Can one use ambient air concentration data to estimate personal and population exposures to particles? An approach within the European EXPOLIS study

The objective of this paper is to devise a way to facilitate the use of fixed air monitors data in order to assess population exposure. A weighting scheme that uses the data from different monitoring sites and takes into account the time-activity patterns of the study population is proposed. PM2.5 personal monitoring data were obtained within the European EXPOLIS study, in Grenoble, France (40 adult non-smoking volunteers, winter 1997). Volunteers carried PM2.5 personal monitors during 48 h and filled in time-activity diaries. Workplaces and places of residence were classified into two categories using a Geographic Information System (GIS): some volunteers' life environments are seen as best represented by PM10 ambient air monitors located in urban background sites; others by monitors situated close to high traffic density sites (proximity sites). Measurements from the Grenoble fixed monitoring network using a TEOM PM10 sampler were available across the same period for these two types of sites (PM10block and PM10prox). These data were used to compute a translator parameter deltai that forces the measured PM2.5 personal exposures (PM2.5persoi) to equate the average PM10 urban ambient air concentrations ([PM10back + PM10prox]/2) measured the same days. Average deltai was 4.2 microg/m3 (CI95%[-3.4; 11.9]), with true average PM2.5 personal exposure being 36.2 microg/m3 (28.2; 44.1). PM10 ambient levels at the proximity site and at the background site were respectively PM10prox = 43.8 microg/m3 (37.1; 50.6) and PM10back = 37.0 microg/m3 (31.8; 42.3). In order to assess the consistency of this approach, six scenarios of 'proximity' and 'background' environments were accommodated, according to traffic intensity and road distance. Deltai was estimated for the entire EXPOLIS population and for subgroups, using terciles based on the percentage of time spent in proximity by each subject. Other similar studies need to be conducted in different urban settings, and with other pollutants, in order to assess the generalizability of this simple approach to estimate population exposures from air quality surveillance data.     

Predicting personal exposure of pregnant women to traffic-related air pollutants

As epidemiological studies report associations between ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes, it is important to understand determinants of exposures among pregnant women. We measured (48-h, personal exposure) and modeled (using outdoor ambient monitors and a traffic-based land-use regression model) NO, NO(2), fine particle mass and absorbance in 62 non-smoking pregnant women in Vancouver, Canada on 1-3 occasions during pregnancy (total N=127). We developed predictive models for personal measurements using modeled ambient concentrations and individual determinants of exposure. Geometric mean exposures of personal samples were relatively low (GM (GSD) NO=37 ppb (2.0); NO(2)=17 ppb (1.6); 'soot', as filter absorbance=0.8 10(-5) m(-1) (1.5); PM(2.2)=10 microg m(-3) (1.6)). Having a gas stove (vs. electric stove) in the home was associated with exposure increases of 89% (NO), 44% (NO(2)), 20% (absorbance) and 35% (fine PM). Interpolated concentrations from outdoor fixed-site monitors were associated with all personal exposures except NO(2). Land-use regression model estimates of outdoor air pollution were associated with personal NO and NO(2) only. The effects of outdoor air pollution on personal samples were consistent, with and without adjustment for other individual determinants (e.g. gas stove). These findings improve our understanding of sources of exposure to air pollutants among pregnant women and support the use of outdoor concentration estimates as proxies for exposure in epidemiologic studies.     

Contribution of indoor and outdoor environments to PM2.5 personal exposure of children--VESTA study

Several studies among adult populations showed that an array of outdoor and indoor sources of particles emissions contributed to personal exposures to atmospheric particles, with tobacco smoke playing a prominent role (J. Expo. Anal. Environ. Epidemiol. 6 (1996) 57, Environ. Int. 24 (1998) 405, Arch. Environ. Health 54 (1999) 95). The Vesta study was carried out to assess the role of exposure to traffic emissions in the development of childhood asthma. In this paper, we present data on 68 children aged 8-14 years, living in the metropolitan areas of Paris (n = 30), Grenoble (n = 15) and Toulouse (n = 23), France, who continuously carried, over 48 h, a rucksack that contained an active PM2.5 sampler. Data about home indoor sources were collected by questionnaires. In parallel, daily concentrations of PM10 in ambient air were monitored by local air quality networks. The contribution of indoor and outdoor factors to personal exposures was assessed using multiple linear regression models. Average personal exposure across all children was 23.7 microg/m3 (S.D. = 19.0 microg/m3), with local means ranging from 18.2 to 29.4 microg/m3. The final model explains 36% of the total between-subjects variance, with environmental tobacco smoke contributing for more than a third to this variability; presence of pets at home, proximity of the home to urban traffic emissions, and concomitant PM10 ambient air concentrations were the other main determinants of personal exposure.     

