The transformation of outdoor ammonium nitrate aerosols in theindoor environment

Conference · Thu Jan 31 04:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:861185

Lunden, Melissa M; Thatcher, Tracy L; Littlejohn, David; Fischer, Marc L; Hering, Susanne V; Sextro, Richard G; Brown, Nancy J

Recent studies associate particulate air pollution with adverse health effects; however, the exposure to indoor particles of outdoor origin is not well characterized, particularly for individual chemical species. In response to this, a field study in an unoccupied, single-story residence in Clovis, California has been conducted. Real-time particle monitors were used both outdoors and indoors to quantify PM2.5 nitrate, sulfate, and carbon. The results show that reduced indoor sulfate and carbon levels are primarily due to deposition and penetration losses. However, measured indoor ammonium nitrate levels were often observed to be at significantly lower levels than expected based solely on penetration and deposition losses. The additional reduction appears to be due to the transformation of ammonium nitrate into ammonia and nitric acid indoors, which are subsequently lost by deposition and sorption to indoor surfaces. The size of the effect is dependent upon factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation rate.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE. Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. Office ofNatural Gas and Petroleum Technology, National Petroleum TechnologyOffice; Western Petroleum States Association
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 861185
• Report Number(s): LBNL--50158; BnR: AC1015000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR QUALITY
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM NITRATES
CARBON
CLIMATES
DEPOSITION
HUMIDITY
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MONITORS
NITRIC ACID
ORIGIN
PARTICULATES
SORPTION
SULFATES
TRANSFORMATIONS
VENTILATION