Factors affecting the indoor concentrations of carbonaceous aerosols of outdoor origin

• Published in: Atmospheric environment (1994) Vol. 42; no. 22; pp. 5660 - 5671
• Main Authors: Lunden, Melissa M., Kirchstetter, Thomas W., Thatcher, Tracy L., Hering, Susanne V., Brown, Nancy J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adsorption artifact; Aerosols; Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Buildings. Public works; Carbon; Exact sciences and technology; Gas-to-particle partitioning; Indoor air quality; Indoor pollution and occupational exposure; Pollution; Pollution indoor buildings; California; United States; North America; America; USA, California; Aerosols; Gas-to-particle partitioning; Carbon; Indoor air quality; Adsorption artifact; Combustion residue; Carbonaceous materials; Indoor air quality,Aerosols,Carbon,Adsorption artifact,Gas-to-particle partitioning; Air quality; Artefact; Housing; Real time system; Concentration measurement; Gas solid adsorption; Indoor pollution; Indoor outdoor ratio; Sampling
• ISSN: 1352-2310; 1873-2844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.03.017

A field study was conducted in an unoccupied single-story residence in Clovis, California, to provide data to address issues important to assess the indoor exposure to particles of outdoor origin. Measurements of black and organic carbonaceous aerosols were performed using a variety of methods, resulting in both near real-time measurements as well as integrated filter-based measurements. Comparisons of the different measurement methods show that it is crucial to account for gas phase adsorption artifacts when measuring organic carbon (OC). Measured concentrations affected by the emissions of organic compounds sorbed to indoor surfaces imply a higher degree of infiltration of outdoor organic carbon aerosols into the indoor environment for our unoccupied house. Analysis of the indoor and outdoor data for black carbon (BC) aerosols show that, on average, the indoor concentration of black carbon aerosols behaves in a similar manner to sulfate aerosols. In contrast, organic carbon aerosols are subject to chemical transformations indoors that for our unoccupied home, resulted in lower indoor OC concentrations than would be expected by physical loss mechanisms alone. These results show that gas to particle partitioning of organic compounds, as well as gas to surface interactions within the residence, are an important process governing the indoor concentration to OC aerosols of outdoor origin.