title: Particulate Matter in the Air of the Underground Chamber Complex of the Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort.
abstract: This study evaluates the mass concentration and chemical composition of particulate matter (PM), collected in the chamber complex of the underground health resort located in the Wieliczka Salt Mine in southern Poland. Physical and chemical properties of PM were examined from the standpoint of their possible connection with therapeutic effects of the subterranean air in the mine. We found that in three underground spots we measured the average concentration of PM did not exceed 30 μg/m3. Chemical composition of PM was dominated by sodium chloride, making up 88 % of its mass, on average. It was shown that the underground ambient concentration of PM and its chemical composition depended mostly on the nature of the rock material present in the ventilation tunnel of the health resort, filtering the incoming air. The presence and effect of external sources of PM, including patients' activity, also had an impact on the underground PM concentration.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Wioletta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rogula-Kozłowska
authors.affiliation: Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort, 1 Park Kingi Street, Bldg. I, 32-020, Wieliczka, Poland. magdalena.kostrzon@kopalnia.pl.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kostrzon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Patrycja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rogula-Kopiec
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Artur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Badyda
mesh_terms: D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000295:instrumentation; D061808:Air Filters; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006294:Health Resorts; D006801:Humans; D008906:Mining; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011044:Poland; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000032:analysis*; D055161:Speleotherapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D012965:Sodium Chloride
keywords: Chemical composition; Dust; Health effects; Particulate matter; Salt aerosol; Speleotherapy; Subterraneotherapy