Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event
While the impacts of climate change on wildfires and resulting air pollution levels have been observed, little is known about how indoor air filtering systems are performing under intensive smoke conditions. For this aim, particle number size distribution and concentration in a size range 0.5–18 µm...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/8/1047 |
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| author | Julija Pauraite Gediminas Mainelis Simonas Kecorius Agnė Minderytė Vadimas Dudoitis Inga Garbarienė Kristina Plauškaitė Jurgita Ovadnevaite Steigvilė Byčenkienė |
| author_facet | Julija Pauraite Gediminas Mainelis Simonas Kecorius Agnė Minderytė Vadimas Dudoitis Inga Garbarienė Kristina Plauškaitė Jurgita Ovadnevaite Steigvilė Byčenkienė |
| author_sort | Julija Pauraite |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While the impacts of climate change on wildfires and resulting air pollution levels have been observed, little is known about how indoor air filtering systems are performing under intensive smoke conditions. For this aim, particle number size distribution and concentration in a size range 0.5–18 µm and equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentration were measured in a modern office with a mechanical ventilation system. Measurements took place from 30 September to 6 October 2020 in the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) campus located in the urban background environment in Lithuania. During the measurement campaign, an intensive pollution episode, related to long-range transport wildfire smoke, was observed. The results indicated that the smoke event increased both indoor and outdoor eBC mass concentrations twice. Filters were non-selective for different eBC sources (biomass burning versus traffic) or chemical composition of carbonaceous aerosol particles (eBC versus brown carbon (BrC)). Air filtering efficiency was found to be highly dependent on particle size. During the smoke event the highest particle number concentration was observed at 2.1 µm and 1.0 µm size particles in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. Differences of indoor to outdoor ratio between event and non-event days were not significant. Because of lower removal rate for small particles, eBC had higher contribution to total PM<sub>2.5</sub> mass concentration in indoor air than in outdoor air. The results gained are crucial for decision-making bodies in order to implement higher-quality air-filtering systems in office buildings and, as a result, minimize potential health impacts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:00:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8edfad360c6f4f3a9b66ca39530f9c88 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:00:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-8edfad360c6f4f3a9b66ca39530f9c882023-11-22T06:48:16ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332021-08-01128104710.3390/atmos12081047Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport EventJulija Pauraite0Gediminas Mainelis1Simonas Kecorius2Agnė Minderytė3Vadimas Dudoitis4Inga Garbarienė5Kristina Plauškaitė6Jurgita Ovadnevaite7Steigvilė Byčenkienė8Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Saulėtekio av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USALeibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, GermanyCenter for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Saulėtekio av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaCenter for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Saulėtekio av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaCenter for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Saulėtekio av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaCenter for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Saulėtekio av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaSchool of Physics, Ryan Institute’s Centre for Climate & Air Pollution Studies, and Marine Renewable Energy Ireland, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 CF50 Galway, IrelandCenter for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Saulėtekio av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaWhile the impacts of climate change on wildfires and resulting air pollution levels have been observed, little is known about how indoor air filtering systems are performing under intensive smoke conditions. For this aim, particle number size distribution and concentration in a size range 0.5–18 µm and equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentration were measured in a modern office with a mechanical ventilation system. Measurements took place from 30 September to 6 October 2020 in the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) campus located in the urban background environment in Lithuania. During the measurement campaign, an intensive pollution episode, related to long-range transport wildfire smoke, was observed. The results indicated that the smoke event increased both indoor and outdoor eBC mass concentrations twice. Filters were non-selective for different eBC sources (biomass burning versus traffic) or chemical composition of carbonaceous aerosol particles (eBC versus brown carbon (BrC)). Air filtering efficiency was found to be highly dependent on particle size. During the smoke event the highest particle number concentration was observed at 2.1 µm and 1.0 µm size particles in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. Differences of indoor to outdoor ratio between event and non-event days were not significant. Because of lower removal rate for small particles, eBC had higher contribution to total PM<sub>2.5</sub> mass concentration in indoor air than in outdoor air. The results gained are crucial for decision-making bodies in order to implement higher-quality air-filtering systems in office buildings and, as a result, minimize potential health impacts.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/8/1047aerosolindoor airemission source contributionwildfiresource apportionmentair quality |
| spellingShingle | Julija Pauraite Gediminas Mainelis Simonas Kecorius Agnė Minderytė Vadimas Dudoitis Inga Garbarienė Kristina Plauškaitė Jurgita Ovadnevaite Steigvilė Byčenkienė Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event Atmosphere aerosol indoor air emission source contribution wildfire source apportionment air quality |
| title | Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event |
| title_full | Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event |
| title_fullStr | Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event |
| title_full_unstemmed | Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event |
| title_short | Office Indoor PM and BC Level in Lithuania: The Role of a Long-Range Smoke Transport Event |
| title_sort | office indoor pm and bc level in lithuania the role of a long range smoke transport event |
| topic | aerosol indoor air emission source contribution wildfire source apportionment air quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/8/1047 |
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