Authors:

An Dang

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

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About Paper:

Infants are prone to dust inhalation and ingestion through various indoor activities, including crawling, which can stir dust ladened with chemical and biological agents into the air and may settle in the infant's breathing zone. Considering that dust adhesion to an infant's palm and its deposition in their respiratory system depends on dust quantity, size, and morphology, it's vital to study the physical properties of indoor settled dust. This study aims to examine the variation in indoor dust mass loadings and their particle size distributions, density, and morphology across diverse home environments in the U.S., encompassing both suburban homes in West Lafayette/Lafayette and urban homes in New York. Indoor dust samples were collected from homes with infants using a standardized vacuum protocol, while questionnaires about occupants' activities were also administered. Preliminary results indicate dust mass loading on carpets was significantly higher than on hardwood across urban and suburban locations. Additionally, dust mass loading was found to be the highest in the entryway, followed by the living room, and least in the bedroom. Supplemental density analysis of dust collected from vacuum bags shows a size-dependency in dust true density implying a variation in composition across different dust sizes. Future research will analyze dust particle size distribution, imaging, morphology, and density data. The correlation between this data and questionnaire responses will provide an understanding of how the home environment impacts indoor settled dust, aiding in modeling infant dust ingestion.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

An Dang