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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Effectiveness of a portable air cleaner in removing aerosol particles in homes close to highways.

Authors: Cox, Jennie; Isiugo, Kelechi; Ryan, Patrick; Grinshpun, Sergey A; Yermakov, Michael; Desmond, Colleen; Jandarov, Roman; Vesper, Stephen; Ross, James; Chillrud, Steven; Dannemiller, Karen; Reponen, Tiina

Published In Indoor Air, (2018 Nov)

Abstract: Outdoor traffic-related airborne particles can infiltrate a building and adversely affect the indoor air quality. Limited information is available on the effectiveness of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration of traffic-related particles. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of portable HEPA air cleaners in reducing indoor concentrations of traffic-related and other aerosols, including black carbon (BC), PM2.5 , ultraviolet absorbing particulate matter (UVPM) (a marker of tobacco smoke), and fungal spores. This intervention study consisted of a placebo-controlled cross-over design, in which a HEPA cleaner and a placebo "dummy" were placed in homes for 4-weeks each, with 48-hour air sampling conducted prior to and during the end of each treatment period. The concentrations measured for BC, PM2.5 , UVPM, and fungal spores were significantly reduced following HEPA filtration, but not following the dummy period. The indoor fraction of BC/PM2.5 was significantly reduced due to the HEPA cleaner, indicating that black carbon was particularly impacted by HEPA filtration. This study demonstrates that HEPA air purification can result in a significant reduction of traffic-related and other aerosols in diverse residential settings.

PubMed ID: 30133950 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Air Conditioning/instrumentation*; Carbon; Environmental Monitoring; Housing*; Humidity; Particulate Matter/analysis*; Regression Analysis; Vehicle Emissions/analysis*

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