Abstract
Whether due to traffic, industry or private households – particulate matter enters our air every day and pollutes the air we breathe. When the term air pollution is used, hardly anyone ever thinks of the air inside their own home. However, many urban residences are located in the immediate vicinity of busy roads with high concentrations of particulate matter. Consequently, the outside concentration of fine dust has considerable influence on the indoor concentration. Given the fact that many people spend more than 90 % of their lifetime indoors, it is important to measure and understand particle transport from the outside to the inside in order to assess the effects of exposure to outdoor particles on human health. A two-room apartment near a main road in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was used in the investigation in this research project. Particulate matter concentrations for PM2.5 and PM10 were measured simultaneously inside and outside of the building. Results are size-specific deposition rates, indoor/outdoor ratios and infiltration factors, which provide information on the relationship between internal and external concentrations and the associated health consequences. The particulate matter concentration was measured using low-cost PM-sensors, which were developed and calibrated within the scope of this research project.
Highlights
At present, air pollution is a major problem in many regions of the world
Particular importance is attached to air pollution by particulate matter, as many studies have shown the relationship between increased particulate matter concentration and morbidity/mortality [2, 3]
When performing the regression analysis, the following parameters result from Table 2, from which individual calibration functions for PM10 and PM2.5 can be formed
Summary
Air pollution is a major problem in many regions of the world. Recent studies by the Max Planck Institute (MPI) concluded that 3.3 million people worldwide die prematurely each year as a result of air pollution. For closed and unused spaces, the penetration factor P can be determined, which is defined as the proportion of the particle fraction with a specific diameter, which in turn enters the interior with the incoming outside air [6]. It is a dimensionless number and can have values between 0 and 1. One of the most popular low-cost PM-sensors at present is the Nova PM SDS 011 V1.3, which was used in this study It was calibrated in this study and used to measure indoor/outdoor ratios, infiltration factors and deposition rates. The series of measurements carried out in this study will allow a better understanding of the transport processes and particle behavior in the room
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