{"title":"Levels, potential sources, and exposure assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls in household dust from Kocaeli/ Turkiye","authors":"Bilgehan Başaran, Mihriban Civan","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01617-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01617-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The interest in the studies on Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) levels indoors has increased with the banning or phase out of the use of PCBs in commercial products due to their adverse effects on human health. A comprehensive PCB source apportionment and risk estimation study was conducted for the first time using house dust in Turkey. Fifteen PCBs were measured in dust samples from 90 homes located in different neighborhoods of Kocaeli. The total concentrations of PCBs (Σ<sub>15</sub>PCBs) were measured in the range of 2.32–309.5 ng/g, with a median value of 22.82 ng/g. The concentrations varied greatly due to the availability of different types and quantities of PCB-containing product indoors. Possible pollution sources were identified using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and questionnaire responses. The sources of PCB indoor dust include the use of PCBs for insulation, maintenance, and commercial purposes, as well as vehicular and heating combustion emissions. Considering the three exposure routes for the two groups, the risk of exposure through the inhalation of dust contaminated with PCBs was negligible compared with the dermal and non-dietary ingestion routes. Total carcinogen (R) and non-carcinogen risk (HI) through the three pathways were less than 1 for HI and 10<sup>− 6</sup> for R, indicating that the measured PCBs would not be likely to cause potential risks for children and adults exposed to those pollutants. However measures to reduce PCBs exposure should be taken for children rather than adults due to the presence of the risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142205982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Astrid Berena Herrera López, Carlos A. Torres-Duque, María Patricia Arbeláez, Néstor Yezid Rojas Roa, Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez, José Luis Texcalac Sangrador, Víctor Herrera, Laura Andrea Rodríguez-Villamizar
{"title":"Short-term effect of air pollution exposure on COPD exacerbations: a time series study in Bogota, Colombia","authors":"Astrid Berena Herrera López, Carlos A. Torres-Duque, María Patricia Arbeláez, Néstor Yezid Rojas Roa, Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez, José Luis Texcalac Sangrador, Víctor Herrera, Laura Andrea Rodríguez-Villamizar","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01600-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01600-8","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Introduction</h3><p>Air pollution poses a risk for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This study estimated the short-term effect of variations in air pollutant concentrations on exacerbations of COPD (COPD-E) in Bogotá, Colombia.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We performed an ecological time series study from 2014 to 2021 to evaluate the short-term effect of fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>), nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) levels on COPD-E treated in the emergency and hospitalization services. Daily counts of patients with COPD-E discharge diagnoses were obtained from the National Health Information System, and daily measurements of PM<sub>2.5</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, and O<sub>3</sub> concentrations and meteorological data were obtained from air monitoring stations. A Generalized Additive Model was used with Distributed Lag Non-Linear Models to control for confounders.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>An increase of 10 μg/m<sup>3</sup> in PM<sub>2.5</sub> and O<sub>3</sub> was associated with increased COPD-E admissions (lagged 0-3 days) with Relative Risk (RR) of 1.04 (95%CI: 1.02 -1.07) and RR:1.03 (95%CI:1.01 – 1.04), respectively. During the rainy season and minimum temperature of the series, for every 10 μg/m<sup>3</sup> increase in PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration, COPD-E admissions (lagged 0-3 days) increased with RR 1.03 (95%CI: 1.01-1.06). A higher magnitude of association was observed in men (PM<sub>2.5</sub>, 1.04 95%CI:1.01 – 1.06 and O<sub>3</sub>, 1.04 95%CI:1.02 – 1.05, lag 0-7 days) than in women.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>A higher air pollution was associated with more COPD-E. These results highlight the importance of actions aimed at improving air quality.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142226338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Ashok Williams, A. Hemanth Kumar, V. Jayachandran, Manoj Kumar Thakur, T. V. Lakshmi Kumar
{"title":"Effect of Wet Scavenging on Black Carbon Aerosols over a Coastal Urban Site in India","authors":"M. Ashok Williams, A. Hemanth Kumar, V. Jayachandran, Manoj Kumar Thakur, T. V. Lakshmi Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01626-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01626-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Black Carbon (BC) injected into the atmosphere from various sources not only adversely affects the air quality and human health but also significantly influences the earth atmosphere climate system by modulating the global radiation budget. The BC aerosols are mainly removed from atmosphere by the wet scavenging mechanism. The representation of wet scavenging in the models is highly uncertain due to the complex microphysical processes involved and also due to the limited observations available. In this study, based on the in-situ measurements of BC and rainfall observations, the wet scavenging of BC aerosols has been comprehensively studied over a coastal urban location, Chennai (12.81°N, 80.03°E) during the South-West (SW) and North-East (NE) monsoon for the period 2018 and 2019. The average