Measurement of the Electrostatic Charging State of Ambient Aerosols

摘要

Exposure to atmospheric aerosols is considered a serious concern for human health. To understand the adverse effects of PM more accurately, we need to know its physico-chemical properties such as agglomeration/ aggregation state, chemical composition, particle size, shape, solubility, dispersibility, surface chemistry, specific surface area, and charging state (ISO, 2012). In particular, it has been reported that the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract could be enhanced by the surface charge of PM (Ali et al., 2008; Cohen et al., 1998; Majid et al., 2012). Therefore, it has been suggested that the charging state of PM is important in understanding the intricate process of the effect of particle deposition on the human body. However, the number of field observation studies that measure the actual charging state of aerosol particles is quite limited. This study aimed to measure the electrostatic charging state of ambient aerosols.