On-site measurement and simulation of indoor particulate matter distributed in a single room with stratified flow field

Abstract

This study combined on-site measurement and model simulation to characterize the spatial distribution of indoor particulate matter (PM) in a single room with stratified flow fields. The concentration of PM spatially distributed in a single room with natural ventilation was measured at different heights for different PM sizes. This study revealed that the PM concentration varied with height and time. Moreover, chamber test results showed that by burning Chinese worship incense, fine particles (PM0–4) accounted for 97.33% of total PM with an average emission factor of 39.54 mg/g. The results were then applied to determine the gross emission of PM and describe its spatial distribution in a single room. Model simulation results indicated that only a small amount of PM flowed out of the room due to the trap by an indoor vortex under natural ventilation. The results are crucial for characterizing the stratified PM concentration and determining the sites for PM monitoring in indoor environments.