Evaluation of Low-cost Aerosol and Gas Sensors for Real-time Measurements of Electronic Cigarette Exposure
SINAN SOUSAN, Dillon Streuber, Yoo Min Park, Vivien Coombs, Jack Pender, Eric Soule,
Department of Public Health, East Carolina University Abstract Number: 583
Working Group: Biomass Combustion: Outdoor/Indoor Transport and Indoor Air Quality
AbstractIndoor electronic cigarette (ECIG) use exposes bystanders to airborne PM
2.5 (particulate matter 2.5 µm and smaller) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To understand potential risks for bystanders, it is important to accurately measure real-time ECIG exposure. However, there is no study that evaluates the performance of low-cost sensors for real-time measurements of indoor ECIG aerosol concentrations. Thirty-two low-cost GeoAir2 monitors were used to detect ECIG-generated PM
2.5 and VOCs inside a controlled laboratory exposure chamber. The GeoAir2 was compared to an OPC-N3 low-cost monitor and the MiniWRAS and MiniRae reference instruments. Three ECIG devices (JUUL, NJOY Daily, and VOOPOO DRAG 2) were used to generate emissions using a pump programmed to puff based on ECIG-user puffing behaviors. The GeoAir2-measured PM
2.5 concentrations were similar to the raw MiniWRAS-measured concentrations data were close or on the 1-1 line for the JUUL, on the 1-1 line for concentrations lower than 200 µg/m3 for the NJOY Daily and overestimated for the VOOPOO DRAG 2 (mean correlation ≥ 0.97). The OPC-N3 significantly underestimated concentrations compared to the raw and filter-corrected MiniWRAS concentrations (mean correlation ≥ 0.98). The GeoAir2 VOC concentrations compared to the MiniRae were on the 1-1 line for the VOOPOO DRAG 2, overestimated for the JUUL and NJOY Daily (mean correlation ≥ 0.98). These results show that GeoAir2 is an effective tool for examining ECIG use in indoor settings, such as homes, vehicles, workplaces, vape shops, or other locations, to better understand bystander exposures to ECIG aerosol.