Quantification of differences between occupancy and total monitoring periods for better assessment of exposure to particles in indoor environments
Wierzbicka, Aneta LU
; Bohgard, Mats
LU
; Pagels, Joakim
LU
; Dahl, Andreas
LU
; Löndahl, Jakob
LU
; Hussein, Tareq
; Swietlicki, Erik
LU
and Gudmundsson, Anders
LU
(2015)
In Atmospheric Environment
106.
p.419-428
- Abstract
- For the assessment of personal exposure, information about the concentration of pollutants when people are in given indoor environments (occupancy time) are of prime importance. However this kind of data frequently is not reported. The aim of this study was to assess differences in particle characteristics between occupancy time and the total monitoring period, with the latter being the most frequently used averaging time in the published data. Seven indoor environments were selected in Sweden and Finland:an apartment, two houses, two schools, a supermarket, and a restaurant. They were assessed for particle number and mass concentrations and number size distributions. The measurements using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and two... (More)
- For the assessment of personal exposure, information about the concentration of pollutants when people are in given indoor environments (occupancy time) are of prime importance. However this kind of data frequently is not reported. The aim of this study was to assess differences in particle characteristics between occupancy time and the total monitoring period, with the latter being the most frequently used averaging time in the published data. Seven indoor environments were selected in Sweden and Finland:an apartment, two houses, two schools, a supermarket, and a restaurant. They were assessed for particle number and mass concentrations and number size distributions. The measurements using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and two photometers were conducted for seven consecutive days during winter in each location. Particle concentrations in residences and schools were, as expected, the highest during occupancy time. In the apartment average and median PM2.5 mass concentrations during the occupancy time were 29% and 17% higher, respectively compared to total monitoring period. In both schools, the average and median values of the PM2.5 mass concentrations were on average higher during teaching hours compared to the total monitoring period by 16% and 32%, respectively. When it comes to particle number concentrations (PNC), in the apartment during occupancy, the average and median values were 33% and 58% higher, respectively than during the total monitoring period. In both houses and schools the average and median PNC were similar for the occupancy and total monitoring periods. General conclusions on the basis of measurements in the limited number of indoor environments cannot be drawn.
However the results confirm a strong dependence on type and frequency of indoor activities that generate particles and site specificity. The results also indicate that the exclusion of data series during
non-occupancy periods can improve the estimates of particle concentrations and characteristics suitable for exposure assessment, which is crucial for estimating health effects in epidemiological and toxicological studies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/5151596
- author
- Wierzbicka, Aneta
LU
; Bohgard, Mats
LU
; Pagels, Joakim
LU
; Dahl, Andreas
LU
; Löndahl, Jakob
LU
; Hussein, Tareq
; Swietlicki, Erik
LU
and Gudmundsson, Anders
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2015
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Source strength, Indoor Environment, Particles
- in
- Atmospheric Environment
- volume
- 106
- pages
- 419 - 428
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000351966200044
- scopus:85027928533
- ISSN
- 1352-2310
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.08.011
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- aede87ce-179e-40bd-a20c-ed0fea8ca221 (old id 5151596)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 14:20:33
- date last changed
- 2023-11-13 06:13:48
@article{aede87ce-179e-40bd-a20c-ed0fea8ca221,
abstract = {{For the assessment of personal exposure, information about the concentration of pollutants when people are in given indoor environments (occupancy time) are of prime importance. However this kind of data frequently is not reported. The aim of this study was to assess differences in particle characteristics between occupancy time and the total monitoring period, with the latter being the most frequently used averaging time in the published data. Seven indoor environments were selected in Sweden and Finland:an apartment, two houses, two schools, a supermarket, and a restaurant. They were assessed for particle number and mass concentrations and number size distributions. The measurements using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and two photometers were conducted for seven consecutive days during winter in each location. Particle concentrations in residences and schools were, as expected, the highest during occupancy time. In the apartment average and median PM2.5 mass concentrations during the occupancy time were 29% and 17% higher, respectively compared to total monitoring period. In both schools, the average and median values of the PM2.5 mass concentrations were on average higher during teaching hours compared to the total monitoring period by 16% and 32%, respectively. When it comes to particle number concentrations (PNC), in the apartment during occupancy, the average and median values were 33% and 58% higher, respectively than during the total monitoring period. In both houses and schools the average and median PNC were similar for the occupancy and total monitoring periods. General conclusions on the basis of measurements in the limited number of indoor environments cannot be drawn.<br/><br>
However the results confirm a strong dependence on type and frequency of indoor activities that generate particles and site specificity. The results also indicate that the exclusion of data series during<br/><br>
non-occupancy periods can improve the estimates of particle concentrations and characteristics suitable for exposure assessment, which is crucial for estimating health effects in epidemiological and toxicological studies.}},
author = {{Wierzbicka, Aneta and Bohgard, Mats and Pagels, Joakim and Dahl, Andreas and Löndahl, Jakob and Hussein, Tareq and Swietlicki, Erik and Gudmundsson, Anders}},
issn = {{1352-2310}},
keywords = {{Source strength; Indoor Environment; Particles}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{419--428}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Atmospheric Environment}},
title = {{Quantification of differences between occupancy and total monitoring periods for better assessment of exposure to particles in indoor environments}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3920995/5323077.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.08.011}},
volume = {{106}},
year = {{2015}},
}