A Comparison Study of Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality in Nanjing, China

ABSTRACT Because humans spend much of their time in indoor microenvironments, the air quality indoors has attracted significant attention. This study simultaneously conducted real-time indoor observations and comprehensive outdoor measurements of O3, CO and PM2.5 in suburban Nanjing in eastern China from September to December 2018. The O3, CO and PM2.5 exhibited median indoor concentrations of 3.2 ppb, 395.8 ppb and 17.3 µg m–3, respectively, based on measurements in a room with closed windows and relatively regular daily indoor human activity, and median outdoor values of 30.5 ppb, 386.1 ppb and 37.2 µg m–3, resulting in median indoor-outdoor (I/O) ratios of 0.14, 1.01 and 0.46. Moreover, the indoor concentrations traced the outdoor variations with correlations of approximately 0.68, 0.82 and 0.82 for the O3, CO and PM2.5, respectively. During pollution episodes, the indoor O3 and PM2.5 concentrations reached about 30 ppb and 130 µg m–3, respectively. Both meteorological conditions (e.g., wind speed or relative humidity) and human activity indoors influenced the relationships between the indoor and outdoor concentrations, including the I/O ratios and time lag. A simplified indoor-outdoor mass-balance equation was developed to simulate the indoor concentrations, and the predictions fitted the observed data for most of the testing period, especially after considering the human activity indoors and limited penetration of particles. This study enhances our understanding of the indoor-outdoor relationships for gaseous and particulate matter concentrations in polluted areas such as the Yangtze River Delta and highlights the urgent need for improving indoor air quality in the megacities of China.