Investigation on lowering commuters’ in-cabin exposure to ultrafine particles

Abstract

To determine ways to reduce commuters’ ultrafine particle exposure, factors such as ventilation condition, mechanical airflow rate, driving speed, cabin air filter quality, and cabin air filter use are examined. The results show that the in-cabin to on-roadway ratio is reduced by 20% when the fan is set to recirculation-on versus when set to recirculation-off because fewer ultrafine particles are exchanged between the inside and outside of the cabin. Also, when the fan is set to recirculation-off, the ratio is reduced by 40% at lower mechanical airflow rates. The thickest cabin air filter resulted in a 30% in-cabin to on-roadway ratio decrease compared with the thinnest. Thus, driving conditions with the least UFP in-cabin to on-roadway ratio is when a vehicle is operating with a high efficiency cabin filter, the ventilation set to fan-on and recycling is recirculation on, and at a high ventilation airflow rate. Furthermore, recirculating in-cabin air through a high efficiency particulate air filter was found to significantly reduce in-cabin UFP exposure.