IAQ complaints are sometimes due to polluted outside air, poorly vented or leaking gas fired appliances, ventless heaters, high capacity copying machines, and cigarette smoke. Electric heaters may burn dust and cause irritants. Such pollution often showed itself by giving off high levels of ultrafines. These are extremely fine, almost gaseous, particles less than 0.1 micron in size. These are important respiratory and eye irritants.
MTS can check ultrafine levels with a PTRAK ultrafine meter. Spot readings or data logging can be performed. The PTRAK has also proven useful to check on effective filtration of HVAC units and from HEPA air scrubbers. We have found the PTRAK meter to be able to find the single smoker in an apartment building. Elevated ultrafine levels may occur when other parameters, such as carbon monoxide, show no noticeable increase.
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