Wildfires are commonly seen over the summer in Southern California. In the event of wildfire, many pollutants such as VOC and particles are released into the air. The increased level of air pollutant, especially the fine particular matter, leads to many serious health problems such as reduced lung function, asthma and heart attack. It is very important to monitor the concentration and composition of airborne particles in the event of wildfire. The air inside two buildings on California State Polytechnic University Pomona campus were collected through a URG air sampler from spring to fall of 2013 and 2016 when wildfire occurred. The collected PM2.5 was extracted with DI water and analyzed by ion chromatography with conductivity detection. Preliminary data indicated the presence of fluoride, formate, nitrite, nitrate and sulfate anions in the collected samples with various concentrations. However, all anions in the PM2.5 collected from the indoor air were in the safety level for human beings. Overall, a slightly higher concentration in those anions was observed when there was an event of wild fire in the adjacent area than no wildfire in the field.

Investigation of inorganic anions in indoor airborne particular matter during SoCal wildfire season

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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