Indoor dust and hot surface contact: Biological effects in vitro of heated dust and heat-generated emissions
Abstract
Electrical heaters are common in homes, day-care centres and offices in Norway and other coldclimate-countries. Indoor dust settling on surfaces of heaters is likely to become heated once the device is switched on. This may lead to a well-known characteristic smell of “burned dust”. Such heating is also likely to occur on other surfaces in the indoor environment, e.g., light fixtures and electrical appliances.
This thesis has been a part of the multidisciplinary project “Indoor environment- health effects of aerosols and settled dust”. The project was established in order to characterise the physical and chemical changes of the dust caused by heating (subproject 1) and to investigate the biological effects of indoor dust subjected to heat including the emissions (subproject 2). Two doctoral students and two supervisors (Olav Bjørseth and Tore Syversen) were part of the project group representing the fields of technology and toxicology. Professionals within occupational medicine, chemistry and ventilation were available for advice and discussions.
The two subprojects have resulted in two independent, but closely related doctoral theses. Dr.Ing. Ellen Katrine Pedersen completed her thesis ‘Dust in the indoor environment. Physical and chemical changes due to hot surface contact’ in 2001. The present thesis is concerned with the biological effects of indoor dust subjected to heat.
Has parts
Mathiesen, M; Pedersen, EK; Syversen, T; Bjørseth, O. Finding a suitable in vitro system for testing differences in biologic effects of settled household dust. Proceedings of Indoor Air '99. 4: 1122-1127, 1999.Mathiesen, M; Pedersen, EK; Bjørseth, O; Egeberg, KW; Syversen, T. Heating of indoor dust causes reduction in its ability to stimulate release of IL-8 and TNFα in vitro compared to non-heated dust. Indoor Air, 2004.
Mathiesen, M; Pedersen, EK; Urfjell, B; Bjørseth, O; Syversen, T. Emissions from heated indoor dust. Atmospheric Environment. 37(31): 4345-4352, 2003.
Mathiesen, M; Pedersen, EK; Bjørseth, O; Syversen, T. Emissions from indoor dust inhibit proliferation of A549 cells and TNFα release from stimulated PBMCs. Environment International, 2004.