Residents' particle exposures in six different communities in Taiwan

Exposure assessment studies for particulates have been conducted in several U.S. and European cities; however, exposure data remain sparse for Asian populations whose cultural practices and living styles are distinct from those in the developed world. This study assessed personal PM(10) exposure in urban residents and evaluated PM(10) indoor/outdoor levels in communities with different characteristics. Important factors of personal PM(10) exposure in Taiwan were explored. Sampling was conducted in 6 communities in Taiwan, two in each of the three major metropolitan areas. Up to nine non-smoking volunteers in each community carried personal samplers for 24 h. The geometric means (GM) of PM(10) in personal, indoor and outdoor samples were 76.3 microg/m(3) (geometric standard deviation, GSD=1.8), 73.4 microg/m(3) (GSD=1.5), and 85.8 microg/m(3) (GSD=1.7), respectively. It was found that outdoor levels rather than indoor levels contributed significantly to personal exposure. The important exposure factors include the time spent outdoors and on transportation, riding a motorcycle, passing by factories, cooking or being in the kitchen, and incense burning at home. Motorcycle riding and the proximity to factories are related to the special living and housing characteristics in Taiwan, while incense burning and Chinese cooking are culture-related. Motorcyclists experienced an average of 27.7 microg/m(3) higher PM(10) than others, while subjects passing by a factory were exposed to an average of 38.4 microg/m(3) higher PM(10) than others. Effective control and public education should be applied to reduce the contribution of these PM exposure sources.     

Exploratory investigation of the chemical characteristics and relative toxicity of ambient air particulates from two New Zealand cities

We examined the chemical composition and biological response associated with particulate emissions from the two largest cities in New Zealand, Auckland and Christchurch. The organic and water-soluble fractions were isolated from the particulate matter (PM). The organic fraction was examined for PAH content, direct mutagenicity, CYP1A1 induction, and cytotoxicity and TNF-α release in RAW264.7 macrophages. The water-soluble fraction was examined for metal content, and cytotoxicity and TNF-α release in RAW264.7 macrophages.Particulate, PAH and water-soluble metal concentrations were all higher in PM collected from Christchurch, being highest in May-July when woodburners for home heating are widely in use. In contrast, PM from Auckland showed the highest concentrations in March, but PAH and metal concentrations were highest in July. We found marked differences in the biological response elicited by ambient air PM: the organic extracts of Christchurch PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ showed higher mutagenicity and CYP1A1 induction compared with PM₁₀ from Auckland. In contrast, water-soluble extracts of Auckland PM were more cytotoxic and resulted in greater TNF-α release than those from Christchurch PM, although they had a lower metal content. The organic fraction of PM from both cities did not induce any cytokine release, and the organic extract from Auckland samples showed no cytotoxicity; smaller PM mass was available for testing for these samples. Biological responses typically occurred at lower doses of the organic extract, indicating that organic components may be more important in eliciting effects than water-soluble components.Preliminary apportionment of the biological responses to the dominant sources of PM in both cities-woodburners and vehicles-was undertaken. This indicated that for both cities, vehicles have a greater contribution to the direct mutagenic activity of ambient PM than woodsmoke, despite a lower contribution to ambient PM. In contrast, woodsmoke is estimated to have a greater contribution to CYP1A1 induction of ambient PM. The calculated activity forms only a small proportion of the activity observed in extracts of ambient PM from Christchurch, particularly for mutagenicity, and may indicate a significant influence of atmospheric transformation processes on biological response. Only data for mutagenicity and CYP1A1 activity could be used for apportionment as low and/or variable cytotoxicity or TNF-α release response were obtained for either the individual source or ambient PM at the doses tested. Further, in the case of the water-soluble extracts from Auckland, additional components are suggested to have a role in the observed activity.     

