The Particular Matter of Welding

By: Nathan Fauth, Austin Reese, Callie Ling, and Riley Coyne

School:Whitefish High SchoolTeacher: Mr. Spangler

Graphs

First two days

Graphs

Pictures

Background and Intro

We were curious in how much the PM 2.5 level would raise during welding, woodshop, and CAD classes if at all.

Hypothesis

There will be a greater level of particulate matter 2.5 in the air when woodshop and welding are using the shop room.

Methods

1. On Monday, May 4 we set up the PM 2.5 machine on top of a shelf in the shop room towards the south western corner of the room.

2. We took pictures of the location of the machine and left it to run for the next forty-eight hours while recording the average PM 2.5 concentration in the air.

3. We then analyzed the data.

Materials

● DustTrako TrakPro Version 4.41o Model number: 8520o Serial number: 85202640

● WHS shop room● Apple Ipod Camera● Dell latitude laptop

Results

● Average: 0.071 (including after school hours)● Minimum: 0.002 (Woods II period 4)● Maximum: 5.828 (Welding III period 7)● Upon analyzing the data we discovered that the

PM 2.5 level did indeed increase during one class, welding. The results showed that not only did the PM 2.5 level raise but its highest point was almost six making the room extremely dangerous.

Discussion

● Our results show that only the welding class showed an increase in the PM 2.5 level

● The woodshop showed almost no increase in the PM 2.5

● The PM 2.5 level was beyond extremely high for the welding II/III classes

● Welding I showed a small increase in the PM 2.5 level, but only on certain days

● During Mr. Boyle’s prep period there was a sharp increase in the PM 2.5 levels

Discussion continued...● Our hypothesis was partially supported, we said that both

welding and woods classes would have an increase but it was mainly the welding II/III classes

● Our purpose was to gather a greater understanding of the air quality in the shop room throughout the day during different classes.

● Some possible errors that could have affected our data includeo location of the DustTrak metero analyzing the datao students messing with the metero overall average included the low PM level of after school

hours

ConclusionViewing the data, our hypothesis is partially supported. Only the welding class showed an increased PM 2.5 level whereas the woodshop class showed almost no increase. There was also a spike during the prep period where we assume Mr. Boyle was welding. Our information could enlighten the students working in the shop as well as Mr. Boyle, giving them a better understanding of the dangerous conditions that welding may produce. In conclusion, welding produced a dangerously high PM 2.5 level, while woodshop classes produced practically no PM 2.5. The high levels of PM 2.5 remained in the air for an extended period of time even after the welding class was over. This time could be evidence that the welding room doesn’t ventilate very well.

Improvements

● Talk to Mr. Boyle about what the different classes did during the period as well as his prep period

● Relocate the DustTrak to see if different locations gave different results

References

● "Mr. Todd Spangler." Whitefish High School. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.

● "Welding Emissions." Welding Emissions. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.

● "Basic Information." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.

A Special Thanks To...

● Mr. Boyle ● Mr. Spangler ● University of Montana

o Sponsoring the DustTrak machine

● Tony Wardo Professor of the University of Montana o Developer of the Clean Air and Healthy Homes

Project