AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Aerosol Movement and Deposition into Hidden Interior Spaces Within a Full-Scale Test House
MENGJIA TANG, Ningling Zhu, Kerry Kinney, Atila Novoselac, University of Texas at Austin
Abstract Number: 759 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Hidden, unmaintained spaces within buildings serve as reservoirs for particulate matter that may become resuspended during occupancy. While previous research has examined how particles from hidden areas such as wall cavities and crawl spaces can move into a building, much less is known about aerosol transport to hidden interior spaces. The objective of the current study was to measure the transport of indoor aerosols generated in one room to a variety of hidden interior spaces including closets, cabinets and drawers. To this end, a series of seven aerosol (3.2 µm fluorescent particles) and tracer gas injection experiments were completed in a 120 m2 full-scale test house. The movement and deposition of the traceable particles in the open visible spaces as well as the hidden interior spaces were determined using a fluorescent stereoscope to quantify the concentration of particles collected on glass slides placed throughout the house. An additional six tracer gas experiments were also completed to measure the circulation between selected indoor hidden spaces and the surrounding rooms. The results of the study indicate that the injected particles were deposited on horizontal surfaces throughout the house in both the open and hidden spaces. While the particles readily penetrated into closets with closed doors, at least one percent of the injected aerosol penetrated into more sealed spaces such as closed drawers within closed cabinets. Interestingly, air and particle movement between the hidden spaces and adjacent rooms were unaffected by mechanical ventilation. Temperature differences (e.g., buoyancy forces) may be an important contributor to the movement of air and particles into and out of hidden spaces but additional studies will be required to elucidate these factors further.