Impact of daily household activities on indoor PM2.5 and Black Carbon concentrations in Malta

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 207; p. 108422
• Main Authors: Aquilina, Noel J., Camilleri, Sara Fenech
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Air exchange rate; Black carbon; Burning; Candles; Carbon; Cooking; Deposition rate; Emission rate; Frying; Home environment; Incense; Indoor air pollution; Indoor air quality; Indoor environments; Paraffin; Paraffin wax; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; PM2.5; Pollutants; Rowhouses; Sweeping; Urban areas; Malta; Emission rate; Deposition rate; Air exchange rate; Black carbon; PM2.5; Indoor air quality
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108422

In this study we present the outdoor and indoor particulate matter (PM) and Black Carbon (BC) measurements in a typical terraced house, located in an urban area in the island of Malta. The influence of different household activities on the indoor PM2.5 and BC levels were also analysed. The activities resulting in elevated indoor concentrations included sweeping, cooking (not grilling and frying), grilling and frying and burning of candle and incense sticks. Sweeping resulted in the highest PM2.5 concentration (283.14 μg m−3) while frying resulted in the lowest level (104.14 μg m−3). Burning of paraffin wax candles resulted in the largest increases in indoor BC concentration (62.2 μg m−3) while the lowest peaks corresponded to cooking and frying. We estimated average PM2.5 and BC emission rates for each indoor activity reaching 22.19 μg s−1 during sweeping and 2.46 μg s−1 during burning of paraffin candles and incense sticks and were sensitive to different ventilation rates. Given that people spend substantial time in the home environment, especially with a future where remote work is likely to be further facilitated, identifying the activities and sources which lead to elevated indoor pollutants is crucial to limit indoor exposure. [Display omitted] •The influence of different household activities on the indoor PM2.5 and BC levels were analysed.•Indoor PM2.5 and BC concentrations exhibit different diurnal variations as compared to outdoors.•Household activities that gave the highest emission rates of PM2.5 and BC were sweeping and paraffin wax candle burning, respectively.•For both measured PM and BC concentrations, we find low correlations between indoor and outdoor levels.•Cooking is a major indoor source of PM2.5 but not of BC.