Resuspension of Indoor Particles Due to Human Foot Motion

Resuspended particles from flooring due to indoor human activities are believed to be one of the most important sources of particle matter (PM) compared to other indoor sources. In this work, particles resuspension due to human foot motion was studied in 50×25×25 cm environmentally controlled experimental chamber. Only the stepping down motion of the foot during the gait cycle is considered and modelled using an 8×22 cm rectangular plate which performs a rotation toward the floor. Temporal tracking of resuspended particles from representative samples of flooring materials is carried out with an Optical Particle Counters (Grimm 1.108). Resuspension source strengths estimated using the mass balance equation ranged from 0.05±0.005 s-1 to 0.5±0.05 s-1 and from 0.07±0.005 s-1 to 0.6±0.05 s-1 for smooth and rough linoleum, respectively. Results showed that resuspension source strengths increased with particle size. For all particle sizes, rough linoleum exhibited higher resuspension source strengths.