Spatial heterogeneity of personal exposure to airborne metals in French urban areas

The spatial distribution of urban population exposures to ambient air particles was investigated as part of the Genotox'ER study conducted in four metropolitan areas (Grenoble, Paris, Rouen and Strasbourg) in France. In each city, 60 to 90 non-smoking adult and children volunteers were selected. Subjects lived in three different urban sectors: one highly exposed to traffic emissions, one influenced by local industrial sources, and a background urban environment. The Harvard Chempass multi-pollutant personal sampler was used to sample PM10 and PM2.5 particles during 48 h during two different seasons ('hot' and 'cold'). The elemental composition of the filters was analysed by Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). Sixteen elements were found to be over the method detection limits: Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb. The relative concentrations of elements of crustal origin (Si, Al, Ca) were higher in the coarse fraction of PM10 filters, while elements associated with combustion processes (traffic emissions or industrial combustion) presented higher relative concentrations in the PM2.5 fraction (S, Ni, V, Pb). Spatial heterogeneity of elemental exposures by urban sector is substantial for some metals of health concern, with 20% to 90% greater exposure values, on average, in the traffic proximity or industrial sectors, compared to the background sector, for Fe, Zn, Cu, V and Cr. This spatial heterogeneity should not be overlooked in epidemiological or risk assessment studies.     

Measuring the exposure of infants and children to indoor air pollution from biomass fuels in The Gambia

Indoor air pollution (IAP) from biomass fuels contains high concentrations of health damaging pollutants and is associated with an increased risk of childhood pneumonia. We aimed to design an exposure measurement component for a matched case-control study of IAP as a risk factor for pneumonia and severe pneumonia in infants and children in The Gambia. We conducted co-located simultaneous area measurement of carbon monoxide (CO) and particles with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) in 13 households for 48 h each. CO was measured using a passive integrated monitor and PM(2.5) using a continuous monitor. In three of the 13 households, we also measured continuous PM(2.5) concentration for 2 weeks in the cooking, sleeping, and playing areas. We used gravimetric PM(2.5) samples as the reference to correct the continuous PM(2.5) for instrument measurement error. Forty-eight hour CO and PM(2.5) concentrations in the cooking area had a correlation coefficient of 0.80. Average 48-h CO and PM(2.5) concentrations in the cooking area were 3.8 +/- 3.9 ppm and 361 +/- 312 microg/m3, respectively. The average 48-h CO exposure was 1.5 +/- 1.6 ppm for children and 2.4 +/- 1.9 ppm for mothers. PM(2.5) exposure was an estimated 219 microg/m3 for children and 275 microg/m3 for their mothers. The continuous PM(2.5) concentration had peaks in all households representing the morning, midday, and evening cooking periods, with the largest peak corresponding to midday. The results are used to provide specific recommendations for measuring the exposure of infants and children in an epidemiological study. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Measuring personal particulate matter (PM) exposure of young children in epidemiological studies is hindered by the absence of small personal monitors. Simultaneous measurement of PM and carbon monoxide suggests that a combination of methods may be needed for measuring children's PM exposure in areas where household biomass combustion is the primary source of indoor air pollution. Children's PM exposure in biomass burning homes in The Gambia is substantially higher than concentrations in the world's most polluted cities.     

Intraurban variations of PM10 air pollution in Christchurch, New Zealand: implications for epidemiological studies

Epidemiological studies relating air pollution to health effects often utilise one or few central monitoring sites for estimating wider population exposures to outdoor particulate air pollution. These studies often assume that highly correlated particulate concentrations between intraurban sites equate to a uniform concentration field. Several recent studies have questioned the universal validity of this assumption, noting that in some cities, the uniformity assumption may lead to exposure misclassification in health studies. Few studies have compared central fixed site concentrations to intraurban population background sites using actual monitored data in cities with higher levels of pollution. This research examines daily concentration variations in particulate matter less than 10 microm in diameter (PM10) at the neighbourhood scale over two winter months in Christchurch, New Zealand, a city with high winter pollution concentrations. Daily concentrations of PM10 data were collected for two winter months at ten background monitoring sites within 9.3 km of the central fixed monitoring site typically used for estimating exposure in epidemiological studies. Results indicate that while the correlation between PM10 concentrations measured at the central monitoring site and most background sites is strong (r>0.76), absolute daily concentration differences between the central monitoring site and population background sites were substantial (mean 90th percentile absolute difference=17.6 microg m-3). In Christchurch, a central monitoring site does not therefore appear to accurately depict wider area population exposures to PM10. Local intraurban variations in particulates should be well understood before applying central monitoring site concentrations as proxies for population exposure in epidemiological studies.     

