Opportunities Arising from COVID-19 Risk Management to Improve Ultrafine Particles Exposure: Case Study in a University Setting

Particulate matter (PM) is recognized as a leading health risk factor worldwide, causing adverse effects for people in living and working environments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was shown that ultrafine particles (UFP) and PM concentrations, may have played an important role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to investigate whether the mechanical ventilation system installed as a COVID-19 mitigation measure in a university dining hall can be effectively and sustainably used to improve indoor UFP exposure levels, integrated with a continuous low-cost sensor monitoring system. Measurements of particle number concentration (PNC), average diameter (Davg), and Lung Deposited Surface Area (LDSA) were performed over three working days divided into ten homogeneous daily time slots (from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm) using high-frequency (1 Hz) real-time devices. PM and other indoor pollutants (CO2 and TVOC) were monitored using low-cost handheld sensors. Indoor PNC (Dp < 700 nm) increased and showed great variability related to dining activities, reaching a maximum average PNC level of 30,000 part/cm3 (st. dev. 16,900). Davg (Dp < 300 nm) increased during lunch and dinner times, from 22 nm at night to 48 nm during post-dinner recovery activities. Plasma-based filter technology reduced average PNC (Dp < 700 nm) by up to three times, effectively mitigating UFP concentrations in indoor environments, especially during dining hall access periods. It could be successfully adopted also after the pandemic emergency, as a sustainable health and safety control measure to improve UFPs exposure levels.