BC concentration over Chennai during SW and NE during the study period was 1.45 ± 0.4 µgm<sup>−3</sup> and 3.28 ± 1.2 µgm<sup>−3</sup>, respectively. By making use of the rain drop size distribution observations from a Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM) disdrometer, the theoretical estimate of the wet scavenging is calculated (using a parameter Scavenging Coefficient-Sc<sub>(rc)</sub>) and comprehensively compared with the observed BC scavenging ratio (BCSr) for different rainfall duration and rainfall intensities during the SW and NE monsoon. It was found low BCSr values of the range 0–15% were more frequent. The peak Scavenging Coefficient for light rain and very heavy rain are 0.6 × 10<sup>–6</sup> and 3.8 × 10<sup>–6</sup> respectively. The theoretical estimate of the wet scavenging showed an increase with increase in rainfall intensity linearly with a correlation coefficient 0.84 at 0.01 level significance and the maximum scavenging of the BC aerosols was found to occur for the rain drop sizes ranging between 0.5 mm and 1.8 mm over the study location.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142205984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lyes Rabhi, Abdelkader Lemou, Riad Ladji, Sidali Khedidji, Nicolas Bonnaire, Jean Sciare, Noureddine Yassaa
{"title":"Size distribution of water-soluble ions and carbon content in the Southwest Mediterranean Basin: results from the ChArMEx project","authors":"Lyes Rabhi, Abdelkader Lemou, Riad Ladji, Sidali Khedidji, Nicolas Bonnaire, Jean Sciare, Noureddine Yassaa","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01614-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01614-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In order to understand the origin and behaviour of aerosols in the west of the Mediterranean basin, a comprehensive investigation of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSII) with size segregation and Organic carbon (OC) and Element carbon (EC) in ultra fine fraction has been carried out in a coastal Algerian measurement station, namely BouIsmaïl, during seven months covering July 2013 to January 2014. A cascade impactor for six particle sizes with cut-off diameters of 0.49, 0.95, 1.5, 3, 7.2, and 10 µm was used for the whole campaign. The WSII were analysed by ion chromatography, and their distribution mode and potential sources were evaluated. The weekly mass concentration varied between 8.7 and 87 µg m<sup>−3</sup> (with an average of 39.3 µg m<sup>−3</sup>). The three major ions were Cl<sup>−</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, and SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>, contributing 65% of the total water-soluble inorganic ions (TWSII). Na<sup>+</sup> and Cl<sup>−</sup> manifested comparable an unimodal distributions dominated in coarse mode, and the Cl<sup>−</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> molar ratio was close to that attributed to marine sources. Whilst SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> and methane sulfonic acid (MSA) presented an inverted bimodal distribution mainly concentrated in the fine mode and contributed over 60%, ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) showed strong and significant Pearson correlations with sulfate in the fine mode (r = 0.88, p-value < 0.01), indicating that NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> was an important neutralising agent of SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> leading to the production of (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and NH<sub>4</sub>HSO<sub>4</sub>. The size distributions of the rest of the ions Cl<sup>−</sup>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, and Ca<sup>2+</sup> were unimodal mainly in the coarse mode, while oxalate and NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> were unimodal in the fine mode. The average concentrations of OC and EC during the investigated campaign were 4.5 and 1.3 μg m<sup>−3</sup>, respectively. Finally, according to the aerosol chemical composition and backwards trajectory analysis, BouIsmaïl air was affected by long-range air mass transported from the northwest and the west, and local emissions have an important impact on ions and carbonaceous particles in the aerosol of the investigated site.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141935794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, Lai Nguyen Huy, Wiphada Maneepatra, Ekbordin Winijkul, Adam Giandomenico, Kraichat Tantrakarnapa, Hoang Xuan Co, Dinh Manh Cuong, Ming-Chien Mark Tsou, To Thi Hien, Nguyen Doan Thien Chi, Tran Anh Ngan, S. C. Candice Lung
{"title":"Comparative analysis of PM2.5 levels in various microenvironments associated with common cooking practices in selected Asian countries","authors":"Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, Lai Nguyen Huy, Wiphada Maneepatra, Ekbordin Winijkul, Adam Giandomenico, Kraichat Tantrakarnapa, Hoang Xuan Co, Dinh Manh Cuong, Ming-Chien Mark Tsou, To Thi Hien, Nguyen Doan Thien Chi, Tran Anh Ngan, S. C. Candice Lung","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01615-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01615-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Effects of real-life cooking activities on PM<sub>2.5</sub> in different urban microenvironments of crowded and large metropolitan areas in Asia were comprehensively analyzed. The assessment was done based on monitoring data obtained for commercial cooking in a university campus in Thailand, restaurants in Taiwan, street food vendors, and residential cooking in Vietnam. Online instruments used for PM<sub>2.5</sub> monitoring were <i>priori</i> calibrated against the reference equipment. The influence of cooking activities on indoor and outdoor PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels was evaluated considering ventilation conditions and the type of fuel-cookstove of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), charcoal, rice straw pellets (RSP), and honeycomb coal briquettes (HCB). Higher levels