Indoor Air Pollution: Analysis of Particulate Matter Levels in Selected Environments in the Czech Republic in 2023-24

MSc. Victoria Zueva

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

This study assesses indoor air pollution by analyzing particulate matter (PM) number and mass concentrations in various indoor environments in Prague, Czech Republic, during the summer of 2023 and the winter of 2024. The research aims to elucidate the dynamics of PM, given its potential health risks, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular problems, considering the significant time individuals spend indoors. Residential apartments, workplaces, and transport settings were selected as study sites. Two portable instruments, an Optical Particle Sizer spectrometer (OPS, model 3330) and an Ultrafine Particle Counter (P-Trak, model 8525), were employed for PM measurements, focusing on PM sizes ranging from 0.01 to 10 micrometres (μm). Activities such as cooking and cleaning, known for their potential to generate PM indoors, were selected for analysis. The influence of window ventilation was examined alongside outdoor PM comparison. Findings revealed noticeable variations in PM number and mass concentrations across different settings and activities, with levels often exceeding recommended thresholds, especially during cooking and cleaning. The observed difference between background levels with no activity and cooking/cleaning was up to 96%. PM produced by cooking persisted for up to 4 hours, resulting in prolonged personal exposure to pollution. Observed variations underscore potential health risks, particularly in environments with poor ventilation or during activities generating high PM levels. The study emphasizes the need for enhanced indoor air quality management and reviews strategies to mitigate exposure to particulate matter. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on indoor air quality, highlighting the importance of monitoring and regulating indoor environments to safeguard public health. It calls for targeted policy interventions and further research into effective PM mitigation strategies in indoor environments where personal exposure to air pollution is much worse than outside.

Keywords

PM2.5, PM10, IAP, Indoor environment, Particulate matter, IAQ, health impact

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 28. 3. 2024

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. Pavla Dagsson Waldhauserová, Ph.D.
• Reader: Michala Lustigova, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Environmental Sciences

Bachelor programme:
Environmental Engineering