The Significance and Characteristics of the Personal Activity Cloud on Exposure Assessment Measurements for Indoor Contaminants

The influence of personal activity sources on exposure to indoor contaminants is defined and demonstrated using data from occupational and residential studies. The ratios of measurements from personal exposure monitors to those made by microenvironmental exposure monitors are summarized to be typically 3 to 10 for occupational settings and 1.2 to 3.3 for residential settings. The ratios are shown to be lognormally distributed, and dependent primarily on the proximity of the source to the receptors. Current models are reviewed for possible application to the prediction of indoor concentration gradients and future model development and validation studies are suggested.     

Source apportionment of population representative samples of PM(2.5) in three European cities using structural equation modelling

Apportionment of urban particulate matter (PM) to sources is central for air quality management and efficient reduction of the substantial public health risks associated with fine particles (PM(2.5)). Traffic is an important source combustion particles, but also a significant source of resuspended particles that chemically resemble Earth's crust and that are not affected by development of cleaner motor technologies. A substantial fraction of urban ambient PM originates from long-range transport outside the immediate urban environment including secondary particles formed from gaseous emissions of mainly sulphur, nitrogen oxides and ammonia. Most source apportionment studies are based on small number of fixed monitoring sites and capture well population exposures to regional and long-range transported particles. However, concentrations from local sources are very unevenly distributed and the results from such studies are therefore poorly representative of the actual exposures. The current study uses PM(2.5) data observed at population based random sampled residential locations in Athens, Basle and Helsinki with 17 elemental constituents, selected VOCs (xylenes, trimethylbenzenes, nonane and benzene) and light absorbance (black smoke). The major sources identified across the three cities included crustal, salt, long-range transported inorganic and traffic sources. Traffic was associated separately with source categories with crustal (especially Athens and Helsinki) and long-range transported chemical composition (all cities). Remarkably high fractions of the variability of elemental (R(2)>0.6 except for Ca in Basle 0.38) and chemical concentrations (R(2)>0.5 except benzene in Basle 0.22 and nonane in Athens 0.39) are explained by the source factors of an SEM model. The RAINS model that is currently used as the main tool in developing European air quality management policies seems to capture the local urban fraction (the city delta term) quite well, but underestimates crustal particle levels in the three cities of the current study. Utilizing structural equation modelling parallel with traditional principal component analysis (PCA) provides an objective method to determine the number of factors to be retained in a model and allows for formal hypotheses testing.     

Measurements of children's exposures to particles and nitrogen dioxide in Santiago, Chile

An exposure study of children (aged 10-12 years) living in Santiago, Chile, was conducted. Personal, indoor and outdoor fine and inhalable particulate matter (< 2.5 .m in diameter, PM2.5 and < 10 microm in diameter, PM10, respectively), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were measured during pilot (N = 8) and main (N = 20) studies, which were conducted during the winters of 1998 and 1999, respectively. For the main study, personal, indoor and outdoor 24-h samples were collected for five consecutive days. Similar mean personal, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations (69.5, 68.5 and 68.1 microg/m3, respectively) were found. However, for coarse particles (calculated as the difference between measured PM10 and PM2.5, PM2.5-10), indoor and outdoor levels (35.4 and 47.4 microg/m3) were lower than their corresponding personal exposures (76.3 microg/m3). Indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations were comparable (35.8 and 36.9 ppb) and higher than personal exposures (25.9 ppb). Very low ambient indoor and personal O3 levels were found, which were mostly below the method's limit of detection (LOD). Outdoor particles contributed significantly to indoor concentrations, with effective penetration efficiencies of 0.61 and 0.30 for PM2.5 and PM2.5-10, respectively. Personal exposures were strongly associated with indoor and outdoor concentrations for PM2.5, but weakly associated for PM2.5-10. For NO2, weak associations were obtained for indoor-outdoor and personal-outdoor relationships. This is probably a result of the presence of gas cooking stoves in all the homes. Median I/O, P/I and P/O ratios for PM2.5 were close to unity, and for NO2 they ranged between 0.64 and 0.95. These ratios were probably due to high ambient PM2.5 and NO2 levels in Santiago, which diminished the relative contribution of indoor sources and subjects' activities to indoor and personal PM2.5 and NO2 levels.     

