Assessment of Home-Based and Mobility-Based Exposure to Black Carbon in an Urban Environment: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The combustion of fossil fuels is a significant source of particulate-bound black carbon (BC) in urban environments. The personal exposure (PE) of urban dwellers to BC and subsequent health impacts remain poorly understood due to a lack of observational data. In this study, we assessed and quantified the levels of PE to BC under two exposure scenarios (home-based and mobility-based exposure) in the city of Trivandrum in India. In the home-based scenario, the PE to BC was assessed in a naturally ventilated building over 24 h each day during the study period while in the mobility-based scenario, the PE to BC was monitored across diverse microenvironments (MEs) during the day using the same study protocol for consistency. Elevated BC concentrations were observed during the transport by motorcycle (26.23 ± 2.33 µg/m3) and car (17.49 ± 2.37 µg/m3). The BC concentrations observed in the MEs decreased in the following order: 16.58 ± 1.38 µg/m3 (temple), 13.78 ± 2.07 µg/m3 (restaurant), 11.44 ± 1.37 µg/m3 (bus stop), and 8.27 ± 1.88 µg/m3 (home); the standard deviations represent the temporal and spatial variations of BC concentrations. Overall, a relatively larger inhaled dose of BC in the range of 148.98–163.87 µg/day was observed for the mobility-based scenario compared to the home-based one (118.10–137.03 µg/day). This work highlights the importance of reducing PE to fossil fuel-related particulate emissions in cities for which BC is a good indicator. The study outcome could be used to formulate effective strategies to improve the urban air quality as well as public health.

Air quality changes in cities during the COVID-19 lockdown: A critical review

“…If appropriate health advisory is provided, this will enable the vulnerable members of the population to make an informed decision about protecting their health against exposure to harmful indoor air pollutants by using effective exposure mitigation devices. As people are mobile, integrated air pollution exposure assessment based on the concentrations of air pollutants, particularly PM, measured in both outdoor and indoor microenvironments using portable sensors is vital ( Adam et al, 2021a ; Tran et al, 2021c ; Tran et al, 2020a ). This kind of exposure assessment will allow people to minimize health risk by avoiding visits to polluted or crowded environments.…”

Traffic Density-Related Black Carbon Distribution: Impact of Wind in a Basin Town

“…There is convincing evidence that PM, almost regardless of the source, has detrimental health effects [ 27 ]. Excessive human exposure to BC can be a health concern [ 28 ], even in places with less air pollution [ 29 ]. Studies indicate that short- and long-term exposure to BC can lead to respiratory [ 30 , 31 ] and cardiovascular [ 32 , 33 ] diseases and increased mortality [ 34 , 35 ].…”