Assessment of Air Quality in School Environments in Hanoi, Vietnam: A Focus on Mass-Size Distribution and Elemental Composition of Indoor-Outdoor Ultrafine/Fine/Coarse Particles

Indoor and outdoor ultrafine, accumulation mode, and coarse fractions collected at two preschools (S1 and S2) in Hanoi capital, Vietnam were characterized in terms of mass-size distribution and elemental composition to identify major emission sources. The sampling campaigns were performed simultaneously indoors and outdoors over four consecutive weeks at each school. Indoor average concentrations of CO2 and CO at both schools were below the limit values recommended by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (1000 ppm for CO2) and World Health Organization (7 mg/m3 for CO). Indoor concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 at S1 and S2 were strongly influenced by the presence of children and their activities indoors. The indoor average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were 49.4 µg/m3 and 59.7 µg/m3 at S1, while those values at S2 were 7.9 and 10.8 µg/m3, respectively. Mass-size distribution of indoor and outdoor particles presented similar patterns, in which ultrafine particles accounted for around 15–20% wt/wt while fine particles (PM2.5) made up almost 80% wt/wt of PM10. PM2.5–10 did not display regular shapes while smaller factions tended to aggregate to form clusters with fine structures. Oxygen (O) was the most abundant element in all fractions, followed by carbon (C) for indoor and outdoor particles. O accounted for 36.2% (PM0.5–1) to 42.4% wt/wt (PM0.1) of indoor particles, while those figures for C were in the range of 14.5% (for PM0.1) to 18.1% (for PM1–2.5). Apart from O and C, mass proportion of other major and minor elements (Al, Ca, Cr, Fe , K, Mg, Si, Ti) could make up to 50%, whereas trace elements (As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, La, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, and Zn) accounted for less than 0.5% of indoor and outdoor airborne particles. There were no significant indoor emission sources of trace and minor elements. Traffic significantly contributed to major and trace elements at S1 and S2.

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Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality for Sustainable Life: A Case Study of Rural and Urban Settlements in Poor Neighbourhoods in Kenya

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13042417 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 2417

Author(s):

Anne Wambui Mutahi ◽

Laura Borgese ◽

Claudio Marchesi ◽

Michael J. Gatari ◽

Laura E. Depero

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Elemental Composition ◽

Black Carbon ◽

Informal Settlement ◽

Heavy Traffic ◽

World Health ◽

Rural Settlements ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Outdoor Air Quality ◽

Indoor And Outdoor

This paper reports on the indoor and outdoor air quality in informal urban and rural settlements in Kenya. The study is motivated by the need to improve consciousness and to understand the harmful health effects of air quality to vulnerable people, especially in poor communities. Ng’ando urban informal settlement and Leshau Pondo rural village in Kenya are selected as representative poor neighborhoods where unclean energy sources are used indoor for cooking, lighting and heating. Filter based sampling for gravimetrical, elemental composition and black carbon (BC) analysis of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is performed. findings from Ng’ando and Leshau Pondo showed levels exceeding the limit suggested by the world health organization (WHO), with rare exceptions. Significantly higher levels of PM2.5 and black carbon are observed in indoors than outdoor samples, with a differences in the orders of magnitudes and up to 1000 µg/m3 for PM2.5 in rural settlements. The elemental composition reveals the presence of potentially toxic elements, in addition to characterization, emission sources were also identified. Levels of Pb exceeding the WHO limit are found in the majority of samples collected in the urban locations near major roads with heavy traffic. Our results demonstrate that most of the households live in deplorable air quality conditions for more than 12 h a day and women and children are more affected. Air quality condition is much worse in rural settlements where wood and kerosene are the only available fuels for their energy needs.

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Impact of vehicular emissions on the formation of fine particles in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area: a numerical study with the WRF-Chem model

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-16-777-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 777-797 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

A Vara-Vela ◽

M. F. Andrade ◽

P. Kumar ◽

R. Y. Ynoue ◽

A. G. Muñoz

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Metropolitan Area ◽

Atmospheric Aerosols ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Vehicular Emissions ◽

São Paulo ◽

Mass Size Distribution ◽

Mass Size ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The objective of this work is to evaluate the impact of vehicular emissions on the formation of fine particles (PM2.5; ≤  2.5 µm in diameter) in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA) in Brazil, where ethanol is used intensively as a fuel in road vehicles. The Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model, which simulates feedbacks between meteorological variables and chemical species, is used as a photochemical modelling tool to describe the physico-chemical processes leading to the evolution of number and mass size distribution of particles through gas-to-particle conversion. A vehicular emission model based on statistical information of vehicular activity is applied to simulate vehicular emissions over the studied area. The simulation has been performed for a 1-month period (7 August–6 September 2012) to cover the availability of experimental data from the NUANCE-SPS (Narrowing the Uncertainties on Aerosol and Climate Changes in Sao Paulo State) project that aims to characterize emissions of atmospheric aerosols in the SPMA. The availability of experimental measurements of atmospheric aerosols and the application of the WRF-Chem model made it possible to represent some of the most important properties of fine particles in the SPMA such as the mass size distribution and chemical composition, besides allowing us to evaluate its formation potential through the gas-to-particle conversion processes. Results show that the emission of primary gases, mostly from vehicles, led to a production of secondary particles between 20 and 30 % in relation to the total mass concentration of PM2.5 in the downtown SPMA. Each of PM2.5 and primary natural aerosol (dust and sea salt) contributed with 40–50 % of the total PM10 (i.e. those ≤  10 µm in diameter) concentration. Over 40 % of the formation of fine particles, by mass, was due to the emission of hydrocarbons, mainly aromatics. Furthermore, an increase in the number of small particles impaired the ultraviolet radiation and induced a decrease in ozone formation. The ground-level O3 concentration decreased by about 2 % when the aerosol-radiation feedback is taken into account.

