Parametric Evaluation of Indoor Particulate Matters in Elementary Schools in the Central Parts of Tehran

The objective of this work was to evaluate the indoor-outdoor particle size distribution in elementary schools located in central parts of Tehran and to evaluate those parameters that could be influencing the indoor particles concentrations in the classrooms. Concentrations of particles including PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0, as some of the main air pollutants in Tehran, were measured in the schools, during winter 2009. It was found that the average indoor concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 were 274 mu g/m(3), 42 mu g/m(3) and 19 mu g/m(3), respectively, while the outdoor concentrations for these particles were 140 mu g/m(3), 38 mu g/m(3) and 22 mu g/m(3), respectively. The main factors influencing indoor particle pollution were found to be the outdoor concentrations of the particles and the physical activity of the students, but other factors such as the differences between indoor and outdoor temperatures, class size dimensions and types of boards in the classrooms had negligible effects.