1. WICKed Science By Anna Peterson, Kate Streibich, Allie Schulz

2. The Question How does a burning candle affect the air quality in a confined space?

3. Background ●PM 2.5 consists of sulfates and nitrates, organic compounds, trace elements, elemental carbon, and water. Temperature inversions, wood stoves, power plants, heavy duty diesel engines, cars and trucks, non-road vehicles, forest fires, and industrial sources can cause PM 2.5. ●We spend about 85% of our time indoors. ●2.5 microns is about 1/20 of the size of a human hair ●The EPA limit for PM 2.5 is 0.035 mg/m3 for outdoor air and there is no limit for indoor air. ●A health concern related to PM 2.5 is Asthma

4. Background ●We enjoy having candles lit in our rooms and we were curious to see if this was affecting the air quality and our health. ●Candles are very popular in households

5. Hypothesis The PM 2.5 level will be higher while a candle is burning and lower when it is not lit.

6. Methods ●DustTrak in an enclosed bathroom ●30 minute intervals o 1: no candle lit o 2: one candle lit o 3: candle blown out and one window open

9. Results

10. Conclusions ●Hypothesis: The PM 2.5 level will be higher while a candle is burning and lower when it is not lit. ●Our results did not support our hypothesis o PM 2.5 level stayed around 0 before the candle was lit and during o PM 2.5 level raised to over 0.5 when the candle was blown out o PM 2.5 level went back to 0 after about 12 minutes of the window being open

11. Improvements ●Used several different types of candles o Candles with two or more wicks o Candles with different ingredients o Candles of different sizes o Candles with different types of wicks ●Run the tests for longer

12. References "Fine Particles (PM 2.5) Questions and Answers." Fine Particles (PM 2.5) Questions and Answers. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2015. "Frequent Questions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 22 May 2015. "OR." Air Info Now: What Is Particulate Matter. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.