Epidemiological studies have consistently shown an association between particulate air pollution and not only exacerbations of illness in people with respiratory disease but also rises in the numbers of deaths from cardiovascular and respirator y disease among older people. Meta-analyses of these studies indicate that the associations are unlikely to be explained by any confounder, and suggest that they represent cause and effect.
Submicron particles play a major role in soiling processes and contribute to corrosion, current leakage and shorts in electronic equipment. For more than a year, optical particle counters have been used to continuously measure the concentrations of submicron particles at a telecommunications facility in Southern California. Separate instruments have simultaneously sampled at four locations: the outdoor air intake, immediately upstream of the HVAC filters, immediately downstream of the HVAC filters, and inside the office.
Investigations of particle concentration levels and size distribution were conducted in the complex hospital system of the Royal Children's and the Royal Brisbane Hospitals in Queensland, Australia. The aim of the measurements was to provide an indication of particulate sources in the hospital environment and relate particle characteristics to the operating parameters of the hospitals. The measurements were performed using the most advanced instrumentation for size classification in the submicrometer and supermicrometer levels.
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