how Monica used to come to Arayezia and go to different hospitals in the country to abduct babies of her race.

Everything the man said was legit. In fact, the information the man provided helped police solve many cold cases and catch some criminals involved in such an evil business. Some criminals involved in Tani’s abduction and still alive were arrested and charged. These criminals helped Monica smuggle baby Tani out of Arayezia with a fake passport for baby Tani.

Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe was also grateful to meet and care for Tani’s children, i.e., their newly found grandchildren. While Tani lived in Tigeriam with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Layeyi, he travelled to Arayezia for holidays with his wife and children at least twice a year. He spent time with his biological parents, sisters, and family. Sometimes, he travelled to Arayezia with his Layeyi siblings and their families.

With the blessings of his four parents and wife, Tani changed his name to Tani Mbappe Layeyi. He also changed his children’s surname to Mbappe-Layeyi. Tani went on to be a multi-billion-dollar man due to the success of his business with many branches in many countries, including Tigeriam and Arayezia.

As Tani was a billionaire, he did not need the money from the trust fund his biological parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mbappe made for him. Instead, he contributed to the trust fund and used the money to set up scholarships to send children from needy families from Arayezia and Tigeriam to schools. Tani’s scholarship helped many children study from primary school to university. Mr. Faizal Abubakar’s grandchildren also benefited from the scholarship.

Tani Mbappe Layeyi’s life story was made into a movie that won many international movie awards, including Grammy and Oscar awards. Tani Mbappe Layeyi’s contribution to healthy indoor air value delivery will forever be evident in industry practices, IAQ education, and healthy living. Remember, when life gives you haze, make your IAQ condition amazing. Life gave Tani difficulty. He made himself amazing with the Almighty’s grace and was valuable to many people. The End.