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Urban Pollutant Transport and Infiltration into Buildings Using Perfluorocarbon Tracers

Author

Listed:
  • James C. Matthews

    (Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group, School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK)

  • Asan Bacak

    (The Centre for Atmospheric Science, The School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Simon Building, Brunswick Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

  • M. Anwar H. Khan

    (Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group, School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK)

  • Matthew D. Wright

    (Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group, School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK)

  • Michael Priestley

    (The Centre for Atmospheric Science, The School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Simon Building, Brunswick Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

  • Damien Martin

    (Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group, School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK)

  • Carl J. Percival

    (NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA)

  • Dudley E. Shallcross

    (Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group, School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK)

Abstract

People spend the majority of their time indoors and therefore the quality of indoor air is worthy of investigation; indoor air quality is affected by indoor sources of pollutants and from pollutants entering buildings from outdoors. In this study, unique perfluorocarbon tracers were released in five experiments at a 100 m and ~2 km distance from a large university building in Manchester, UK and tracer was also released inside the building to measure the amount of outdoor material penetrating into buildings and the flow of material within the building itself. Air samples of the tracer were taken in several rooms within the building, and a CO 2 tracer was used within the building to estimate air-exchange rates. Air-exchange rates were found to vary between 0.57 and 10.90 per hour. Indoor perfluorocarbon tracer concentrations were paired to outdoor tracer concentrations, and in-out ratios were found to vary between 0.01 and 3.6. The largest room with the lowest air-exchange rate exhibited elevated tracer concentrations for over 60 min after the release had finished, but generally had the lowest concentrations, the room with the highest ventilation rates had the highest concentration over 30 min, but the peak decayed more rapidly. Tracer concentrations indoors compared to outdoors imply that pollutants remain within buildings after they have cleared outside, which must be considered when evaluating human exposure to outdoor pollutants.

Suggested Citation

  • James C. Matthews & Asan Bacak & M. Anwar H. Khan & Matthew D. Wright & Michael Priestley & Damien Martin & Carl J. Percival & Dudley E. Shallcross, 2017. "Urban Pollutant Transport and Infiltration into Buildings Using Perfluorocarbon Tracers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:2:p:214-:d:91042
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    Cited by:

    1. Alessandra Cincinelli & Tania Martellini, 2017. "Indoor Air Quality and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-5, October.

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