ISO/TC 146/SC 6/WG 21 - Strategies for the measurement of airborne particles

This document specifies the measurement methods and strategies for determining the total number of airborne particles per unit volume of air indoor, using a condensation particle counter (CPC) for particles approximately between 10 nm to 3 µm. NOTE As the particle number concentration is usually dominated by the ultrafine particle (UFP) fraction, the obtained result can be used as an approximation of the UFP concentration. Quality assurance, determination of the measurement uncertainty and minimal reporting information are also discussed in this document. This document is applicable to indoor environments as specified in ISO 16000-1. This document does not address the determination of bioaerosols or the chemical characterization of particles. Nevertheless, some bioaerosols can be detected by the CPC and then contribute to the measured count of particles.

This document specifies the general strategies for determining the concentration of airborne particles indoors and covers the size range from approximately 1 nm to 100 µm. In addition, this document describes methods for identifying typical indoor particle sources and gives general recommendations for obtaining a representative sample. The main sources of indoor particulate matter are described in this document, together with indoor particle dynamics. Various measurement methods are described, along with their advantages, disadvantages and areas of application, as well as some general sampling recommendations. Measurement strategies for determining airborne particles indoors are discussed, including reference case studies with more specific sampling recommendations. Additional documents in the ISO 16000 series will focus on each fraction of airborne particulate matter and give specific recommendations for these measurements. The determination of measurement uncertainty and minimum reporting requirements are also part of this document. This document does not apply to the determination of bioaerosols or the chemical characterization of particles. For the measurement and assessment of dust composition, see the relevant part in the ISO 16000 series. This document does not apply to the measurement of airborne particles in vehicle passenger compartments and public transport systems.