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Evaluating size-fractioned indoor particulate matter in an urban hospital in Iran.
- Source :
- Environmental Monitoring & Assessment; Aug2021, Vol. 193 Issue 8, p1-10, 10p
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Hospitals host vulnerable people with potentially enhanced sensitivity to air pollutants. We measured particulate matter (PM) including PM<subscript>1</subscript>, PM<subscript>2.5</subscript>, and PM<subscript>10</subscript> with a portable device in a hospital, a nearby reference building, and ambient air in Shiraz, Iran. Indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio values were calculated to infer on the origin of size-fractioned PM. The mean hospital indoor concentrations of PM<subscript>2.5</subscript> and PM<subscript>10</subscript> (4.7 and 38.7 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>, respectively) but not PM<subscript>1</subscript> were higher than in the reference building and lower than in ambient air. The highest hospital PM<subscript>10</subscript> mean concentrations were found in the radiotherapy ward (77.5 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>) and radiology ward (70.4 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>) while the lowest were found in the bone marrow transplantation (BMT) ward (18.5 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>) and cardiac surgery ward (19.8 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>). The highest PM<subscript>2.5</subscript> concentrations were found in the radiology (8.7 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>) and orthopaedic wards (7.7 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>) while the lowest were found in the BMT ward (2.8 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>) and cardiac surgery ward (2.8 μg/m<superscript>3</superscript>). The I/O ratios and the timing of peak concentrations during the day (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) indicated the main roles of outdoor air and human activity on the indoor levels. These suggest the need for mechanical ventilation with PM control for a better indoor air quality (IAQ) in the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01676369
- Volume :
- 193
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Environmental Monitoring & Assessment
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 151976596
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09327-0