Factors influencing relationships between personal and ambient concentrations of gaseous and particulate pollutants

Previous exposure studies have shown considerable inter-subject variability in personal-ambient associations. This paper investigates exposure factors that may be responsible for inter-subject variability in these personal-ambient associations. The personal and ambient data used in this paper were collected as part of a personal exposure study conducted in Boston, MA, during 1999-2000. This study was one of a group of personal exposure panel studies funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Exposure Research Laboratory to address areas of exposure assessment warranting further study, particularly associations between personal exposures and ambient concentrations of particulate matter and gaseous co-pollutants. Twenty-four-hour integrated personal, home indoor, home outdoor and ambient sulfate, elemental carbon (EC), PM_2.5, ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide were measured simultaneously each day. Fifteen homes in the Boston area were measured for 7 days during winter and summer. A previous paper explored the associations between personal-indoor, personal-outdoor, personal-ambient, indoor-outdoor, indoor-ambient and outdoor-ambient PM_2.5, sulfate and EC concentrations. For the current paper, factors that may affect personal exposures were investigated, while controlling for ambient concentrations. The data were analyzed using mixed effects regression models. Overall personal-ambient associations were strong for sulfate during winter (p < 0.0001) and summer (p < 0.0001) and PM_2.5 during summer (p < 0.0001). The personal-ambient mixed model slope for PM_2.5 during winter but was not significant at p = 0.10. Personal exposures to most pollutants, with the exception of NO₂, increased with ventilation and time spent outdoors. An opposite pattern was found for NO₂ likely due to gas stoves. Personal exposures to PM_2.5 and to traffic-related pollutants, EC and NO₂, were higher for those individuals living close to a major road. Both personal and indoor sulfate and PM_2.5 concentrations were higher for homes using humidifiers. The impact of outdoor sources on personal and indoor concentrations increased with ventilation, whereas an opposite effect was observed for the impact of indoor sources.     

Variability of total exposure to PM2.5 related to indoor and outdoor pollution sources Krakow study in pregnant women

The study is a part of an ongoing prospective cohort study on the relationship between the exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and birth outcomes and health of newborns. We have measured personal PM(2.5) level in the group of 407 non-smoking pregnant women during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. On average, the participants from the city center were exposed to higher exposure than those from the outer city area (GM=42.0 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 36.8-48.0 vs. 35.8 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 33.5-38.2 microg/m(3)). More than 20% of study subjects were affected by high level of PM(2.5) pollution (above 65 microg/m(3)). PM(2.5) concentrations were higher during the heating season (GM=43.4 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 40.1-46.9 microg/m(3)) compared to non-heating season (GM=29.8 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 27.5-32.2 microg/m(3)). Out of all potential outdoor air pollution sources (high traffic density, bus depot, waste incinerator, industry etc.) considered in the bivariate analysis, only the proximity of industrial plant showed significant impact on the personal exposure (GM=54.3 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 39.4-74.8 microg/m(3)) compared with corresponding figure for those who did not declare living near the industrial premises (GM=36.2 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 34.1-38.4 microg/m(3)). The subjects declaring high exposure to ETS (>10 cigarettes daily) have shown very high level of personal exposure (GM=88.8 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 73.9-106.7 microg/m(3)) compared with lower ETS exposure (< or =10 cigarettes) (GM=46.3 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 40.0-53.5 microg/m(3)) and no-ETS exposure group (GM=33.9 microg/m(3), 95% CI: 31.8-36.1 microg/m(3)). The contribution of the background ambient PM(10) level was very strong determinant of the total personal exposure to PM(2.5) and it explained about 31% of variance between the subjects followed by environmental tobacco smoke (10%), home heating by coal/wood stoves (2%), other types of heating (2%) and the industrial plant localization in the proximity of household (1%).     

