"Ultrafine Dust Generation 'When Changing Clothes' 3.8 Times Higher Than Usual"

Fides Development, National Land Environment Sustainability Forum & Ajou University Department of Architecture Collaborate on 'Apartment Fine Dust Measurement Study'
Living Lab Established in Actual Apartment, Air Quality Data Collected for 3 Months Using 24 Sensors
"Measured 56 μg/㎥ Normally, 210 μg/㎥ When Changing Clothes, 477 μg/㎥ During Cooking"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Ultrafine dust generated when changing clothes was found to be 3.8 times higher than usual.

Pides Development announced on the 1st the results of a study measuring ultrafine dust in apartments, conducted jointly with the National Land Environment Sustainability Forum and the Department of Architecture at Ajou University. This research was conducted as part of the smart housing development initiative.

The ultrafine dust generated when changing clothes was analyzed to be 210 μg/㎥, which is 3.8 times higher than the usual level (56 μg/㎥). The ultrafine dust level returned to the previous state 30 minutes after changing clothes.

A representative of the joint research team stated, "It was found that a significant amount of ultrafine dust is generated even when changing clothes," adding, "While interest in health is increasing, there is not much research data on environmental factors such as ultrafine dust generated in daily life. We hope this research result will contribute to creating healthier spaces."

Meanwhile, ultrafine dust generated when grilling meat reached 1658 μg/㎥ when grilling with the door closed. When the door was opened for natural ventilation, it was 477 μg/㎥; with the kitchen fan operating, 528 μg/㎥; and with the air purifier operating, 838 μg/㎥. A research official explained, "When grilling meat with the door closed, ultrafine dust increased 29.6 times compared to usual levels. Opening the door for natural ventilation results in 8.5 times, operating the kitchen fan results in 9.4 times, and running the air purifier results in 14.9 times the usual levels."

This survey was the first phase of the two-year "Smart Housing Development Project," measuring indoor ultrafine dust changes under various scenarios over three months earlier this year. A living lab was established in a 19-story small apartment about 10 years old, where a total of 25 sensors measuring temperature, humidity, fine dust, and carbon dioxide were installed for the investigation. Data was collected on a server and analyzed through deep learning for fast and accurate results.

Furthermore, this research, promoted as part of the Smart Housing Development Project, plans to conduct more in-depth studies on fine dust, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and power consumption.

Kim Hee-jung, head of the R&D Center at Pides Development, said, "Due to COVID-19, demand for spaces with enhanced health, safety, and environmental factors is increasing, making it a pressing task for the residential development industry to create clean spaces that filter out harmful external elements such as viruses and ultrafine dust." She predicted, "Strengthening ventilation facilities in dressing rooms or installing systems to remove dust may become common." She added, "There could be wardrobes with ultrafine dust filtering functions, ventilation mirrors, kitchen fans with large dust processing capacity, and kitchen air purifiers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.