Field tests of indoor air cleaners for removal of PM2.5 and PM10 in elementary school's classrooms in Seoul, Korea

It is important to control fine particles in children care centers, elementary schools, elderly care facilities and so on where vulnerable children and the aged stay during most of their time. This study has investigated $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ concentrations in two classrooms equipped with an air cleaner and two air cleaners, respectively and they were compared to those in a classroom without an air cleaner as well as those outdoors. Eight air cleaners which have various clean air delivery rates (CADRs) between 9.9 and $21.3m^3/min$ were tested in classrooms in two elementary schools in Seoul. Average $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ were $7.3{\pm}0.7$ and $45.5{\pm}4.1{\mu}g/m^3$ in classrooms equipped with an air cleaner and $4.2{\pm}0.6$ and $24.6{\pm}2.5{\mu}g/m^3$ in classrooms with two air cleaners, whereas they were $22.1{\pm}2.6$ and $109.1{\pm}9.6{\mu}g/m^3$ in classrooms without an air cleaner and $36.9{\pm}5.1$ and $74.1{\pm}10.6{\mu}g/m^3$ outdoors, respectively. $PM_{2.5}$ in classrooms could be reduced effectively by using an air cleaner or two air cleaners, because $PM_{2.5}$ was mainly infiltrated from outdoors, however $PM_{10}$ could not because $PM_{10}$ was mainly caused indoors by students' activities. Air cleaners were more effective for removal of $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ in classrooms with a high airtightness than those in classrooms with a relatively low one. Average $CO_2$ in classrooms was about 1500 to 2000 ppm for class hours dependent on the student number per a classroom, which was about 1.5 to 2 times higher than the standard, regardless of the use of air cleaner.

서울 초등학교 교실의 PM2.5 및 PM10 제거를 위한 학교용 공기청정기 실증