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Concentrations and sources of airborne particles in a neonatal intensive care unit

Licina, D and Bhangar, S and Brooks, B and Baker, R and Firek, B and Tang, X and Morowitz, MJ and Banfield, JF and Nazaroff, WW (2016) Concentrations and sources of airborne particles in a neonatal intensive care unit. PLoS ONE, 11 (5).

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Abstract

Premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have underdeveloped immune systems, making them susceptible to adverse health consequences from air pollutant exposure. Little is known about the sources of indoor airborne particles that contribute to the exposure of premature infants in the NICU environment. In this study, we monitored the spatial and temporal variations of airborne particulate matter concentrations along with other indoor environmental parameters and human occupancy. The experiments were conducted over one year in a private-style NICU. The NICU was served by a central heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system equipped with an economizer and a highefficiency particle filtration system. The following parameters were measured continuously during weekdays with 1-min resolution: particles larger than 0.3 μm resolved into 6 size groups, CO2 level, dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity, and presence or absence of occupants. Altogether, over sixteen periods of a few weeks each, measurements were conducted in rooms occupied with premature infants. In parallel, a second monitoring station was operated in a nearby hallway or at the local nurses' station. The monitoring data suggest a strong link between indoor particle concentrations and human occupancy. Detected particle peaks from occupancy were clearly discernible among larger particles and imperceptible for submicron (0.3-1 μm) particles. The mean indoor particle mass concentrations averaged across the size range 0.3-10 μm during occupied periods was 1.9 μg/m3 , approximately 2.5 times the concentration during unoccupied periods (0.8 μg/m3 ). Contributions of within-room emissions to total PM10 mass in the baby rooms averaged 37-81%. Near-room indoor emissions and outdoor sources contributed 18-59% and 1-5%, respectively. Airborne particle levels in the size range 1-10 μm showed strong dependence on human activities, indicating the importance of indoor-generated particles for infant's exposure to airborne particulate matter in the NICU.

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Details

Item Type: Article
Status: Published
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Licina, D
Bhangar, S
Brooks, B
Baker, R
Firek, Bbaf4@pitt.eduBAF4
Tang, X
Morowitz, MJmjm226@pitt.eduMJM226
Banfield, JF
Nazaroff, WW
Contributors:
ContributionContributors NameEmailPitt UsernameORCID
EditorShaman, JeffreyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Centers: Other Centers, Institutes, Offices, or Units > Magee-Women's Research Institute
Date: 1 May 2016
Date Type: Publication
Access Restriction: No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Journal or Publication Title: PLoS ONE
Volume: 11
Number: 5
DOI or Unique Handle: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154991
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: School of Medicine > Surgery
Refereed: Yes
Date Deposited: 31 Aug 2016 18:05
Last Modified: 22 Jun 2021 15:55
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/28234

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