Abstract
To investigate characteristics of airborne PM10 in residences in Beijing City the indoor PM10 concentrations, morphology and size distribution were measured using a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray micro-analyser and image analysis. PM10 samples were collected in four homes and from the nearby outdoor environment during the winter season. The results showed that the mean 12-h indoor PM10 concentration was 109.9 g/m3 and the corresponding outdoor level was 179.8 g/m3. Indoor PM10 single particles were subdivided into 5 microscopic types according to their microscopic characteristics and morphologies and included soot aggregates, coal fly ash, mineral, biological and unresolved particles. Each particle type had a different contribution to the PM10 composition which were dominated by soot aggregates in both indoor and outdoor air. Numbersize distribution of PM10 in the residences displayed a bimodal pattern with peaks in 0.1 0.7 m and 1 2.5 m ranges. Coal fly ash exhibited a unimodal pattern in indoor and outdoor air with a peak in 0.1 0.5 m range. Mineral particles showed a bimodal number-size distribution in homes but in the outdoor air they exhibited a unimodal pattern perhaps because of the air temperature.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
