Indoor versus Outdoor Air Quality during Wildfires

Journal Article · 11 November 2019 · Environmental Science & Technology Letters (Online)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00599 · OSTI ID:1577991

Messier, Kyle P.  ^[1]; Tidwell, Lane G. ^[1]; Ghetu, Christine C. ^[1]; Rohlman, Diana ^[1]; Scott, Richard P. ^[1]; Bramer, Lisa M.  ^[2]; Dixon, Holly M. ^[1]; Waters, Katrina M.  ^[3]; Anderson, Kim A.  ^[1]

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1. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
3. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

The human behavioral modification recommendations during wildfire events are based on particulate matter and may be confounded by the potential risks of gas-phase pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Moreover, the majority of adults spend over 90 percent of their time indoors where there is an increased concern of indoor air quality during wildfire events. We address these timely concerns by evaluating paired indoor and outdoor PAH concentrations in residential locations and their relationship with satellite model-based categorization of wildfire smoke intensity. Low density polyethylene passive air samplers were deployed at six residential sites for one week in Eugene, Oregon with matched indoor and outdoor samples and twenty-four-hour time resolution. Samples were then quantitatively analyzed for 63 PAH concentrations using gas-chromatography. A probabilistic principal components analysis was used to reduce all 63 PAHs into an aggregate measure. Linear regression of the first principal component against indoor versus outdoor shows that indoor gas-phase PAH concentrations are consistently equal or greater than outdoor concentrations. Regression against a satellite-based model for wildfire smoke shows that outdoor, but not indoor gas-phase PAH concentrations are likely associated with wildfire events. Furthermore, these results point towards the need to include gas-phase pollutants such as PAHs in air pollution risk assessment.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1577991
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA--147722
• Journal Information: Environmental Science & Technology Letters (Online), Journal Name: Environmental Science & Technology Letters (Online) Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 6; ISSN 2328-8930
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English