Properties of Particulate Matter in the Air of the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Related Health Benefits for Tourists

Karolina Bralewska, Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska, Dominika Mucha, Artur Jerzy Badyda, Magdalena Kostrzon, Adrian Bralewski and Stanisław Biedugnis
Additional contact information
Karolina Bralewska: Safety Engineering Institute, The Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego Street, 52/54, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland
Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska: Safety Engineering Institute, The Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego Street, 52/54, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland
Dominika Mucha: Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska Street, 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland
Artur Jerzy Badyda: Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska Street, 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland
Magdalena Kostrzon: Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort, Park Kingi Street, 1, 32-020 Wieliczka, Poland
Adrian Bralewski: Faculty of Safety Engineering and Civil Protection, The Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego Street, 52/54, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland
Stanisław Biedugnis: Safety Engineering Institute, The Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego Street, 52/54, 01-629 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the mass concentration of size-resolved (PM 1 , PM 2.5 , PM 4 , PM 10 , PM 100 ) particulate matter (PM) in the Wieliczka Salt Mine located in southern Poland, compare them with the concentrations of the same PM fractions in the atmospheric air, and estimate the dose of dry salt aerosol inhaled by the mine visitors. Measurements were conducted for 2 h a day, simultaneously inside (tourist route, passage to the health resort, health resort) and outside the mine (duty-room), for three days in the summer of 2017 using DustTrak DRX devices (optical method). The highest average PM concentrations were recorded on the tourist route (54–81 µg/m 3 ), while the lowest was in the passage to the health resort (49–62 µg/m 3 ). At the same time, the mean outdoor PM concentrations were 14–20 µg/m 3 . Fine particles constituting the majority of PM mass (68–80%) in the mine originated from internal sources, while the presence of coarse particles was associated with tourist traffic. High PM deposition factors in the respiratory tract of children and adults estimated for particular mine chambers (0.58–0.70), the predominance of respirable particles in PM mass, and the high content of NaCl in PM composition indicate high health benefits for mine visitors.

Keywords: particulate matter; salt aerosol; salt mine microclimate; particle mass size distribution; health effects; health resort (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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