scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of Particulate Matter and Indoor Microclimate Monitors in University Classrooms under COVID-19 Restrictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7363
Author(s):  
Laurentiu Predescu ◽  
Daniel Dunea
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Particle Counter ◽  
Thermal Environments ◽  
University Classrooms ◽  
Academic Personnel

Optical monitors have proven their versatility into the studies of air quality in the workplace and indoor environments. The current study aimed to perform a screening of the indoor environment regarding the presence of various fractions of particulate matter (PM) and the specific thermal microclimate in a classroom occupied with students in March 2019 (before COVID-19 pandemic) and in March 2021 (during pandemic) at Valahia University Campus, Targoviste, Romania. The objectives were to assess the potential exposure of students and academic personnel to PM and to observe the performances of various sensors and monitors (particle counter, PM monitors, and indoor microclimate sensors). PM1 ranged between 29 and 41 μg m−3 and PM10 ranged between 30 and 42 μg m−3. It was observed that the particles belonged mostly to fine and submicrometric fractions in acceptable thermal environments according to the PPD and PMV indices. The particle counter recorded preponderantly 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 micron categories. The average acute dose rate was estimated as 6.58 × 10−4 mg/kg-day (CV = 14.3%) for the 20–40 years range. Wearing masks may influence the indoor microclimate and PM levels but additional experiments should be performed at a finer scale.

scholarly journals Efficiency of an Air Cleaner Device in Reducing Aerosol Particulate Matter (PM) in Indoor Environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Fermo ◽  
Valeria Comite ◽  
Luigi Falciola ◽  
Vittoria Guglielmi ◽  
Alessandro Miani
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Aerodynamic Diameter ◽  
Healthy Environment ◽  
Household Environment ◽  
Commercial Device

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in household environments is mandatory since people spend most of their time in indoor environments. In order to guarantee a healthy environment, air purification devices are often employed. In the present work, a commercial household vacuum cleaner has been tested in order to verify its efficiency in reducing the mass concentration and particle number of aerosol particulate matter (PM). The efficiency has been tested measuring, while the instrument was working, PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm), PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM1 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 1 μm), and 7 size-fractions in the range between 0.3 and >10 μm. Measurements have been carried out by means of a portable optical particle counter instrument and simulating the working conditions typical of a household environment. It has been found that the tested commercial device significantly reduces both PM concentrations and particle number, especially in the finest fraction, i.e., particles in the range 0.3–0.5 μm, allowing an improvement of indoor air quality.

scholarly journals Utilization of electrostatic precipitators for healthy indoor environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 02020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayse Fidan Altun ◽  
Muhsin Kilic
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Industrial Plants ◽  
Technical Developments ◽  
Electrostatic Precipitators

A healthy and comfortable indoor environment is the most basic requirement of human beings. The importance of indoor air quality has been increasing day to day. Although ventilation systems have an essential role in improving indoor air quality, it is inevitable to clean the particulates, microorganisms and pollutant gases in the outside fresh air before being transferred to the indoor environment. Electrostatic precipitators are commonly used for collecting particles mostly in industrial plants. This paper presents a review of electrostatic filtration technology. In this study, theoretical and technical developments of electrostatic precipitators, design parameters that effect filtering performance, advantages, challenges, and limitations are discussed.

scholarly journals Bioaerosol Contribution to Atmospheric Particulate Matter in Indoor University Environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1149
Author(s):  
Francesca Marcovecchio ◽  
Cinzia Perrino
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Atmospheric Particulate Matter ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Pm 10 ◽  
University Classrooms ◽  
Very High

