Are you convinced that the air in your favorite restaurant is better than the air you breathe during a commercial flight? Think again. A newly reported study of air quality among indoor spaces such as stores, restaurants, offices, public transportation — and commercial jets — shows airplanes have the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles.
Supported by Delta Air Lines, the study first monitored 19 commercial flights in which measurements of aerosol particles took place throughout departure and arrival terminals, the boarding process, taxiing, climbing, cruising, descent and deplaning.
Delta then worked with Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, associate professor and Tanner faculty fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, to study indoor air quality inside Atlanta-based restaurants, stores, offices, homes and vehicles.
Ng found that the highest particle levels were found in restaurants, followed by stores, vehicles, homes and offices, while aircraft cabins had the lowest levels.
SOURCE: March 2, 2021 Science Daily