10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Variability of PM and Bioaerosols at Diverse Indoor and Outdoor Locations in a Southern Tropical Indian Region
HEMA PRIYAMVADA, Priyanka C., Raj Kamal Singh, Akila M., Ravikrishna R., Sachin S. Gunthe, Clarkson University
Abstract Number: 1729 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract This study discusses the relationship and variations in the indoor-outdoor PM concentrations, size-resolved bioaerosol concentration, size distribution and diversity, I/O ratios of PM and bioaerosol, indoor bioaerosol emissions for five diverse yet commonly encountered locations. The PM2.5 and PM10 concentration trends were similar across all the indoor and outdoor locations investigated. Highest PM concentrations observed at the eatery was due to the elevated cooking activity and human movement induced floor resuspensions. The I/O mass concentration ratios of PM revealed a notable influence of outdoor PM in the indoor environment of laboratory. Variations in PM concentrations at indoor and outdoor environments were substantiated with ANOVA and chi-square p-values. Human occupancy also contributed to higher bioaerosol concentrations (>800 CFU m-3) in the indoor. The indoor-outdoor fungal aerosols concentration trends were similar across all locations. Fine to coarse bioaerosol fractions indicated an abundant presence of coarse mode bacteria and fungi amounting to >80% of the total cultivable bioaerosol load in all locations. DNA analysis revealed Bacilli and Gammaproteobacteria to dominate the bacterial aerosols while Cladosporium and Aspergillus dominated the fungal aerosols. Fungi contributed highest to the mass fraction of PM10 in comparison to bacteria, both indoor and outdoor. Highest bacterial emission rates were observed at air-conditioned room (4.85×105 CFU/h/person) and fungal emissions at the laboratory (4.60×105 CFU/h/person). Very few such studies of public health importance are available over Indian region with almost none, simultaneously investigating PM and bioaerosols of indoors over southern India.