Organic and elemental carbon bound to particulate matter in the air of printing office and beauty salon

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine the role of internal sources of emissions on the concentrations of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) and its sub-fraction, so-called respirable PM (PM4; fraction of particles with particle size ≤ 4 µm) and to estimate to which extent those emissions participate in the formation of PM-bound elemental (EC) and organic (OC) carbon in two facilities -one beauty salon and one printing office located in Bytom (Upper Silesia, Poland). The average concentration of PM in the printing office and beauty salon during the 10-day measurement period was 10 and 4 (PM4) and 8 and 3 (TSP) times greater than the average concentration of PM fractions recorded in the same period in the atmospheric air; it was on average: 204 µg/m 3 (PM4) and 319 µg/m 3 (TSP) and 93 µg/m 3 (PM4) and 136 µg/m 3 (TSP), respectively. OC concentrations determined in the printing office were 38 µg/m 3 (PM4) and 56 µg/m 3 (TSP), and those referring to EC: 1.8 µg/m 3 (PM4) and 3.5 µg/m 3 (TSP). In the beauty salon the average concentration of OC for PM4 and TSP were 58 and 75 µg/m 3 , respectively and in case of EC -3.1 and 4.7 µg/m 3 , respectively. The concentrations of OC and EC within the those facilities were approximately 1.7 (TSP-bound EC, beauty salon) to 4.7 (TSP-bound OC, printing office) times higher than the average atmospheric concentrations of those compounds measured in both PM fractions at the same time. In both facilities the main source of TSP-and PM4-bound OC in the indoor air were the chemicals -solvents, varnishes, paints, etc.

Factors determining the concentration and chemical composition of particulate matter in the air of selected service facilities

“…The PM mass was determined by gravimetric analyses using a microbalance (resolution of 1 μg) (Radwag; Radom, Poland) [3,13,15,16]. The contents of OC and EC in PM was determined using a thermal-optical analyzer Lab OC-EC Aerosol Analyzer (Sunset Laboratories Inc.; Portland, OR, USA) and the measurement procedure EUSAAR [5,13,16]; while the ions contents in the PM water extracts was analyzed using ion chromatography (Metrohm AG; Herisau, Switzerland) [3,13,16].…”

“…Some of the service facilities which provides a particular service are a significant sources of internal pollutants emission. These are among others printing offices and beauty salons [13,14]. In such places, due to the type of activity, high ambient concentrations of various organic pollutants can be expected.…”

“…Considering the presence of high concentrations of PM in the Silesia urban agglomeration and a relatively high concentrations of PM-bound carbon and some other components of PM [15,16], it was reasonable to investigate the effects of the activities carried out in these facilities on the formation of PM and PM-bound carbonaceous matter, ions and selected metals.…”