Comparison of Black Smoke and PM2.5 Levels in Indoor and Outdoor Environments of Four European Cities
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Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2002
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Type
01A - Journal article
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Parent work
Environmental Science & Technology
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
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Series
Series number
Volume
36
Issue / Number
6
Pages / Duration
1191–1197
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Publisher / Publishing institution
American Chemical Society
Place of publication / Event location
Washington
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Abstract
Recent studies on separated particle-size fractions highlight the health significance of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), but gravimetric methods do not identify specific particle sources. Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) contain elemental carbon (EC), the dominant light-absorbing substance in the atmosphere. Black smoke (BS) is a measure for light absorption of PM and, thus, an alternative way to estimating EC concentrations, which may serve as a proxy for diesel exhaust emissions. We analyzed PM2.5 and BS data collected within the EXPOLIS study (Air Pollution Exposure Distribution within Adult Urban Populations in Europe) in Athens, Basel, Helsinki, and Prague. 186 indoor/outdoor filter pairs were sampled and analyzed. PM2.5 and BS levels were lowest in Helsinki, moderate in Basel, and remarkably higher in Athens and Prague. In each city, Spearman correlation coefficients of indoor versus outdoor were higher for BS (range rSpearman: 0.57−0.86) than for PM2.5 (0.05−0.69). In a BS linear regression model (all data), outdoor levels explained clearly more of indoor variation (86%) than in the corresponding PM2.5 model (59%). In conclusion, ambient BS seizes a health-relevant fraction of fine particles to which people are exposed indoors and outdoors and exposure to which can be assessed by monitoring outdoor concentrations. BS measured on PM2.5 filters can be recommended as a valid and cheap additional indicator in studies on combustion-related air pollution and health.
Keywords
Air pollution, Optical properties, Particles, Particular matter, Redox reactions
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ISBN
ISSN
0013-936X
1520-5851
1520-5851
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
No
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Closed
License
Citation
Götschi, T., Bayer-Oglesby, L., Mathys, P., Monn, C., Manalis, N., Koistinen, K., Jantunen, M., Hänninen, O., Polanska, L., & Künzli, N. (2002). Comparison of Black Smoke and PM2.5 Levels in Indoor and Outdoor Environments of Four European Cities. Environmental Science & Technology, 36(6), 1191–1197. https://doi.org/10.1021/es010079n