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Particulate Matter in the Hospital Environment
Author(s) -
Morawska L.,
Jamriska M.,
Francis P.
Publication year - 1998
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.1600-0668.1998.00009.x
Subject(s) - particulates , environmental science , filtration (mathematics) , air filtration , ventilation (architecture) , particle number , particle (ecology) , hazardous waste , environmental engineering , environmental chemistry , waste management , indoor air quality , meteorology , chemistry , engineering , volume (thermodynamics) , geography , statistics , mathematics , physics , organic chemistry , oceanography , quantum mechanics , geology
Investigations of particle concentration levels and size distribution were conducted in the complex hospital system of the Royal Children's and the Royal Brisbane Hospitals in Queensland, Australia. The aim of the measurements was to provide an indication of particulate sources in the hospital environment and relate particle characteristics to the operating parameters of the hospitals. The measurements were performed using the most advanced instrumentation for size classification in the submicrometer and supermicrometer levels. The conclusions from the investigation were: (i) that indoor concentration levels of particle numbers are closely related to outdoor concentration levels, indicating that outdoor particulates were the main contributor to the indoor particulates in the hospitals under investigations; and (ii) that the performance of filtration/ventilation systems is the most critical parameter in reducing general particulate concentration levels in those hospital units where medical procedures can result in generation of potentially hazardous organic aerosols.