title: Quantification and characterisation of suspended particulate matter in indoor air.
abstract: Quantification and characterisation of suspended particulate matter (SPM) from homes in the city of Oslo was carried out. In 29 households the dust concentrations were found to vary between 9 and 56 mug/m(3) (median value 26 mug/m (3)). In 12 of the 29 households, a thorough analysis was carried out to determine the size and element distribution of the particles using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray microanalysis (XRMA). The vast majority of the collected particles were less than 2.5 mum in diameter, i.e. they belonged to the fine fraction. In this fraction a considerable amount of soot and sulphur particles were found, usually less than 1 mum in diameter. The coarse fraction (particles > 2.5 mum in diameter) was found to consist mainly of organic material, silicates and larger soot aggregates. Both a thorough analysis of individual particles and a "bulk analysis" (i.e. recording XRMA spectra from whole grid masks) were performed, and the two methods were found to show good agreement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine. National lnstitution of Public Health. Oslo, Norwa.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ormstad
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Gaarder
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009664:Norway; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D004391:Dust