Impact of human activities on the concentration of indoor air particles in an antarctic research station

Abstract

Abstractne of the main characteristics of Antarctic buildings is the fact that they are designed mostly with a focus on energy efficiency. Although human activity is a major source of pollution, indoor air quality is not a matter of significant concern during building planning. This study examines the relationship between indoor activities in an Antarctic Research Station and the size distribution of particulate matter. Real-time particle size distribution data is used in conjunction with time-activity data. The activity number ratio is calculated using the mean number of particles found in each size range during each activity divided by the average number of particles found during a period characterized by the absence of human activities. Cooking, the use of cosmetics, waste incineration and exhaust from light vehicles were responsible for significant deterioration of indoor air related to the presence of fine and ultrafine particles. Cleaning, physical exercise and the movement of people were responsible for the emission of coarse particles. This article emphasizes the importance of post-occupancy evaluation of buildings, generating results relevant to the planning and layout of new buildings, especially regarding better indoor air quality.Keywords: Particulate matter. Indoor air quality. Human activities. Size distribution. Antarctic Research Station. Resumo Uma das principais características das construções antárticas é o fato que boa parte do esforço projetual é concentrado na eficiência energética. Embora a atividade humana seja a maior fonte de poluição, a qualidade do ar interior não é uma questão com significativa preocupação durante o planejamento da construção. Este estudo investigou a relação entre as atividades internas em uma Estação de Pesquisa Antártica e a distribuição dos tamanhos das partículas. Dados de distribuição do tamanho das partículas são plotados em tempo real em conjunção com os registros das atividades. A taxa de atividade é calculada usando

Comparison of Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors for Indoor Air Monitoring during COVID-19 Lockdown

“…Surprising results were obtained for the nighttime measurements revealing higher average PN concentrations than in the daytime. The results obtained seem inconsistent with those intuitively expected, as well as those reported in the literature [ 40 , 41 , 42 ]. However, the discrepancy between expected and actual readings can be attributed to the infiltration of outdoor particles, which most probably penetrated the room through the vent holes in the windows [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ].…”

Characterization of Indoor Atmospheric Nitrogenous Chemicals in Poultry Farms

“…Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has gathered increasing attention from the public as it is becoming more relevant to public health and well-being. 1 Existing studies have focused on residential homes, which contain a complex mixture of emissions from humans, 2,3 animal or biological species, as they are highly volatile, concentrated, and odorous. 29,32,33 NH 3 is a widely employed benchmark compound used as an indicator of IAQ in poultry facilities and in the guidance for animal care.…”

“…3 gas. According to discoveries made by this work, resolving indoor air pollution in poultry housings may benefit from taking a different approach.…”