Airborne particle count report interpretation.
This article discusses the possible significance of different levels of indoor airborne particles - counts and test reports for the main categories of indoor particles likely to be found in air.
The photo just above illustrates using a Burkhard personal air sampler or PAS for sampling for outdoor airborne particle levels during
an AIR QUALITY STUDY San Miguel de Allende where we found high levels of non-fungal granular debris, principally soil dust.
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Here we provide a table of airborne particle counts vs. possible indoor air hazard thresholds for common particle types including animal dander, cellulose or fabric fibers, fiberglass, mold spores, pollen grains, and opaque particles that may be road dust or other inorganic or organic particles.
Photo: a rather fuzzy photo of a microscope slide showing part of a particle trace from an airborne particle sampler. Notice the wide range of particle shapes and sizes, from large fabric fibers and soot particles to much smaller particles yet to be focused upon.
[Click to enlarge any image]
For each particle type, we give a problem threshold level in counts per cubic meter, we describe the common causes of high particle levels, and we refer readers to more in-depth information for each particle type.
Airborne Particle Counts Indicating Possible IAQ Problems |
|||
Contaminant | Level cts/M3 |
Common Causes |
Comment |
Animal Dander | > 10,000 | High human/animal occupancy Inadequate fresh air ventilation Poor HVAC filtration Poor housekeeping |
|
Cellulose or Fabric Fibers |
> 1000 | High human occupancy High paper/fabric handling Poor housekeeping |
|
Fiberglass | > 100 | Ceiling tiles disturbed Renovation/demolition Insulation shedding |
FIBERGLASS FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - home |
Mold Spores | <1000 = typical background 1000-5000 = high >5000 = active indoor growth >10,000 = contamination |
Trapped moisture or History of leaks or Flooding or Inadequate remediation |
|
Pollen Grains | > 20 | Poor HVAC filtration High outdoor air infiltration Poor housekeeping |
|
Opaque Particles |
>5000 | High outdoor air infiltration Near active roadway Non-fungal granular Insulation shedding Soot or Copier Toner Poor housekeeping |
Above:
The variation in thickness of these air sampler particle traces, collected in a single location using an Allergenco sampling machine and using the same collection interval, demonstrate how small changes such as waving a notebook or walking across a carpet can make such a huge difference in airborne particle levels.
One can see the differences even in macro or gross from just looking at the density and width of the particle trace.
This sort of experiment is why we say that we find 3-4 orders of magnitude variation in airborne particle counts in the same location when there are even small changes in test conditions.
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