Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

The role of condensation and coagulation in aerosol monitoring

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 11, pages 441–448 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

We derive general-purpose mathematical model for pollution concentration studies. The model is based on the aerosol general dynamic equation (GDE). It accounts for aerosol processes like coagulation and growth by deposition and is therefore suited for suspended-particle monitoring. Our model is validated by controlled experiments done using standard aerosol monitoring devices that measure PM10, particle cross section, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAHs) and number concentration, showing an excellent agreement with the experimental data in a 77-m3 room with a time sequence of cigarettes smoked. As an example of an application, we calculated the mean PPAH emission rate in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for a “smolder-smoked” cigarette and found it to be 8 ng/s for a total emission of 5.28 μg per cigarette. The results show that real aerosol dynamics should be taken into account when monitoring suspended particles.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. For detailed assumptions and experimental validation of the mass balance method, refer to Ott et al. (1992).

References

  • Bömmel, H, Li-Weber, M, Serfling, E, and Duschl, A . The environmental pollutant pyrene induces the production of IL-4. J Allergy Clin Immunol (2000) 105(4)796–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brauer, M, Hirtle, R, Lang, B, and Ott, W . Assessment of indoor fine aerosol contributions from environmental tobacco smoke and cooking with portable nephelometer. J Exposure Anal Environ Epidemiol (2000) 136–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burtscher, H, and Siegmann, HC . Monitoring PAH-emissions from combustion processes by photoelectric charging. Combust Sci Technol (1994) 101: 327–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Denissenko, MF, Pao, A, Tang, M, and Pfeifer, GP . Preferential formation of benzo[a]pyrene adducts at lung cancer mutational hotspots in p53. Science (1996) 274: 430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dubowsky, S, Wallace, LA, and Buckley, TJ . The contribution of traffic to indoor concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Exposure Anal Environ Epidemiol (1999) 9: 312–321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedlander, SK . Smoke, Dust, Haze. Oxford University Press, New York 2000

    Google Scholar 

  • Godleski, JJ, Sioutas, C, Katler, M, and Koutrakis, P . Inhalation of concentrated ambient air particles in animal models of pulmonary disease. Proceedings of the 2nd Colloquium on Particulate Air Pollution and Human Health vol. 4 1996 pp. 136–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasper, M, Keller, A, Paul, J, Siegmann, K, and Siegmann, HC . Photoelectron spectroscopy without vacuum: nanoparticles in gas suspension. J Electron Spectrosc Relat Phenom (1999) 98–99: 83–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, A, and Siegmann, K . Effects of second-order processes in aerosol monitoring. J Aerosol Sci (2001) 32: 1235–1247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klepeis, NE, Ott, WR, and Switzer, P . A multiple smoker model for predicting indoor air quality in public lounges. Environ Sci Technol (1996) 30(9)2813–2820

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leuenberg, P et al. Swiss study on air pollution and lung diseases in adults. Final Report to the Swiss Nat. Res. Foundation (1995

  • Ott, W, Langan, L, and Switzer, P . A time series model for cigarette smoking activity patterns: model validation for carbon monoxide and respirable particles in a chamber of an automobile. J Exposure Anal Environ Epidemiol (1992) 2 (suppl 2) 175–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Ott, W, Wilson, N, Klepeis, N, and Switzer, P . Real-time monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and respirable suspended particles from environmental tobacco smoke in a home. Proceedings of the International Symposium, Measurement of toxic and Related air Pollutants, Durham, NC, Report No. VIP-39, Air and Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, NTIS PB-94-20956 (1994)

  • Qian, Z, Siegmann, K, Keller, A, Matter, U, Scherrer, L, and Siegmann, HC . Nanoparticles air pollution in mayor cities and its origin. Atmos Environ (2000) 34: 443–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weingartner, E, Keller, C, Stahel, WA, Burtscher, H, and Baltensperger, U . Aerosol emission in a road tunnel. Atmos Environ (1997) 31: 451–462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank W. Ott for suggesting this project and for the interesting and helpful discussions. A. Keller acknowledges CONACyT for support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Combustion Aerosols and Suspended Particles, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, CH—8093, Switzerland

    A KELLER & H C SIEGMANN

Authors
  1. A KELLER
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H C SIEGMANN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A KELLER.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KELLER, A., SIEGMANN, H. The role of condensation and coagulation in aerosol monitoring. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 11, 441–448 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500187

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500187

Keywords

Search

Advanced search

Quick links