Across Europe particle pollution is believed to reduce the average life expectancy by 8 months. Particles are all around us: In a clean house over 3,000 particles exist in every cubic centimetre.

Particles are a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended and transported in the air. Our air is a complex mixture of different sized particles: larger particles (those greater than 10 micrometers in diameter), fine particles, and ultra fine particles (UFPs; diameter less than 100 micrometres.

A strand of hair is about 50 micrometres in diameter. This is more than 100x larger than many of the particles in your house.

Particles are all around us. For example, in a clean house over 3,000 particles exist in every cubic centimetre. If you like large numbers UFP vehicle emissions are recently regulated at around 600,000,000,000 particles per kilometre driven. UFPs are typically man-made and generated from high temperature / pressure combustion, for example from vehicles, gas cookers, and furnaces.

Vehicles are the largest source of UFPs in urban environments.

The past 30 years have seen considerable scientific research into the short-term and long-term effects of exposure to ambient particle matter (PM). Exposure to particles can lead to mortality (death), increased admissions to hospital of people suffering from cardiovascular (heart) disease (attacks and strokes) and pulmonary (lung) disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis and asthma. Other compounds found on particulates, such as some hydrocarbons or metals, can cause cancer or poisoning. People who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of particulate pollution include the young, the old and those with existing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, who often find their symptoms worsen during episodes of high pollution.

The smaller-sized particles – those 10 micrometers or less in diameter (< 5x the diameter of a hair) tend to pose the greatest health concern because they can get deep into the lungs. These microscopic particles include:

• Ultrafine particles which are less than 0.1 micrometers (typically man-made and generated from high temperature / pressure combustion, for example from vehicles). These very tiny particles reach deep into the lung and may be absorbed into the blood stream or cause lung problems.
• Fine particles (also known as secondary particles). These are formed in the atmosphere due to both the chemical and physical processes that take place with the interactions of primary gaseous emissions (again the main source is the vehicle).
• Coarse particles above 2.5 micrometers in diameter and are trapped by mucus in the upper airways.

Larger particles – those greater than 10 micrometers in diameter – can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. But they are less likely to cause more serious problems since they usually do not get down into the lungs.

The most recent evidence from the UK Government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) suggests that some 29,000 deaths per year (4,000 in London alone) are brought forward by exposure to man-made particulate air pollution at current levels. Across Europe particles are believed to reduce the average life expectancy by 8 months.

Numerous experimental studies have characterised UFPs in individual cities, but an integrated evalution of emissions and populations exposure is still lacking. UFPs are an acknowledge risk to human health. Globally, the major source for urban outdoor UFP concentrations is motor traffic. Ongoing trends towards urbanisation and expansion of road traffic are anticipated to further increase population exposure to UFPs. That is why our technology focuses on UFP.

The only practical instrument for detecting ultrafine particles is a condensation particle counter (CPC), a device that ‘grows’ the small particles to a size large enough to be counted using conventional particle counting techniques.

The key to addressing UFPs in the home is to understand ventilation, sources (internal and external), and filtration options.

Contact us for more information.