Reduction potential of urban PM2.5 mortality risk using modern ventilation systems in buildings

Urban PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 microm) is associated with excess mortality and other health effects. Stationary sources are regulated and considerable effort is being put into developing low-pollution vehicles and environment-friendly transportation systems. While waiting for technological breakthroughs in emission controls, the current work assesses the exposure reductions achievable by a complementary means: efficient filtration of supply air in buildings. For this purpose infiltration factors for buildings of different ages are quantified using Exposures of Adult Urban Populations in Europe Study (EXPOLIS) measurements of indoor and outdoor concentrations in a population-based probability sample of residential and occupational buildings in Helsinki, Finland. These are entered as inputs into an evaluated simulation model to compare exposures in the current scenario with an alternative scenario, where the distribution of ambient PM2.5 infiltration factors in all residential and occupational buildings are assumed to be similar to the subset of existing occupational buildings using supply air filters. In the alternative scenario exposures to ambient PM2.5 were reduced by 27%. Compared with source controls, a significant additional benefit is that infiltration affects particles from all outdoor sources. The large fraction of time spent indoors makes the reduction larger than what probably can be achieved by local transport policies or other emission controls in the near future. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: It has been suggested that indoor concentrations of ambient particles and the associated health risks can be reduced by using mechanical ventilation systems with supply air filtering in buildings. The current work quantifies the effects of these concentration reductions on population exposures using population-based data from Helsinki and an exposure model. The estimated exposure reductions suggest that correctly defined building codes may reduce annual premature mortality by hundreds in Finland and by tens of thousands in the developed world altogether.     

Small-scale spatial variability of particle concentrations and traffic levels in Montreal: a pilot study

Little is known about the particulate exposure of populations living along major urban roads. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the small-scale spatial and temporal variability of the absorption coefficient of PM2.5 filters, as a surrogate for elemental carbon, in relation to levels of PM2.5, at residential sites with varying traffic densities in a large Canadian city. Concurrent 24-h measurements were performed at four residential sites during 7 weeks. A gradient existed across all four sites for the absorption coefficient of the filters (and NO2 levels). In contrast, the levels of PM2.5 were quite similar at all sites. The difference in the filter absorption coefficient of PM2.5 filters, between an urban background and a residential traffic site (with about 30000 vehicles/day), expressed as a percentage of the background site, was 40%. These results indicate that spatial variability in PM2.5 absorption coefficient can be observed with traffic intensity on a small scale within a North American city and suggests that regression modelling approaches similar to those used in European studies could be used to estimate exposure of the general population to traffic-related particles on a local scale in North America.     

Applying indoor and outdoor modeling techniques to estimate individual exposure to PM2.5 from personal GPS profiles and diaries: A pilot study

Impacts of individual behavior on personal exposure to particulate matter (PM) and the associated individual health effects are still not well understood. As outdoor PM concentrations exhibit highly temporal and spatial variations, personal PM exposure depends strongly on individual trajectories and activities. Furthermore, indoor environments deserve special attention due to the large fraction of the day people spend indoors. The indoor PM concentration in turn depends on infiltrated outdoor PM and indoor particle sources, partially caused by the activities of people indoor.We present an approach to estimate PM2.5 exposure levels for individuals based upon existing data sources and models. For this pilot study, six persons kept 24-hour diaries and GPS tracks for at least one working day and one weekend day, providing their daily activity profiles and the associated geographical locations. The survey took place in the city of Münster, Germany in the winter period between October 2006 and January 2007. Environmental PM2.5 exposure was estimated by using two different models for outdoor and indoor concentrations, respectively. For the outdoor distribution, a dispersion model was used and extended by actual ambient fixed site measurements. Indoor concentrations were modeled using a simple mass balance model with the estimated outdoor concentration fraction infiltrated and indoor activities estimated from the diaries. A limited number of three 24-hour indoor measurements series for PM were performed to test the model performance.The resulting average daily exposure of the 14 collected profiles ranged from 21 to 198 µg m^− 3 and showed a high variability over the day as affected by personal behavior. Due to the large contribution of indoor particle sources, the mean 24-hour exposure was in most cases higher than the daily means of the respective outdoor fixed site monitors.This feasibility study is a first step towards a more comprehensive modeling approach for personal exposure, and therefore restricted to limited data resources. In future, this model framework not only could be of use for epidemiological research, but also of public interest. Any individual operating a GPS capable device may become able to obtain an estimate of its personal exposure along its trajectory in time and space. This could provide individuals a new insight into the influence of personal habits on their exposure to air pollution and may result in the adaptation of personal behavior to minimize risks.     

