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Characterization of particulate matter concentrations and bioaerosol on each floor at a building in Seoul, Korea

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Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) in buildings are mostly sourced from the transport of outdoor particles through a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and generation of particle within the building itself. We investigated the concentrations and characteristic of indoor and outdoor particles and airborne bacteria concentrations across four floors of a building located in a high-traffic area. In all the floors we studied (first, second, fifth, and eighth), the average concentrations of particles less than 10 μm (PM10) in winter for were higher than those in summer. On average, a seasonal variation in the PM10 level was found for the first, fifth, and eighth floors, such that higher values occurred in the winter season, compared to the summer season. In addition, in winter, the indoor concentrations of PM10 on the first, fifth, and eighth floors were higher than those of the outdoor PM10. The maximum level of airborne bacteria concentration was found in a fifth floor office, which held a private academy school consisting of many students. Results indicated that the airborne bacteria remained at their highest concentration throughout the weekday period and varied by students’ activity. The correlation coefficient (R 2) and slope of linear approximation for the concentrations of particulate matter were used to evaluate the relationship between the indoor and outdoor particulate matter. These results can be used to predict both the indoor particle levels and the risk of personal exposure to airborne bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

This subject is supported by Korea Ministry of Environment as “Converging technology project (2013001650001)” and supported by Korea University Grant (K1508401).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BK21PLUS Program in Embodiment: Health-Society Interaction, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, Republic of Korea

    Hyeon-Ju Oh, Na-Na Jeong, Woo-Bae Chi & Jong-Ryeul Sohn

  2. BK21PLUS Program in Embodiment: Health-Society Interaction, Health and Environmental Science, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, Republic of Korea

    Ji-Hoon Seo

  3. HAE Research Center, LG Electronics Co., Seoul, 153-802, Republic of Korea

    Si-Moon Jun

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  1. Hyeon-Ju Oh
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  2. Na-Na Jeong
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  3. Woo-Bae Chi
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Correspondence to Jong-Ryeul Sohn.

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Oh, HJ., Jeong, NN., Chi, WB. et al. Characterization of particulate matter concentrations and bioaerosol on each floor at a building in Seoul, Korea. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 16040–16050 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4810-2

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