Within the framework of the project “Integrated Evaluation of Indoor Particulate Exposure”, we carried out a 4-week field study to determine indoor bioaerosol, and its contribution to particulate matter (PM)10 and organic matter. The study was carried out in university classrooms, where most of the common indoor sources of atmospheric particles are missing. Bioaerosol was determined by a method based on propidium iodide staining, observation by fluorescence microscopy, and image analysis. Indoor bioaerosol concentrations were compared with outdoor values, which were determined simultaneously. The samplings periods were scheduled to divide weekday hours, when the students were inside, from night-time hours and weekends. Very high bioaerosol concentrations were detected inside the classrooms with respect to outdoor values. The mean difference was 49 μg/m3 when the students were inside, 5.4 μg/m3 during the night, and it became negative during the weekends. Indoor-to-outdoor ratios were 6.0, 4.2, and 0.7, respectively. Bioaerosol contributed 26% to organics and 10% to PM10. In indoor samples collected during the day, the microscope images showed numerous skin fragments, which were mostly responsible for the increase in the bioaerosol mass. People’s presence proved to be responsible for a significant increase in bioaerosol concentration in crowded indoor environments.

scholarly journals Factors determining the concentration and chemical composition of particulate matter in the air of selected service facilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 01032
Author(s):  
Patrycja Rogula-Kopiec ◽  
Józef Pastuszka ◽  
Barbara Mathews ◽  
Kamila Widziewicz
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Beauty Salon ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Mean Concentration ◽  
Measurement Period

The link between increased morbidity and mortality and increasing concentrations of particulate matter (PM) resulted in great attention being paid to the presence and physicochemical properties of PM in closed rooms, where people spends most of their time. The least recognized group of such indoor environments are small service facilities. The aim of this study was to identify factors which determine the concentration, chemical composition and sources of PM in the air of different service facilities: restaurant kitchen, printing office and beauty salon. The average PM concentration measured in the kitchen was 5-fold (PM4, particle fraction ≥ 4 μm) and 5.3-fold (TSP, total PM) greater than the average concentration of these PM fractions over the same period. During the same measurement period in the printing office and in the beauty salon, the mean PM concentration was 10- and 4-fold (PM4) and 8- and 3-fold (TSP) respectively greater than the mean concentration of these PM fractions in outdoor air. In both facilities the main source of PM macro-components, especially organic carbon, were chemicals, which are normally used in such places - solvents, varnishes, paints, etc. The influence of some metals inflow from the outdoor air into indoor environment of those facilities was also recognized.

scholarly journals Air Quality in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 856-861
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Exposure to outdoor and indoor air particles (also known as particulate matter or PM) has attracted the interest of the scientific researchers around the world, this is because of the adverse health effects that particles have on the human. Smaller fractions of particulate matter (repairable range, ≤10 µm) give the greatest health problem, because they have the ability to reach deeper parts of the human respiratory system. Many countries have paid attention to the air pollution and made regulations to improve their indoor and outdoor air quality, Saudi Arabia, particularly Qassim region, has not given much attention to the problem of air contaminants in the ambient and indoor environments. In addition, ambient environmental parameters will be recorded. The results obtained from the indoor and outdoor measurements will help us to evaluate the air quality in Buraydah city for different seasons in the indoor and outdoor environments.

scholarly journals A multiple linear regression approach to correlate the Indoor Environmental Factors to the global comfort in a Zero-Energy building

2020 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 04002
Author(s):  
Ludovico Danza ◽  
Lorenzo Belussi ◽  
Francesco Salamone
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Experimental Campaign ◽  
Regression Techniques

The quality of the indoor environment, in terms of thermal, lighting, air and acoustic quality, grouped in the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) concept, plays a key role in occupants’ wellbeing and satisfaction. Only in recent years IEQ has been investigated as a whole. Today, IEQ occupies the same place of energy efficiency in the design of buildings, especially those with high performance level as the Zero-Energy Buildings (ZEB). The research deals with an experimental campaign during the cooling season carried out in a ZEB laboratory that involved 100 participants aimed at evaluating the IEQ and the indoor environments (e.g. thermal and air quality). The test consists in a survey, during which each participant is required to answer a questionnaire about how he feels the indoor environment. The experimental campaign was completed with a monitoring activity aimed at detecting the main environmental variables that can affect the participants’ answers. Collected data were treated with regression techniques to highlight possible relationships between them. The results show how in a building with high levels of energy performances the air quality plays a key role on occupants’ evaluation.

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