Abstract
In this study, the salt concentration in indoor air was measured in several rooms of two aquariums in coastal areas, by trapping salt present in the air into water (impinger method) and detecting the ionic component concentration of the aqueous solution using ion chromatography. The results revealed that the salt concentration in the indoor air of aquariums located in coastal areas ranged from 1 to 230 μg/m3. The airborne salinity was higher in several rooms than that in the outdoor air, indicating that salt in the indoor air was generated from seawater surface of the aquarium tank. Moreover, the airborne salinity was greater when the sea-water surface area was larger based on the room size and when less volume of outdoor air was introduced in that room. This suggested that the difference in salt concentration between the rooms might be explained by the balance between salt generation from the indoor seawater tanks and ventilation. Consequently, salt generation in indoor tanks may contribute more to the presence of salt in the indoor air of aquariums in coastal areas than to the introduction of outside air.
