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Processes and Sources Determining the Composition of Indoor Aerosols
PETER F. DECARLO, Erin Katz, Anita Avery, Michael Waring, David Lunderberg, Allen Goldstein, Wyatt Brown, Jose-Luis Jimenez, Johns Hopkins University
Abstract Number: 673
Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract
While ambient particulate matter (PM) mass concentration remains the main metric for estimating human health impacts from PM exposure, both the location of exposure and composition remain under appreciated factors that may modulate the overall health impacts from PM. This presentation will draw upon results from several field measurement campaigns to explore compositional differences between outdoor and indoor PM and the sources and processes which modify the composition of indoor PM. Temperature and relative humidity gradients between the indoor and outdoor environment change the relative composition of outdoor sourced particles. Indoor activities such as cooking and cleaning can modify indoor aerosol composition. Finally, secondary chemistry with indoor occupants and off-gassing from material and surfaces add additional material and specific chemical species and classes to indoor aerosols. Since the majority of our time is spent in the indoor environment, processes described above play an important role in better characterizing human exposure to particulate matter.