In-flight particulate matter concentrations in commercial flights are likely lower than other indoor environments.

Rivera-Rios, Jean C; Joo, Taekyu; Takeuchi, Masayuki; Orlando, Thomas M; Bevington, Tracy; Mathis, John W; Pert, Cliffton D; Tyson, Brandon A; Anderson-Lennert, Tyler M; Smith, Joshua A; Ng, Nga Lee

Air quality in indoor environments can have significant impacts on people's health, comfort, and productivity. Particulate matter (PM; also referred to as aerosols) is an important type of air pollutant, and exposure to outdoor PM has been associated with a variety of diseases. In addition, there is increasing recognition and concern of airborne transmission of viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), especially in indoor environments. Despite its importance, indoor PM data during the COVID-19 pandemic are scarce. In this work, we measured and compared particle number and mass concentrations in aircraft cabins during commercial flights with various indoor environments in Atlanta, GA, during July 2020, including retail stores, grocery stores, restaurants, offices, transportation, and homes. Restaurants had the highest particle number and mass concentrations, dominated by cooking emissions, while in-flight aircraft cabins had the lowest observed concentrations out of all surveyed spaces.