Investigating the Transport of Fine Particulate Matter from a Point-Source in a Multi-Story House with Different Modeling Approaches

Andrew Martin, Stephen Zimmerman, Liora Mael, Dustin Poppendieck, Delphine K. Farmer, MARINA VANCE, University of Colorado Boulder

     Abstract Number: 606
     Working Group: Indoor Aerosols

Abstract
This work investigates the transport of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in a multi-story test house using cooking emissions as a point source. The test house was outfitted with 13 PurpleAir PM_2.5 monitors, and particle sources included cooking (pan cooking and air frying) as well as ambient PM_2.5 penetration into the house during periods of no indoor activity. We then compared three different modeling approaches to predict PM_2.5 concentrations throughout the house: a box model, an empirical model, and the NIST CONTAM simulation tool. In the absence of indoor sources, we observed about 10 % of ambient PM2.5 concentrations penetrated indoors with a time lag of about 1 h. Similar peak PM_2.5 concentrations were observed for pan frying and air frying using the same ingredients. A cross-correlation analysis showed that it took 2 to 4 minutes for kitchen peak concentrations to reach other sensors on the first floor and about 8 minutes to the second floor. PM_2.5 concentrations were heterogeneous on the first floor, with peak concentrations reaching 45 ± 9 % relative to the kitchen. Concentrations on the second floor were much more homogeneous with concentration peaks reaching 18 ± 2 % relative to the kitchen. The highest PM_2.5 exposure was experienced in the kitchen/dining area, accounting for 9 % of the time spent at home and 44 % of the PM_2.5 exposure.