of PM<sub>2.5</sub> were observed during intensive cooking periods than in non-cooking periods. Cooking with solid fuel (RSP, charcoal, and HCB) induced higher exposure levels of PM<sub>2.5</sub> than LPG. The fuel stoking practice, size and design of stoves (with or without hood/exhaust fan), and type of food being cooked (steaming or meat grilling) were important factors affecting the PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels. Other important factors especially affecting indoor PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels included ventilation, outdoor emissions (traffic, nearby cooking activities), indoor sources (number of customers), and incense burning. The ambient pollution in the surroundings of the microenvironments may contribute significantly to measured PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels, especially for the locations close to busy roads or in areas with heavy traffic. Further studies are required to assess the impact of exposure to cooking-induced PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions on human health to provide scientific evidence to foster clean cooking practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141886747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of benzene and toluene emissions in National Capital Region (NCR): Implications for health risks and ozone formation","authors":"Nancy Kaushik, A. K. Mishra, Rupesh M. Das","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01618-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01618-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates benzene and toluene concentrations in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR), India, assessing health risks and impacts on air quality, focusing on their role in ozone formation. Data from 56 monitoring stations identified 18 locations where benzene levels exceed the national safe limit, primarily due to traffic emissions and seasonal variations. Benzene concentrations peaked at 15.06 µg/m<sup>3</sup> in Loni, Ghaziabad, during winter. Seasonal analysis indicated higher benzene levels during winter and post-monsoon periods due to lower planetary boundary layer heights (PBLHs) trapping pollutants near the ground. Health risk assessments revealed probable cancer risks for residents, with children facing higher risks than adults. Using the Ozone Formation Potential (OFP) metric and Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR) coefficients of 0.72 for benzene and 4.0 for toluene, the study predicted OFP values for various hotspots. Toluene's significant contribution to ozone formation was evident, with the highest concentration observed at Charkhi Dadri, Haryana (29.65 ± 2.26 µg/m<sup>3</sup>), surpassing the WHO’s air quality guidelines of 120 µg/m<sup>3</sup>, and the highest benzene concentration at Loni (7.3 ± 0.8 µg/m<sup>3</sup>). Toluene/benzene ratio and principal component analysis identified automobiles and industrial activities as significant pollution sources. The study underscores the urgent need for stricter emission controls, cleaner fuels, and improved urban planning to reduce these pollutant's negative impacts on the environment. Elevated VOC levels and associated health risks necessitate immediate action to protect public health and improve air quality in Delhi NCR. These results emphasize critical need for interventions to address benzene and toluene pollution comprehensively.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141866453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of lead exposure on respiratory health: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Tao Chen, Kexin Dai, Huihui Wu","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01619-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01619-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In recent years, the incidence of respiratory diseases such as asthma and pneumonia has increased significantly. However, the effect of lead (Pb) pollution on the respiratory system remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exposure to environmental and occupational Pb on respiratory health. Articles published in PubMed and Web of Science before September 2023 were systematically searched. The overall adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between Pb exposure and respiratory diseases were extracted from each relevant article. The random effects model was applied to analyze the overall pooled effect estimates. Among the 36,373 search results, 36 related articles were screened for meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis suggested that Pb exposure increased the risk of respiratory diseases: OR = 1.12 (95% CIs: 1.05, 1.18). The funnel plot, Egger’s and Begg’s tests showed no publication bias. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the meta-analysis was statistically reliable and stable. Environmental and occupational Pb exposure is associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases including asthma. The study highlights the importance of further research on the harmful effects of Pb and the urgency of mitigating air pollution.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical Abstract</h3>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141866454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigations of aerosol types classification and PM2.5 concentrations: A case study of two major cities in Pakistan","authors":"Muhammad Zeeshan, Khan Alam","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01616-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01616-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the atmosphere of Earth, aerosols are highly variable components that significantly affect Earth’s climate and human health. Due to their complex nature, these particles vary greatly in their form. Thus, in-depth analysis of aerosol classification is crucial for air quality and climate studies. Therefore, this study investigated the temporal distribution of atmospheric particles over two megacities of Pakistan (Lahore and