Title: Quantifying fine particle emission events from time-resolved measurements: Method description and application to 18 California low-income apartments

Abstract

PM_2.5 exposure is associated with significant health risk. Exposures in homes derive from both outdoor and indoor sources, with emissions occurring primarily in discrete events. Data on emission event magnitudes and schedules are needed to support simulation-based studies of exposures and mitigations. For this study, we applied an identification and characterization algorithm to quantify time-resolved PM_2.5 emission events from data collected during 224 days of monitoring in 18 California apartments with low-income residents. We identified and characterized 836 distinct events with median and mean values of 12 and 30 mg emitted mass, 16 and 23 minutes emission duration, 37 and 103 mg/h emission rates, and pseudo-first–order decay rates of 1.3 and 2.0/h. Mean event-averaged concentrations calculated using the determined event characteristics agreed to within 6% of measured values for 14 of the apartments. There were variations in event schedules and emitted mass across homes, with few events overnight and most emissions occurring during late afternoons and evenings. Event characteristics were similar during weekdays and weekends. Emitted mass was positively correlated with number of residents (Spearman coefficient, ρ=.10), bedrooms (ρ=.08), house volume (ρ=.29), and indoor-outdoor CO₂ difference (ρ=.27). The event schedules can be used in probabilistic modeling of PM_2.5 in low-income apartments.

Authors:

Chan, W. R. ^[1]; Logue, J. M. ^[1]; Wu, X. ^[2]; Klepeis, N. E. ^[3]; Fisk, W. J.  ^[4];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Fisk, W. J."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-5239-3542"

Noris, F. ^[5]; Singer, B. C.  ^[1]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Singer, B. C."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-5665-4343"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Indoor Environment Group, Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Dept., Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division, Whole Building Systems Dept. and Building Technologies and Urban Systems Division
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Whole Building Systems Dept., Building Technologies and Urban Systems Division
3. San Diego State Univ., CA (United States). Center for Behavioral Epidemiology and Community Health (C-BEACH) and Graduate School of Public Health
4. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Indoor Environment Group, Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Dept. and Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division
5. R2M Solution Srl, Pavia (Italy)

Publication Date:

Wed Oct 04 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office; US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); California Energy Commission

OSTI Identifier:

1432240

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1396420

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-05CH11231; I‐PHI‐01070; DW‐89‐9232201‐7; 500‐09‐022

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Indoor Air

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 28; Journal Issue: 1; Related Information: © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd; Journal ID: ISSN 0905-6947

Publisher:

Wiley

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; cooking; exposure; multifamily; PM2.5; residential