Determination of particle concentration rankings by spatial mapping of particle surface area, number, and mass concentrations in a restaurant and a die casting plant

Measurements using several exposure metrics were carried out in a restaurant and a die casting plant to compare the spatial distributions of particle surface area (SA), number, and mass concentrations and rank exposures in different areas by those metrics. The different exposure metrics for incidental nanoparticle and fine particle exposures were compared using the concentration rankings, statistical differences between areas, and concentration ratios between different areas. In the die casting plant, area concentration rankings and spatial distributions differed by the exposure metrics chosen. Surface area and fine particle number concentrations were greatest near incidental nanoparticle sources and were significantly different between three areas. However, mass and coarse particle number concentrations were similar throughout the facility, and rankings of the work areas based on these metrics were different from those of SA and fine number concentrations. In the restaurant, concentrations in the kitchen for all metrics except respirable mass concentration were significantly greater than in the serving area, although SA and fine particle number concentrations showed larger differences between the two areas than either the mass or coarse particle number concentrations. Thus, the choice of appropriate exposure metric has significant implications for exposure groupings in epidemiologic and occupational exposure studies.