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Relation between particle number and mass size distribution in the diesel car exhaust

Journal of Aerosol Science ◽

10.1016/s0021-8502(99)80399-1 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. S777-S778 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

V.-M. Kerminen ◽

T. Mäkelä ◽

R. Hillamo ◽

L. Rantanen

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Particle Number ◽

Mass Size Distribution ◽

Car Exhaust ◽

Mass Size

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Mass Size Distribution of Atmospheric Aerosol Particles with Nanosampler Cascade Impactor in Jinju City

Journal of Environmental Science International ◽

10.5322/jesi.2015.24.5.679 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (5) ◽

pp. 679-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeong-Ho Park ◽

Min-Jae Jang ◽

Hyoung-Kab Kim

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Atmospheric Aerosol ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Cascade Impactor ◽

Mass Size Distribution ◽

Atmospheric Aerosol Particles ◽

Mass Size

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Estimation of Mass Size Distribution of Atmospheric Aerosols Using Real-Time Aerosol Measuring Instruments

The Journal of Korean Association for Particle and Aerosol Research ◽

10.11629/jpaar.2013.9.2.039 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 39-50

Author(s):

Jun-Ho Ji ◽

◽

Gwi-Nam Bae

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Real Time ◽

Atmospheric Aerosols ◽

Measuring Instruments ◽

Mass Size Distribution ◽

Mass Size

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Mass size distribution of major monosaccharide anhydrides and mass contribution of biomass burning

Atmospheric Research ◽

10.1016/j.atmosres.2019.01.001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 220 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zoltán Imre Blumberger ◽

Anikó Vasanits-Zsigrai ◽

Gergő Farkas ◽

Imre Salma

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Mass Size Distribution ◽

Mass Size ◽

Monosaccharide Anhydrides

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Role of black carbon mass size distribution in the direct aerosol radiative forcing

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-19-13175-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (20) ◽

pp. 13175-13188 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gang Zhao ◽

Jiangchuan Tao ◽

Ye Kuang ◽

Chuanyang Shen ◽

Yingli Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Black Carbon ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Climate Models ◽

Radiative Effects ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

Mass Size Distribution ◽

Mass Size ◽

Mixing States ◽

Aerosol Radiative

Abstract. Large uncertainties exist when estimating radiative effects of ambient black carbon (BC) aerosol. Previous studies about the BC aerosol radiative forcing mainly focus on the BC aerosols' mass concentrations and mixing states, while the effects of BC mass size distribution (BCMSD) were not well considered. In this paper, we developed a method of measuring the BCMSD by using a differential mobility analyzer in tandem with an Aethalometer. A comprehensive method of multiple charging corrections was proposed and implemented in measuring the BCMSD. Good agreement was obtained between the BC mass concentration integrated from this system and that measured in the bulk phase, demonstrating the reliability of our proposed method. Characteristics of the BCMSD and corresponding radiative effects were studied based on a field measurement campaign conducted in the North China Plain by using our own measurement system. Results showed that the BCMSD had two modes and the mean peak diameters of the modes were 150 and 503 nm. The BCMSD of the coarser mode varied significantly under different pollution conditions with peak diameter varying between 430 and 580 nm, which gave rise to significant variation in aerosol bulk optical properties. The direct aerosol radiative forcing was estimated to vary by 8.45 % for different measured BCMSDs of the coarser mode, which shared the same magnitude with the variation associated with assuming different aerosol mixing states (10.5 %). Our study reveals that the BCMSD as well as its mixing state in estimating the direct aerosol radiative forcing matters. Knowledge of the BCMSD should be fully considered in climate models.

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Size Distribution, Bioaccessibility and Health Risks of Indoor/Outdoor Airborne Toxic Elements Collected from School Office Room

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos9090340 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 340 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zhi-Jie Tang ◽

Xin Hu ◽

Jun-Qin Qiao ◽

Hong-Zhen Lian

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Health Risks ◽

Toxic Elements ◽

Inhalation Exposure ◽

Potential Health ◽

Lung Fluid ◽

Mass Size ◽

Office Rooms ◽

Simulated Lung Fluid ◽

Indoor And Outdoor

20 sets of indoor and outdoor size-segregated aerosol (SSA) samples (180 foils) were collected synchronously by using two 8 Stage Non-Viable Cascade Impactor from an office room in the central region of the megacity-Nanjing, China in winter and spring in 2016. The mass size distribution of SSAs was bimodal for outdoor SSAs and unimodal for indoor in both winter and spring. The crustal elements, such as K, Ca, Mg and Fe, were mainly distributed in the coarse fractions of SSAs while toxic elements such as As, Cd, Pb and Sb were enriched more in the fine fractions in both winter and spring. Moreover, indoor/outdoor (I/O) concentration ratios of SSAs and inorganic elements indicated the penetration of outdoor fine fractions of SSAs into indoor air. As, Pb, V and Mn showed higher inhalation bioaccessibility extracted by the artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF); while V, As, Sr and Cd showed higher inhalation bioaccessibility using the simulated lung fluid (SLF), suggesting differences in elemental inhalation bioaccessibility between ALF and SLF extraction. There were similar potential carcinogenic and accumulative non-carcinogenic risks via inhalation exposure to indoor and outdoor particle-bound toxic elements based on their bioaccessible concentrations. Therefore, the potential health risks to human posed by toxic elements in office rooms cannot be neglected via inhalation exposure of the fine airborne particles.

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