Indoor and Outdoor Particle Number Concentration in the Sapienza University Campus of Rome

Alessandro Di Menno di Bucchianico, Mariacarmela Cusano, Raffaela Gaddi, Alessandra Gaeta, Gianluca Leone, Fabio Boccuni, Riccardo Ferrante, Armando Pelliccioni and Giorgio Cattani
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Alessandro Di Menno di Bucchianico: ISPRA—Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
Mariacarmela Cusano: ISPRA—Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
Raffaela Gaddi: ISPRA—Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
Alessandra Gaeta: ISPRA—Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
Gianluca Leone: ISPRA—Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
Fabio Boccuni: INAIL—Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Riccardo Ferrante: INAIL—Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Armando Pelliccioni: INAIL—Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Giorgio Cattani: ISPRA—Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: Exposure to ultrafine particles has been associated with short- and long-term effects on human health. The object of this paper was to assess Particle Number Concentration (PNC) and size distribution in a university environment and study the indoor/outdoor relationships. Measurements were carried out using co-located (indoor/outdoor) condensation particle counters and size spectrometers during two seasonal periods characterized by different meteorological conditions at five selected classrooms different for size, capacity, floor and use destination. PNC was dominated by particles in the ultrafine mode both indoor and outdoor. The indoor/outdoor ratios were on average between 1 and 1.2 in the summer and between 0.6 and 0.9 in the winter. Mostly the differences found among classrooms could be related to the condition of use (i.e., crowding, natural air exchange, air conditioning, seasonality). Only little differences were found among PNC measured immediately outside the classrooms. Based on information taken during the measurement campaigns, on the classrooms condition of use, it was possible to assess as a source of indoor particles in the coarse mode, the presence of students and teachers.

Keywords: ultrafine particles; particle number concentration; indoor measurements; particle modal size; indoor-outdoor ratios; source strength (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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