Effect of Air Flow on Dust Particles Resuspension From Common Flooring

Particle resuspension from flooring in connection with increased indoor air pollution was studied. Earlier efforts hypothesized that during the gait cycle, high speed airflow is generated at the floor level that would lead to particle resuspension. The details of the mechanism of the particle resuspension, however, are not well understood. Earlier models were mainly developed for spherical particle detachment from smooth surfaces, but in reality, dust particles are irregular in shape and have a wide size distribution. The resuspension of dust particles thus depends on their shape and size and the nature of their contact with the surface. In this work, a wind tunnel study of dust particle resuspension from common flooring was performed and the critical air velocities for particle detachment were measured. The main goal of the present experimental work is to understand the main mechanism of dust particle resuspension under real conditions by systematically investigating a range of airflow speeds. The other goal of the study is to provide information on the role of the airflow on dust particle detachment from common floorings.