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Design and Calibration of a Simple Instrument for Measuring Dust on Surfaces in the Indoor Environment
Author(s) -
Schneider T.,
Petersen O. H.,
Kildesø J.,
Kloch N. P.,
Løbner T.
Publication year - 1996
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/j.1600-0668.1996.t01-1-00007.x
Subject(s) - sampling (signal processing) , calibration , extinction (optical mineralogy) , particle (ecology) , environmental science , range (aeronautics) , detector , materials science , optics , physics , mathematics , statistics , composite material , geology , oceanography
A simple method for quantifying dust on indoor non‐textile surfaces has been developed and evaluated. The method uses gelatine foils to sample particles from surfaces, applying a constant pressure. The foils possess unique properties, making them particularly suitable for evaluation by light extinction. The amount of particles collected as measured by laser light extinction is expressed as the area percentage covered by particles. Foil sampling effectiveness has been estimated to range from 87% to 97%. A simple method for calibrating the instrument has been developed. The relation between the total projected particle area excluding overlap can be determined from the measured projected area including overlap from a simple equation. An overall uncertainty is given, including effects of positioning foils in the detector, sampling from rough surfaces, and the natural variability due to the discrete nature of particles. The lower level of detection for dust on an object is less than 0.5% surface area covered by dust. The method has formed the basis for suggesting a sampling strategy and surface dust limits in relation to cleaning and the quality of the indoor environment.