Numerical investigation on the ingress of particulate matter from ambient air into the inlet of a building air handling unit

The transportation of ambient particulate matter (PM) from outdoor air into the inlet of a mechanical building ventilation system is poorly understood. No studies have examined the effect commonly used commercial air handling unit (AHU) inlet designs have upon the migration of PM from the ambient environment into the building ventilation system, and implications of this on energy consumption and indoor air quality (IAQ). Through the numerical analysis of commercial AHU inlets, the differences in concentration of PM in ambient air and that within AHUs were determined, more commonly referred to as Aspiration Efficiency (AE %). A 20–50% difference in particle concentrations between ambient air and the in-AHU concentration was observed between forward and rear-facing AHUs relative to ambient wind direction and speed, and at the maximum ventilation flow rate. Furthermore, a decrease in the ventilation flow rates resulted in a significant reduction in PM concentrations entering the rear-facing AHU. Increasing the Stoke number led to lower AE as a continuous decrease was observed for both rear-facing inlets. The findings of this paper show that AHU inlet design has significant implications on IAQ and building energy consumption, and scope exists to design these inlets to impact both aspects positively.     

Improvement of predicted fine and total particulate matter (PM) composition by applying several different chemical scenarios: a winter 2005 case study

A new method using several different chemical scenarios is developed to predict chemical composition of fine (PM2.5) and total (PM10) aerosol. This method improves the accuracy of predicted PM concentrations. The Mesoscale Model version 5 (MM5) and a 3-dimensional Eulerian chemical model (CAMx4.2) are used to predict PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations using gridded input emissions (from the "Total" group) over a 48-72 h time period for Christchurch (New Zealand) for winter 2005. The aerosol concentrations are obtained for four different chemical compositions (chemical scenarios) of the input aerosol emissions. PM2.5 chemical compositions are based on previous Christchurch winter studies and from observations in other countries with similar winter pollution problems, and used in CAMx4.2 to model seven winter 2005 heavy pollution episodes. The error between observed and modelled PM2.5 concentrations is based on predictions of fine aerosol that are derived from linear regression with PM10. It is used to find the minimum difference between modelled and observed PM2.5 for an observation site located in the Christchurch residential area. Combination of the chemical scenarios with analysis of the minimum error is used to create a new complex chemical scenario. The new complex scenario is used to re-calculate all pollution episodes to obtain new values of PM with minimum error compared with observed aerosol concentrations. Mean Absolute Error of the calculated PM2.5 (for all pollution episodes) decreased from 21-24 microg m(-3) to 14-16 microg m(-3) compared with observations. The chemical composition of the modelled PM2.5 is also discussed.     

Selection and evaluation of air pollution exposure indicators based on geographic areas

Geographic exposure indicators (GEIs) use point estimates of ambient air pollutant concentrations to characterize the exposure of populations residing within a specified area. Both zone- and proximity-type GEIs have been widely employed in epidemiological studies and other applications to identify regions or populations at high risk. Their use requires a number of assumptions, for example, pollutant concentrations should be homogeneous within the area, and concentrations should differ between areas in a predictable manner. These assumptions have not been rigorously examined. This paper evaluates the most common types of GEIs as surrogate measures of ambient air pollutant exposures. Statistical measures proposed to evaluate GEIs include accuracy, homogeneity, misclassification and statistical power. GEIs and statistical measures are evaluated in two case studies that use different air pollution sources and an air quality dispersion model. The case studies show that pollutant levels may vary substantially within a small area, and significant errors and exposure misclassification may result if the GEI represents a large geographic area. GEIs based on residential proximity to a pollution source should not be used for elevated emission sources, and the use of proximity measures is discouraged for ground level sources. A systematic evaluation is suggested to evaluate and improve the accuracy of the GEIs used in epidemiological and other applications.