title: Particle size distribution and PAH concentrations of incense smoke in a combustion chamber.
abstract: The particle size distribution and the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in incense smoke were studied using a custom-designed combustion chamber. Among the nine types of incense investigated, the particle and the total PAH emission factors varied significantly. The average mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the smoke aerosol was 262+/-49nm, which positively correlated to particle emission factor (mg/stick, p<0.05). Coagulation was a major mechanism that dictates the MMAD of the smoke. The total toxic equivalency (the sum of the benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentration) of the solid-phase PAHs (S-PAHs) was over 40 times higher than that of the corresponding gas-phase PAHs, indicating that the S-PAHs in incense smoke may pose potential health risk. Experiments show that each lowered percentage of total carbon content in the raw incense helped decrease the particle emission factor by 2.6mg/g-incense, and the reduction of S-PAH emission factor ranged from 8.7 to 26% when the carbon content was lowered from 45 to 40%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering National Cheng Kung University, 1, University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Ru
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ta-Chang
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Feng-Hsiang
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis*; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012906:Smoke; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen