Vacuum cleaner as a source of abiotic and biological air pollution in buildings: a review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Vacuum cleaner is known as a proper way to remove settled dust or aerosols from surfaces to protect building occupants against abiotic and biological particles. In fact, the act of vacuuming the surface re-suspends a significant amount of dust and aerosols in the air. The other source of abiotic and biological particles could be the bag of cleaner and the motor of vacuum cleaner. The bag of the cleaners is the reservoir for microorganisms where they can grow, reproduce and become bio-aerosolized in case of penetration through the cleaner filtration system. Micro-organisms can disseminate from the bag, spread in the system and capture on the final filtration system where overshoot airflow can re-entrain the bioaerosol in the breathing zone which will cause catastrophe for all, especially those who are suffering from allergic and infectious diseases. The motor, due to arcing/abrasion of carbon, emits a significant number of nanoparticles, which can target our cardiovascular and respiratory organs. This review presents a summary of studies on vacuum cleaner and its effect on indoor air quality.