What is The Size of Contaminants?
Very few people have an idea of the physical size of various contaminants. The naked human eye can see particles of 20 microns and above (1 micron is one millionth of a meter). Particles of size 0.03 to 19 microns are visible with a microscope and those of 0.001 to 0.02 microns only with an electron microscope. The approx. sizes (in microns) of some of the contaminants are given below.
| Contaminant | Size (microns) |
|---|---|
| Viruses | 0.003 - 0.05 |
| Bacteria | 0.03 - 30 |
| Spores | 10 - 40 |
| Pollen | 10 - 100 |
| Lint | 10 - 100 |
| Insecticides | 1 - 10 |
| Dust in buildings | 0.01 - 20 |
| Fumes | 0.001 - 0.1 |
| Industrial gases | 0.2 - 0.4 |
| Aerosols | 0.005 - 5 |
| Cement dust | 4 - 100 |
| Sand | 100 - 1000 |
| Soot | 0.01 - 0.15 |
| Lung damaging dust | 0.14 - 1.6 |
| Tobacco smoke | 0.01 - 1 |
| Human hair | 30 - 120 |
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