Combined Experimental and Simulation Studies for Potential Classification of Inorganic and Organic Suspended Particulates in Indoor Air

Here, we study light scattering from silica aerosol normally present in indoors and have developed a strategy to detect the particle size in a field-deployable low-cost manner. The results obtained from our developed setup show significant consistency with commercially available instruments. Our numerical simulation studies on various types of aerosols indicate that the distinction of the aerosols can be made by using the scattering of light at various detected wavelengths. Classification (inorganic/organic) of the aerosol, along with their size in the indoor air, is very important for respiratory health; however, its inclusion in the contemporary assessment of the air quality index is missing.