Humans spend approximately 80% of their lifetime indoors, exposing themselves to indoor pollutants for prolonged periods. There has been considerable focus on outdoor and indoor air pollution sources in academic research. However, the mechanism of PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less) diffusion from outdoors to indoors, which governs indoor PM2.5 distribution, has been significantly overlooked. Human behaviours, particularly window opening habits, have a critical impact on the distribution of indoor PM2.5 concentration. We investigated the distribution of indoor PM2.5 under different natural ventilation conditions; furthermore, we quantified the health risks associated with PM2.5 inhalation. The results showed that natural ventilation modes have a substantial influence on the distribution of indoor PM2.5 through the vortex end of airflows, especially at different window opening angles. The thermal convection effect induced by radiators shifts indoor airflow, resulting in altered distribution of dust PM2.5 during winter. The excess carcinogenic risk for children due to indoor PM2.5 exposure during non-heating periods was higher for boys (1.12 × 10−6) as compared to girls (1.05 × 10−6). This study provides a useful perspective on the health effects of indoor PM2.5 pollution caused by dust aerosols on low-income groups.
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