AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Molecular Composition and Phase Partitioning of Indoor Organic Aerosol Measured during the Atmospheric Composition and Reactivity from Outdoor aNd Indoor Mixing (ACRONIM) Study
CLAIRE FORTENBERRY, Michael Walker, Audrey Dang, Arun Loka, Gauri Date, Karolina Cysneiros de Carvalho, Glenn Morrison, Brent Williams, Washington University in St Louis
Abstract Number: 565 Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry
Abstract Although the average person spends most of his/her time indoors, relatively little information exists on the chemical composition, transport, and fate of organic aerosol (OA) present in indoor air. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from paint, varnishes, cleaning products, and other common household items can undergo oxidation and subsequent partitioning into the particle phase, driving formation of OA that can deposit in the airways and lungs. Knowledge of the chemical composition and oxidative evolution of indoor OA is therefore critical for informing exposure estimations and future building and ventilation standards.
The Atmospheric Composition and Reactivity from Outdoor aNd Indoor Mixing (ACRONIM) Study was conducted during the summer of 2016 to investigate the impacts of natural ventilation (i.e. window opening and closing) and human activities (i.e. cooking, cleaning) on the chemistry of indoor particles and gases within a typical single-family residence. The suite of instruments deployed during this campaign include a Thermal desorption Aerosol Gas chromatograph (TAG), sorption tubes for offline gas chromatographic analysis of VOCs, a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), and online gas monitors for evaluation of O3, NOx, and CO concentrations. Measurements were taken alternately indoors and outdoors to evaluate key differences between indoor and outdoor aerosol composition.
We present results obtained during the ACRONIM study, with special emphasis on chemical speciation data provided by the TAG. Phase partitioning of indoor and outdoor OA components, many of which are semi- and intermediately volatile, are approximated using the TAG denuder difference method. Finally, changes in chemical speciation are evaluated in the context of current knowledge of indoor OA reaction pathways.