RT journal article
T1 Indoor/Outdoor Particulate Matter and Related Pollutants in a Sensitive Public Building in Madrid (Spain)
A1 Alonso-Blanco, E.
A1 Gómez-Moreno, F. J.
A1 Díaz-Ramiro, E.
A1 Fernández, J.
A1 Coz, E.
A1 Yagüe, C.
A1 Román Cascon, Carlos
A1 Gómez-Garre, D.
A1 Narros, A.
A1 Borge, R.
A1 Artíñano, B.
A2 Física Aplicada
K1 indoor air quality
K1 indoor/outdoor ratio
K1 hospital
K1 black carbon
K1 ultrafine particle number concentration
K1 particulate matter
AB According to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air quality (IAQ) is becominga serious global concern due to its significant impact on human health. However, not allrelevant health parameters are currently regulated. For example, particle number concentration(PNC) and its associated carbonaceous species, such as black carbon (BC), which areclassified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), arenot currently regulated. Compared with IAQ studies in other types of buildings, studiesfocusing on IAQ in hospitals or other healthcare facilities are scarce. Therefore, this studyaims to evaluate the impact of these outdoor pollutants, among others, on the indoorenvironment of a hospital under different atmospheric conditions. To identify the seasonalinfluence, two different periods of two consecutive seasons (summer 2020 and winter 2021)were selected for the measurements. Regulated pollutants (NO, NO2, O3, PM10, and PM2.5)and nonregulated pollutants (PM1, PNC, and equivalent BC (eBC)) in outdoor air weresimultaneously measured indoor and outdoor. This study also investigated the impact ofindoor activities on indoor air quality. In the absence of indoor activities, outdoor sourcessignificantly contribute to indoor traffic-related pollutants. Indoor and outdoor (I-O) measurementsshowed similar behavior, but indoor concentrations were lower, with peak levelsdelayed by up to two hours. Seasonal variations in indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios werelower for particles than for associated gaseous pollutants. Particle infiltration dependedon particle size, with it being higher the smaller the particle size. Indoor activities alsosignificantly affected indoor pollutants. PMx (especially PM10 and PM2.5) concentrationswere mainly modulated by walking-induced particle resuspension. Vertical eBC profilesindicated a relatively well-mixed environment. Ventilation through open windows rapidlyaltered indoor air quality. Outdoor-dominant pollutants (PNC, eBC, and NOX) had I/Oratios ≥ 1. Staying in the room with an open window had a synergistic effect, increasingthe I/O ratios for all pollutants. Higher I/O ratios were associated with turbulent outdoorconditions in both unoccupied and occupied conditions. Statistically significant differenceswere observed between stable (TKE ≤ 1 m2 s−2) and unstable (TKE > 1 m2 s−2) conditions, except for NO2 in summer. This finding was particularly significant when the wind directionwas westerly or easterly during unstable conditions. The results of this study highlightthe importance of understanding the behavior of indoor particulate matter and relatedpollutants. These pollutants are highly variable, and knowledge about them is crucial fordetermining their health effects, particularly in public buildings such as hospitals, whereinformation on IAQ is often limited. More measurement data is particularly importantfor further research into I-O transport mechanisms, which are essential for developingpreventive measures and improving IAQ.
PB MDPI
SN 1660-4601
YR 2025
FD 2025-07-25
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38697
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38697
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-nov-2026