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Particle characterization in retail environments: concentrations, sources, and removal mechanisms
Author(s) -
Zaatari M.,
Siegel J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12088
Subject(s) - environmental science , ventilation (architecture) , particle (ecology) , particle size , air filtration , filtration (mathematics) , indoor air , environmental engineering , mass concentration (chemistry) , particle number , indoor air quality , ultrafine particle , environmental chemistry , chemistry , materials science , meteorology , statistics , ecology , geography , mathematics , physics , nanotechnology , plasma , quantum mechanics , biology
Particles in retail environments can have consequences for the occupational exposures of retail workers and customers, as well as the energy costs associated with ventilation and filtration. Little is known about particle characteristics in retail environments. We measured indoor and outdoor mass concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 , number concentrations of submicron particles (0.02–1 μ m), size‐resolved 0.3–10 μ m particles, as well as ventilation rates in 14 retail stores during 24 site visits in Pennsylvania and Texas. Overall, the results were generally suggestive of relatively clean environments when compared to investigations of other building types and ambient/occupational regulatory limits. PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations (mean ± s.d.) were 20 ± 14 and 11 ± 10 μ g/m 3 , respectively, with indoor‐to‐outdoor ratios of 1.0 ± 0.7 and 0.88 ± 1.0. Mean submicron particle concentrations were 7220 ± 7500 particles/cm 3 with an indoor‐to‐outdoor ratio of 1.18 ± 1.30. The median contribution to PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations from indoor sources (vs. outdoors) was 83% and 53%, respectively. There were no significant correlations between measured ventilation rates and particle concentrations of any size. When examining options to lower PM 2.5 concentrations below regulatory limits, the required changes to ventilation and filtration efficiency were site specific and depended on the indoor and outdoor concentration, emission rate, and infiltration level.