Ultrafine particle emissions from cigarette smouldering, incense burning, vacuum cleaner motor operation and cooking

• Main Authors: Chan, T. C., Wu, C. L., Chao, Christopher Y. H., Sze-To, G. N., Wan, M. P.
• Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/85517; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/16715
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Combustion activities such as cigarette smouldering, incense burning and cooking are important sources of particulate matters (PM) in indoor environments. Vacuum cleaning contributes to the non-combustion-related sources of PMs. In this study, we investigated the rates at which ultrafine particles (UFPs) are emitted from cigarettes, incenses and vacuum cleaners in a small test chamber. UFP emission from cooking was obtained by conducting experiments in a residential kitchen. Particle number concentrations and size distributions from these sources were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and the UFP emission rates were then determined using a material balance approach. The mean UFP emission rates of cigarette smouldering and incense burning were found to be 3.36 ± 0.34 and 0.44 ± 0.33 × 1011 particles min−1 in terms of the number emission rate, or 22.78 ± 1.21 and 3.48 ± 2.98 × 1015 nm2 min−1 in terms of the surface area emission rate, respectively. Vacuum cleaner motor operation and cooking showed high variations in UFP emission, in the ranges 0.013–0.066 and 4.70–148.29 × 1011 particles min−1, respectively. A database of emission rates for UFP sources can be compiled, which will be useful in estimating the UFP concentration and subsequent human exposure.