Researchers now have access to sufficiently-developed measuring methods

Dec 7, 2011 07:50 GMT  ·  By

All house appliances and tools produce ultrafine particles, structures that can be as small as a single DNA molecule. In a new study, experts in the United States wanted to see how much of these particles a typical home produces, and what their spatial distribution patterns are.

The study lasted for 75 days, and was conducted at a 340-square-meter (1,500-square-feet) test house on the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Investigators were tracking how these ultrafine particles are released and distributed through their environment, as well as their ultimate fate. Due to advancements in measuring technologies, particles with diameters ranging from 2.5 to 100 nanometers could be tracked.

Some of the sources the team focused on included power tools, candles, hair dryer, both gas and electric stoves, as well as other tools and appliances. Details of the study were published in the November 15 online issue of the journal Aerosol Science and Technology.

The paper is called “Evolution of ultrafine particle size distributions following indoor episodic releases: Relative importance of coagulation, deposition and ventilation,” and is authored by NIST research scientists Donghyun Rim, Lance Wallace, and Andrew Persily and Korean expert Jung-II Choi

“If we can understand and predict the dynamics of these extremely small indoor air contaminants, designers and equipment manufacturers can avoid potential negative impacts on the environment inside homes and buildings and may even devise ways to improve conditions and save energy at the same time,” says Persily, an engineer at NIST.

There is currently growing interest in this area of research, especially among environmental and health experts. These specialists see ultrafine particles as potential triggers or catalysts for numerous processes, including several diseases.

At the same time, the study will help engineers trying to make heating and cooling systems more energy-efficient without sacrificing human safety for this objective. At this point, the effects that new generations of such systems have on the human body are unknown.

The team explains that such small particles are also produced naturally, especially during wildfires and volcanic eruptions. Internal combustion engines and fossil fuel power plants are also primary sources of ultrafine matter.

These particles are however very difficult to detect, since they are so very small. Yet, the fact that they influence both our health and the environment is incontestable.