Karachi). The study offers an aerosol-type classification based on the particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR) and the single scattering albedo (SSA) at 1020 nm, retrieved from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Version 3.0 Level 2.0 inversion products. The study also analyzed particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) levels in Lahore and Karachi, which has recently experienced alarming air pollution. Temporal trends of PM<sub>2.5</sub> in both cities were assessed using ground-based remote sensing. The dust ratio parameter (R<sub>d</sub>) calculated from PLDR indicated that coarse-mode aerosols dominated, with occurrence rates of 86% in Lahore and 99% in Karachi. Pure dust (PD) and pollution-dominated mixture (PDM) plumes were more frequent in Lahore (43.16%) and Karachi (44.14%). Annually, dust-containing aerosols occur more frequently (28.47% in Lahore, 30.43% in Karachi) than dust-free types (25.62% in Lahore, 27.87% in Karachi). PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels peak in autumn and winter, especially December 2021 (369.17 µg/m³). The highest seasonal (winter) PM<sub>2.5</sub> averages were 284.99 µg/m³ (2022), 269.05 µg/m³ (2021), 264.99 µg/m³ (2023), and 222.34 µg/m³ (2020), contributing to smog and respiratory diseases in Lahore. Low PLDR values over Lahore are due to the large anthropogenic emissions, resulting in poor air quality as compared to Karachi.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141775611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Saria Hoshino, Kazushi Noro, Miyu Moriya, Ayana Komatsu, Qi Wang, Yuichi Miyake, Takashi Amagai
{"title":"Quantitative evaluation of nicotine and particulate matter exposure for passive- and non-smokers via a nicotine passive sampler and a particulate matter sensor","authors":"Saria Hoshino, Kazushi Noro, Miyu Moriya, Ayana Komatsu, Qi Wang, Yuichi Miyake, Takashi Amagai","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01591-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01591-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Passive smoking poses a major hazard to the health of non-smokers. Cigarette combustion emits environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) that contains various pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter with particles < 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>). Therefore, to assess the risk of passive smoking, it is necessary to determine the exposure levels to ETS compounds caused by passive smoking. However, it is difficult to assess exposure to ETS compounds by excluding the effects of other sources of pollution. In this study, we assessed the individual exposure levels to ETS compounds using a nicotine passive sampler and PM<sub>2.5</sub> sensor in 258 non-smokers. Median nicotine and PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were 0.065 and 7.5 µg m<sup>− 3</sup>, respectively. The median nicotine concentration was nearly identical to that found in non-smoking areas (0.05 µg m<sup>− 3</sup>). The median PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were below the standard value for indoor PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations (12 µg m<sup>− 3</sup>). These results indicated that the effect of passive smoking was rather modest. Nicotine concentrations in individuals exposed to passive smoking indoors were significantly higher than in those not exposed to passive smoking. Nicotine exposure from domestic passive smoking was twice that from non-domestic passive smoking. There was no significant difference in PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure between passive smoking in domestic and non-domestic settings. Moreover, it was suggested that passive smoking was equivalent to the act of smoking 2.4 × 10<sup>− 3</sup> cigarettes per day.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141775613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trace element profile of TSPM with depth within opencast coal mines for risk assessment and their source apportionment","authors":"Ambasht Kumar, Anil Kumar, Pratichi Singh, Suresh Pandian Elumalai","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01613-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-024-01613-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study presents source apportionment and toxicity level of trace element concentration in total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) fraction of settled dust at different benches of opencast coal mine. In opencast coal mine, various mining associated activities are responsible for emission of TSPM. It is significant to study these airborne TSPM and associated trace elements as mineworkers and surrounding environment are directly exposed to it. The order of mean concentration of trace elements shows that Pb ranked fourth at bench-2 & 4 and Cr ranked fourth at bench-3 whereas, Fe, Mn and Zn are among the top three at all benches. Whereas trace element concentration in haul road dusts are found higher than other locations. In this study, Spearman correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) is performed to observe the percentage contribution of exhaust & non-exhaust emission due to heavy earthmoving machineries (HEMMs) operation. A source apportionment indicates that possible contributing sources to the trace elements are geogenic (46.68%) > exhaust & non-exhaust emission (28.37%) > coal dust (10.24%). The trace elements associated to the TSPM add to the menace. Therefore, variability in toxicity of the TSPM (< 62 μm) fraction of dust within opencast coal mines was observed using the pollution indicators such as contamination factor, pollution load index, modified degree of contamination, geo-accumulation index and ecological risk index. The TSPM (< 62 μm) fraction of haul road dust is found more toxic in comparison to other locations at different depth.</p>","PeriodicalId":7458,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141775612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}