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Effectiveness of a portable air cleaner in removing aerosol particles in homes close to highways
Citation:
Cox, J., K. Isiugo, P. Ryan, S. Grinshpun, M. Yermakov, C. Desmond, R. Jandarov, S. Vesper, J. Ross, S. Chillrud, K. Dannemiller, AND T. Reponen. Effectiveness of a portable air cleaner in removing aerosol particles in homes close to highways. INDOOR AIR. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 28(6):818-827, (2018). https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12502
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this study and the resulting manuscript was to determine if the installation of a HEPA filtration unit in an asthmatic child's bedroom could reduce the level of particulates in the bedroom. Practical Implications - Traffic‐related air pollution (TRAP) represents a growing public health concern worldwide as a large portion of the population is moving to major metropolitan areas and reside near major roadways. - Chronic and acute diseases have been associated with traffic aerosols, and therefore, a viable solution to improve the indoor air quality for residences with unavoidable exposures to traffic sources is important. - This study demonstrated that HEPA air cleaners address the need in reducing exposure to TRAP, measured as black carbon in the current study, while also reducing exposure to other aerosols including PM2.5, tobacco smoke, and fungal spores.
Description:
Outdoor traffic‐related airborne particles can infiltrate a building and adversely affect the indoor air quality. Limited information is available on the effectiveness of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration of traffic‐related particles. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of portable HEPA air cleaners in reducing indoor concentrations of traffic‐related and other aerosols, including black carbon (BC), PM2.5, ultraviolet absorbing particulate matter (UVPM) (a marker of tobacco smoke), and fungal spores. This intervention study consisted of a placebo‐controlled cross‐over design, in which a HEPA cleaner and a placebo “dummy” were placed in homes for 4‐weeks each, with 48‐hour air sampling conducted prior to and during the end of each treatment period. The concentrations measured for BC, PM2.5, UVPM, and fungal spores were significantly reduced following HEPA filtration, but not following the dummy period. The indoor fraction of BC/PM2.5 was significantly reduced due to the HEPA cleaner, indicating that black carbon was particularly impacted by HEPA filtration. This study demonstrates that HEPA air purification can result in a significant reduction of traffic‐related and other aerosols in diverse residential settings.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Effectiveness of a portable air cleaner in removing aerosol particles in homes close to highways