Particle Counters Could Leave Your Business in the Dust 2019 IAQA Annual Meeting

Transcription

1 Henry Slack Slack Engineering Particle Counters Could Leave Your Business in the Dust

2 Acknowledgements Chandler Milhollin, Amber Davis, and others at EPA Region 4 who helped me think through these ideas

3 What This Isn t Content This ISN T - A comprehensive look at different machines or ways to count particles - A seminar on ways to test for particles - A list of handheld devices for investigations - A criticism of any company or device

4 What This Is (hopefully) Content A review of why particles (PM) are important, especially focused on health effects An open discussion on the limitations of data and devices, and how we may discuss these limits with customers and the public

5 Basic IAQ For many pollutants, IAQ testing often does not identify Content the problem or action to be taken Testing is satisfying if results lead to action: - If result is above X, we take Action A - Below X, we don t take that action Much testing is a snapshot of conditions. How is continuous PM monitoring different?

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7 Particle Basics Content Officially they are round. (They re not) EPA regulates 10 micron and 2.5 micron, aka PM10 & 2.5, or coarse and fine

8 Size is Inclusive Content PM10 is everything < or = 10 microns PM2.5 is everything < or = 2.5 microns Particles are not spherical. Aerodynamic diameter means It behaves like that size

9 y Content

10 Why is PM Size Important? Our airways can remove particles >3 microns Content PM2.5 penetrate to the lungs and cause health effects, especially cardiovascular

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12 PM Study: 6 Cities Content Harvard 6 Cities Study in 1993 related PM2.5 and overall mortality rates, finding a 3 year difference in life expectancy based on which city you lived in!

13 ESCAPE Study (Europe) The European ESCAPE study (312,944 people, 9 countries) found that there was no safe level of particulates. For every increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM10, the lung cancer rate rose 22%. PM2.5: 36% increase in lung cancer per 10 μg/m3

14 More Research Changes in daily mortality associated with particulate air pollution were typically estimated at approximately % per 10 µg m 3 increase in PM10 concentrations (Pope, C.A. (2000). Review: Epidemiological basis for particulate air pollution health standards. Aerosol Sci. Technol. 32: ) PM2.5 exposure was associated with lung cancer and cardiovascular deaths

15 LBNL Chronic Health IAQ Study J. Logue et al. researched radon, secondhand smoke, some VOCs, and EPA s NAAQS pollutants PM2.5 ranked most hazardous by far Secondhand smoke and radon ranked #2, #3 Logue et al, A Method to Estimate the Chronic Health Impact of Air Pollutants in U.S. Residences LBNL-5267E \

16 Sources of PM2.5? Viruses, bacteria, cat allergens, house dust mite allergens, some mold spores Suspended and settling atmospheric dust Dust, fly ash, oil smoke, tobacco smoke, soot, smog (Wikipedia,

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18 How to Measure PM? EPA developed Total Mass method Equipment costs $ thousands EPA s standards are based on these methods

19 Particle Counters are Popular Probably 10+ manufacturers $150-$300 or so Many varieties: with lights, alerts to a phone, datalogging, etc. Responses differ: measuring gas flame PM, or frying bacon? Most not designed for re-calibration

20 Counters are not the EPA test EPA regulations use mass, counters use numbers No definite relation between mass levels and counts! Depends HUGELY on particle type! Particle counters cannot show violation of EPA regs Counters cannot identify an unhealthy level, only a high level

21 Another LBL Study Tested particle counters from 7 companies to a variety of common sources (cooking, candles, cigarettes, incense, heating oil, etc.) and compared to standard test device One device was termed not responsive and two others did poorly None responded well to 0.3 micron particles only

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23 "After closing up the house, turning off ventilation fans, and operating any filtration that is available including the central forced air system if it has a good filter the IAQ monitor can give you an idea if these measures are effectively cutting particle levels in your home. - Brett Singer, co-author

24 Can "Big Data serve PM? Idea of Big Data: hundreds of monitors in an area sharing results with each other (or a central database) Could show a plume of smoke spreading, or other changes in PM Most counters will be indoors, muting responses to outdoor pollution

25 Problems with Big Data Received: 50 measurements by Firm X devices, avg level 1200 AND 50 measurements from Firm Y devices, avg level 600 Which device is more trustworthy? Who aggregates numbers? What if devices are from 10 different firms? Can we allow RELATIVE difference to show pollution? Monday s average was 100. Tuesday s was 1,000. Why? How can these results lead to action?

26 Wearable Sensors? Small, lightweight, may strap, clip or pin on Could be attached to a cell phone (but need way to avoid measuring while in a pocket or bag) Device might give alerts in some conditions to suggest wearing respirator or other protective measures

27 Practice I: Respond to Consumer Device Person calls you. Their home particle counter showing much higher number than before. Wants IAQ investigation done!

28 Response I -A First, check outdoor air readings from EPA s Web site. Indoor levels follow outdoor levels. Does it appear that the source could be outdoors? Do you know of other particle counters you could check? (A use for Big Data!)

29 Response I -B Next, did anything change at the home? Did heating season start? Is a neighbor burning wood? New cooking or hobby activities? Pet shedding? Candles? Tobacco use? Vaping? Vacuum cleaner issues?

30 Response I -C Conduct an inspection, conceivably using your own particle counter, or with other tools. Look as always for water damage, VOC sources, and anything that looks out of the ordinary. Be aware of human factors. Particle monitoring showed a peak like a cigarette being smoked. Only one person was in the house at that time, a teenager. Busted!

31 Response I for Commercial Bldg In commercial building, besides the details for homes, particle counts may be linked to a change in ventilation system (outdoor air shut down or other problem)

32 Practice II: Respond to Wearable Parent puts wearable monitor on kid s backpack Kid goes to school (or camp, or sports) and monitor shows a high level Parent calls you as a professional. What do you say?

33 My responses to a Parent No need to panic. Monitors are not perfect. May be reason to investigate. How much higher is this relative to regular readings? Consider possible sources: Vaping or Smoke exposure? School bus diesel? Campfire? Dust in attic? Air pollution? School project? Greatest concern usually is chronic exposure, not one-time event. (But children with asthma might be affected from such exposure.) Absolute particle counts are not sufficiently accurate to necessarily relate to health effects.

34 Conclusions PM hurts our health Consumer-grade particle counters are available; some work well Experienced professionals can help interpret results and solve problems

35 THANK YOU for your participation!

36 Questions? Henry Slack