Abstract

We studied the amount of particulate matter dispersed in the air and received by a person and the heat index from incense burning in a room with and without ventilation and to study the relationship of each size of dust diffusion in the air from incense burning in a room with and without ventilation. Total concentrations of dust dispersed in the air was measured, for 10 μ  and 2.5 μ particles, with a personal air sampler and the heat index was measured with a heat stress monitor. Two rooms were studied: one small (4´8´2.6 m³) and one larger (8´8´2.6 m³). Common incense and a smokeless version were tested. Particulate matter and heat index was measured every 10 min over an 8 hour day. A sampler attached to a mannequin in the room estimated exposure by a person working in the room, so that TPM received by a person was measured continuously for 8 hours. (i) Every condition of the room studied did not exceed the TPM criteria specified by the Department of Health; (ii) TPM exposure by a person in an unventilated room was higher than that in a ventilated room; (iii) heat index measurements showed that incense burning alone was insufficient to significantly affect people in a 50 m³ space (iv) persons exposed to high TAM concentrations are also likely to be exposed to high levels of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. However, TPM, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations from incense burning were sufficiently well correlated that any one measurement would reasonably well predict the other two.

Keywords: Particulate matter, Incense burning, Rooms with and without Ventilation