Back to Search Start Over

Effectiveness of Air Filtration in Reducing PM 2.5 Exposures at a School in a Community Heavily Impacted by Air Pollution.

Authors :
Thompson, McKenna
Castorina, Rosemary
Chen, Wenhao
Moore, David
Peerless, Kyle
Hurley, Susan
Source :
Atmosphere. Aug2024, Vol. 15 Issue 8, p901. 20p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Reducing children's exposure to air pollution is a priority among California communities heavily impacted by air pollution exposures. We conducted an observational air quality study at a school to investigate the effectiveness of improved Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) system filters and portable air cleaners (PACs) in reducing children's exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under real-world classroom conditions. This study included five classrooms, three of which had PACs. Halfway through the study period, high-efficiency HVAC filters were installed in all five classrooms. Continuous measurements of outdoor and in-classroom PM2.5 concentrations were used to evaluate filtration effectiveness. The air filtration strategies, alone and in combination, demonstrated 14–56% reductions in indoor PM2.5 concentrations compared to outdoor levels. There were significant improvements in filtration resulting from HVAC filter upgrades in the two classrooms without PACs (11% and 22% improvement, p < 0.001). Upgrading HVAC filters in classrooms with PACs did not significantly improve filtration effectiveness, suggesting that utilizing both strategies simultaneously may not meaningfully improve air quality under these circumstances. CO2 data, as a proxy for ventilation, helped demonstrate that the observed filtration effectiveness was likely impacted by the variable HVAC system use and open doors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20734433
Volume :
15
Issue :
8
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Atmosphere
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
179355456
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080901