Indoor and outdoor measurements of vertical concentration profiles of airborne particulate matter

Vertical concentration profiles of various particle size ranges of airborne particulate matter were measured from ground level up to 3 m, in outdoor and indoor environments. Indoor measurements were carried out in an electronics workshop, while two outdoor environments were chosen: a street canyon cutting across a town and an open field situated in a semi-rural environment. The novel measurement technique employed in this experimental work, which can also be used to determine vertical concentration gradients of pollutants other than airborne particles in different environments, is given particular attention. Analyses of the collected data for the environments considered are presented and some conclusions and plausible explanations of the profiles are discussed. The workshop and street canyon environments exhibited larger concentrations and vertical concentration gradients as compared to the sports field. This indicates that people breathing at different heights are subjected to different concentrations of airborne particulate matter, which has implications for siting air pollution monitors intended for protection of public health and estimation of human exposure.