1
|
Carter TJ, Shaw DR, Carslaw DC, Carslaw N. Indoor cooking and cleaning as a source of outdoor air pollution in urban environments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2024; 26:975-990. [PMID: 38525871 DOI: 10.1039/d3em00512g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Indoor sources of air pollution, such as from cooking and cleaning, play a key role in indoor gas-phase chemistry. The focus of the impact of these activities on air quality tends to be indoors, with less attention given to the impact on air quality outside buildings. This study uses the INdoor CHEmical Model in Python (INCHEM-Py) and the Advanced Dispersion Modelling System (ADMS) to quantify the impact cooking and cleaning have on indoor and outdoor air quality for an idealised street of houses. INCHEM-Py has been developed to determine the concentrations of 106 indoor volatile organic compounds at the point they leave a building (defined as near-field concentrations). For a simulated 140 m long street with 10 equi-distant houses undertaking cooking and cleaning activities, the maximum downwind concentration of acetaldehyde increases from a background value of 0.1 ppb to 0.9 ppb post-cooking, whilst the maximum downwind chloroform concentrations increase from 1.2 to 6.2 ppt after cleaning. Although emissions to outdoors are higher when cooking and cleaning happen indoors, the contribution of these activities to total UK emissions of volatile organic compounds is low (less than 1%), and comprise about a quarter of those emitted from traffic across the UK. It is important to quantify these emissions, particularly as continued vehicle technology improvements lead to lower direct emissions outdoors, making indoor emissions relatively more important. Understanding how indoor pollution can affect outdoor environments, will allow better mitigation measures to be designed in the future that can take into account all sources of pollution that contribute to human exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toby J Carter
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, YO10 5NG, UK.
| | - David R Shaw
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, YO10 5NG, UK.
| | - David C Carslaw
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Nicola Carslaw
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, YO10 5NG, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bihałowicz JS, Rogula-Kozłowska W, Krasuski A, Majder-Łopatka M, Walczak A, Fliszkiewicz M, Rogula-Kopiec P, Mach T. Characteristics of Particles Emitted from Waste Fires-A Construction Materials Case Study. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 15:152. [PMID: 35009296 PMCID: PMC8746207 DOI: 10.3390/ma15010152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the relative densities of populations of particles emitted in fire experiments of selected materials through direct measurement and parametrization of size distribution as number (NSD), volume (VSD), and mass (MSD). As objects of investigation, four typical materials used in construction and furniture were chosen: pinewood (PINE), laminated particle board (LPB), polyurethane (PUR), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The NSD and VSD were measured using an electric low-pressure impactor, while MSD was measured by weighing filters from the impactor using a microbalance. The parametrization of distributions was made assuming that each distribution can be expressed as the sum of an arbitrary number of log-normal distributions. In all materials, except PINE, the distributions of the particles emitted in fire experiments were the sum of two log-normal distributions; in PINE, the distribution was accounted for by only one log-normal distribution. The parametrization facilitated the determination of volume and mass abundances, and therefore, the relative density. The VSDs of particles generated in PINE, LPB, and PUR fires have similar location parameters, with a median volume diameter of 0.2-0.3 µm, whereas that of particles generated during PMMA burning is 0.7 µm. To validate the presented method, we burned samples made of the four materials in similar proportions and compared the measured VSD with the VSD predicted based on the weighted sum of VSD of raw materials. The measured VSD shifted toward smaller diameters than the predicted ones due to thermal decomposition at higher temperatures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Stefan Bihałowicz
- Institute of Safety Engineering, The Main School of Fire Service, 52/54 Słowackiego Street, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (A.K.); (M.M.-Ł.)
| | - Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska
- Institute of Safety Engineering, The Main School of Fire Service, 52/54 Słowackiego Street, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (A.K.); (M.M.-Ł.)
| | - Adam Krasuski
- Institute of Safety Engineering, The Main School of Fire Service, 52/54 Słowackiego Street, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (A.K.); (M.M.-Ł.)
| | - Małgorzata Majder-Łopatka
- Institute of Safety Engineering, The Main School of Fire Service, 52/54 Słowackiego Street, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (A.K.); (M.M.-Ł.)
| | - Agata Walczak
- Faculty of Safety Engineering and Civil Protection, The Main School of Fire Service, 52/54 Słowackiego Street, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland; (A.W.); (M.F.)
| | - Mateusz Fliszkiewicz
- Faculty of Safety Engineering and Civil Protection, The Main School of Fire Service, 52/54 Słowackiego Street, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland; (A.W.); (M.F.)
| | - Patrycja Rogula-Kopiec
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 M. Skłodowska-Curie St., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Mach
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Plac Grunwaldzki 13, 50-377 Wrocław, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main source influencing the overall air quality of an environment. It is a well-known fact that coated furniture units, in the form of paints and varnishes, emit VOCs, reducing the air quality and resulting in significant health problems. Exposure time to such compounds is also an important parameter regarding their possible health effects. Such issues also have a greater influence when the exposure period is extended. The main objective of this study was to review some of the important factors for the emission of VOCs from coated furniture, from the perspective of material characteristics, as well as health concerns. Some methods for controlling VOC emissions to improve indoor air quality, from the point of view recent regulations and suggestions, are also presented in this work.
Collapse
|