Monitoring of deposited particles in cultural properties: the influence of visitors

Dust deposition has been monitored internally in cultural properties at four different locations for up to one year using horizontally mounted glass slides. The influence of the number of people entering the buildings on internal dust deposition has been examined. The number of people entering a building could be related to the deposition rates near entrances and it was noted that where there was a large volume of air surrounding the monitoring point this effect was not observed. The effect of temperature and relative humidity on dust deposition were of no significance. It is proposed that catastrophic events produce a significant contribution to particulate levels. Suggestions have been made for alternative approaches to the technique.