TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparison of real-time instruments and gravimetric method when measuring particulate matter in a residential building
AU - Wang, Zuocheng
AU - Calderón, Leonardo
AU - Patton, Allison P.
AU - Sorensen Allacci, Mary Ann
AU - Senick, Jennifer
AU - Wener, Richard
AU - Andrews, Clinton J.
AU - Mainelis, Gediminas
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant “Expanding the Definition of Green: Impacts of Green and Active Living Design on Health in Low Income Housing,” Healthy Homes Program, grant NJLHH-0202-09. APP was supported by a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) training grant in exposure science to Rutgers University (T32 ES198543). This work has not been reviewed by any governmental agency. The views expressed are solely those of the authors, and governmental agencies do not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this paper.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 A&WMA.
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - This study used several real-time and filter-based aerosol instruments to measure PM2.5 levels in a high-rise residential green building in the Northeastern US and compared performance of those instruments. PM2.5 24-hr average concentrations were determined using a Personal Modular Impactor (PMI) with 2.5 µm cut (SKC Inc., Eighty Four, PA) and a direct reading pDR-1500 (Thermo Scientific, Franklin, MA) as well as its filter. 1-hr average PM2.5 concentrations were measured in the same apartments with an Aerotrak Optical Particle Counter (OPC) (model 8220, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN) and a DustTrak DRX mass monitor (model 8534, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN). OPC and DRX measurements were compared with concurrent 1-hr mass concentration from the pDR-1500. The pDR-1500 direct reading showed approximately 40% higher particle mass concentration compared to its own filter (n = 41), and 25% higher PM2.5 mass concentration compared to the PMI2.5 filter. The pDR-1500 direct reading and PMI2.5 in non-smoking homes (self-reported) were not significantly different (n = 10, R2 = 0.937), while the difference between measurements for smoking homes was 44% (n = 31, R2 = 0.773). Both OPC and DRX data had substantial and significant systematic and proportional biases compared with pDR-1500 readings. However, these methods were highly correlated: R2 = 0.936 for OPC versus pDR-1500 reading and R2 = 0.863 for DRX versus pDR-1500 reading. The data suggest that accuracy of aerosol mass concentrations from direct-reading instruments in indoor environments depends on the instrument, and that correction factors can be used to reduce biases of these real-time monitors in residential green buildings with similar aerosol properties. Implications: This study used several real-time and filter-based aerosol instruments to measure PM2.5 levels in a high-rise residential green building in the northeastern United States and compared performance of those instruments. The data show that while the use of real-time monitors is convenient for measurement of airborne PM at short time scales, the accuracy of those monitors depends on a particular instrument. Bias correction factors identified in this paper could provide guidance for other studies using direct-reading instruments to measure PM concentrations.
AB - This study used several real-time and filter-based aerosol instruments to measure PM2.5 levels in a high-rise residential green building in the Northeastern US and compared performance of those instruments. PM2.5 24-hr average concentrations were determined using a Personal Modular Impactor (PMI) with 2.5 µm cut (SKC Inc., Eighty Four, PA) and a direct reading pDR-1500 (Thermo Scientific, Franklin, MA) as well as its filter. 1-hr average PM2.5 concentrations were measured in the same apartments with an Aerotrak Optical Particle Counter (OPC) (model 8220, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN) and a DustTrak DRX mass monitor (model 8534, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN). OPC and DRX measurements were compared with concurrent 1-hr mass concentration from the pDR-1500. The pDR-1500 direct reading showed approximately 40% higher particle mass concentration compared to its own filter (n = 41), and 25% higher PM2.5 mass concentration compared to the PMI2.5 filter. The pDR-1500 direct reading and PMI2.5 in non-smoking homes (self-reported) were not significantly different (n = 10, R2 = 0.937), while the difference between measurements for smoking homes was 44% (n = 31, R2 = 0.773). Both OPC and DRX data had substantial and significant systematic and proportional biases compared with pDR-1500 readings. However, these methods were highly correlated: R2 = 0.936 for OPC versus pDR-1500 reading and R2 = 0.863 for DRX versus pDR-1500 reading. The data suggest that accuracy of aerosol mass concentrations from direct-reading instruments in indoor environments depends on the instrument, and that correction factors can be used to reduce biases of these real-time monitors in residential green buildings with similar aerosol properties. Implications: This study used several real-time and filter-based aerosol instruments to measure PM2.5 levels in a high-rise residential green building in the northeastern United States and compared performance of those instruments. The data show that while the use of real-time monitors is convenient for measurement of airborne PM at short time scales, the accuracy of those monitors depends on a particular instrument. Bias correction factors identified in this paper could provide guidance for other studies using direct-reading instruments to measure PM concentrations.
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U2 - 10.1080/10962247.2016.1201022
DO - 10.1080/10962247.2016.1201022
M3 - Article
C2 - 27333205
AN - SCOPUS:84991702480
SN - 1096-2247
VL - 66
SP - 1109
EP - 1120
JO - Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association
JF - Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association
IS - 11
ER -