Validity of Ambient Levels of Fine Particles as Surrogate for Personal Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution—Results of the European EXPOLIS-EAS Study (Swiss Center Basel)

No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Künzli, Nino
Röösli, Martin
Braun-Fahrländer, Charlotte
Mathys, Patrick
Stern, Willem
Jantunen, Matti
Kousa, Anu
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
27.12.2011
Typ of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
Series number
Volume
50
Issue / Number
7
Pages / Duration
1251-1261
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Taylor & Francis
Place of publication / Event location
Edition
Version
Programming language
Assignee
Practice partner / Client
Abstract
To evaluate the validity of fixed-site fine particle levels as exposure surrogates in air pollution epidemiology, we considered four indicator groups: (1) PM2.5 total mass concentrations, (2) sulfur and potassium for regional air pollution, (3) lead and bromine for traffic-related particles, and (4) calcium for crustal particles. Using data from the European EXPOLIS (Air Pollution Exposure Distribution within Adult Urban Populations in Europe) study, we assessed the associations between 48-hr personal exposures and home outdoor levels of the indicators. Furthermore, within-city variability of fine particle levels was evaluated. Personal exposures to PM2.5 mass were not correlated to corresponding home outdoor levels (n = 44, rSpearman (Sp) = 0.07). In the group reporting neither relevant indoor sources nor relevant activities, personal exposures and home outdoor levels of sulfur were highly correlated (n = 40, rSp = 0.85). In contrast, the associations were weaker for traffic (Pb: n = 44, rSp = 0.53; Br: n = 44, rSp = 0.21) and crustal (Ca: n = 44, rSp = 0.12) indicators. This contrast is consistent with spatially homogeneous regional pollution and higher spatial variability of traffic and crustal indicators observed in Basel, Switzerland. We conclude that for regional air pollution, fixed-site fine particle levels are valid exposure surrogates. For source-specific exposures, however, fixed-site data are probably not the optimal measure. Still, in air pollution epidemiology, ambient PM2.5 levels may be more appropriate exposure estimates than total personal PM2.5 exposure, since the latter reflects a mixture of indoor and outdoor sources.
Keywords
Subject (DDC)
334 - Natürliche Ressourcen, Energie und Umwelt
Project
Event
Exhibition start date
Exhibition end date
Conference start date
Conference end date
Date of the last check
ISBN
ISSN
1096-2247
2162-2906
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
No
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
License
Citation
BAYER-OGLESBY, Lucy, Nino KÜNZLI, Martin RÖÖSLI, Charlotte BRAUN-FAHRLÄNDER, Patrick MATHYS, Willem STERN, Matti JANTUNEN und Anu KOUSA, 2011. Validity of Ambient Levels of Fine Particles as Surrogate for Personal Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution—Results of the European EXPOLIS-EAS Study (Swiss Center Basel). Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association. 27 Dezember 2011. Bd. 50, Nr. 7, S. 1251–1261. DOI 10.1080/10473289.2000.10464156. Verfügbar unter: https://irf.fhnw.ch/handle/11654/33496