When Santa comes down the chimney, soot is just a small price to pay for all the great presents. In reality, soot removal is complicated, messy and possibly dangerous. “Soot” describes the fine black carbon particles caused by incomplete combustion of coal, oil, wood, or other fuels. In the home, the problem usually relates to unattended candles, careless cooking or a fireplace malfunction. Why Does Soot Spread? About 99 percent of particles in indoor air are too small to be seen individually, and many are so small they can only be seen with an electron microscope. These tiny pieces settle extremely slowly and are disrupted as air molecules “bump” into each other. The particles vary in size, density, and electrostatic charge. Deposition of the particles is most affected by surface electric charge, temperature, and moisture content. Since it is so small, soot can move a long distance from the source before being deposited. For example, heating appliances that do not have ...
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