scholarly journals Indoor Particulate Matter in Urban Households: Sources, Pathways, Characteristics, Health Effects, and Exposure Mitigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11055
Author(s):  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Changjin Ou ◽  
Dhammika Magana-Arachchi ◽  
Meththika Vithanage ◽  
Kanth Swaroop Vanka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Exposure Mitigation ◽  
Indoor Particulate Matter

Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air with varying size, shape, and chemical composition which intensifies significant concern due to severe health effects. Based on the well-established human health effects of outdoor PM, health-based standards for outdoor air have been promoted (e.g., the National Ambient Air Quality Standards formulated by the U.S.). Due to the exchange of indoor and outdoor air, the chemical composition of indoor particulate matter is related to the sources and components of outdoor PM. However, PM in the indoor environment has the potential to exceed outdoor PM levels. Indoor PM includes particles of outdoor origin that drift indoors and particles that originate from indoor activities, which include cooking, fireplaces, smoking, fuel combustion for heating, human activities, and burning incense. Indoor PM can be enriched with inorganic and organic contaminants, including toxic heavy metals and carcinogenic volatile organic compounds. As a potential health hazard, indoor exposure to PM has received increased attention in recent years because people spend most of their time indoors. In addition, as the quantity, quality, and scope of the research have expanded, it is necessary to conduct a systematic review of indoor PM. This review discusses the sources, pathways, characteristics, health effects, and exposure mitigation of indoor PM. Practical solutions and steps to reduce exposure to indoor PM are also discussed.

scholarly journals Air pollution interventions and respiratory health: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Saleh ◽  
W. Shepherd ◽  
C. Jewell ◽  
N. L. Lam ◽  
J. Balmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Exposure Reduction ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure

BACKGROUND: Indoor and ambient air pollution exposure is a major risk to respiratory health worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Interventional trials have mainly focused on alternatives to cooking stoves, with mixed results. Beyond cooking, additional sources of particulate matter also contribute to the burden of air pollution exposure. This review explores evidence from current randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the clinical effectiveness of interventions to reduce particulate matter in LMICs.METHODS: Twelve databases and the grey literature (e.g., Government reports and policy papers) were searched. Eligible studies were RCTs conducted in LMICs aiming to reduce particulate exposure from any source and reporting on at least one clinical respiratory outcome (respiratory symptoms, lung function or clinical diagnoses). Data from relevant studies were systematically extracted, the risk of bias assessed and narrative synthesis provided.RESULTS: Of the 14 included studies, 12 tested ‘improved' cookstoves, most using biomass, but solar and bioethanol cookers were also included. One trial used solar lamps and another was an integrated intervention incorporating behavioural and environmental components for the treatment and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Of the six studies reporting child pneumonia outcomes, none demonstrated significant benefit in intention-to-treat analysis. Ten studies reported respiratory symptom outcomes with some improvements seen, but self-reporting made these outcomes highly vulnerable to bias. Substantial inter-study clinical and methodological heterogeneity precluded calculation of pooled effect estimates.CONCLUSION: Evidence from the RCTs performed to date suggests that individual household-level interventions for air pollution exposure reduction have limited benefits for respiratory health. More comprehensive approaches to air pollution exposure reduction must be developed so their potential health benefits can be assessed.

Numerical assessment of the effect of cigarette smoking on indoor PM2.5 distribution and study of ventilation strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheshu Ma ◽  
Shaozhe Sun
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Quality Standard ◽  
World Health ◽  
Elevated Concentration ◽  
Breathing Zone ◽  
Ventilation Strategy ◽  
Displacement Ventilation ◽  
Ventilation Strategies ◽  
Indoor Particulate Matter

Elevated concentration of indoor particulate matter (PM) has been linked to adverse effects on human health. To explore how particles from cigarette smoke affect the indoor PM2.5 concentration and whether such circumstance is harmful to people, distribution characteristics of indoor particulate matter in a typical residence with a smoker were numerically studied under different ventilation strategies. The indoor PM2.5 concentration without forced ventilation was shown to far exceed the air quality standard of 75 µg/m3 as recommended by the World Health Organization. In this study, we numerically investigated the performances of the mixing and displacement ventilation strategies in reducing indoor particle levels. Different airflow patterns could significantly influence the movement and deposition of particles in ventilated rooms, even with the same air change rate and particle characteristics. When comparing with the mixing ventilation strategy, the displacement ventilation strategy was shown to have a lower deposition mass and a larger portion of particles leaving the room. Thus, the average indoor PM2.5 concentration in the displacement ventilation strategy was shown to be higher than the mixing ventilation strategy. In spite of this, low particle concentration in the personnel’s breathing zone was shown by our measurement. Displacement ventilation strategy could provide a cleaner ambient air than the mixing one.

Outdoor Air Pollution: Particulate Matter Health Effects

2007 ◽  
Vol 333 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tze-Ming Chen ◽  
Ware G. Kuschner ◽  
Janaki Gokhale ◽  
Scott Shofer
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Outdoor Air Pollution

scholarly journals Investigating the effect of an open window vs. a closed window on the concentrations of suspended particulate matter in the indoors with respect to the outdoors

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja Singh ◽  
Tushar Mondal ◽  
Anil Dewan
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Substantial Effect ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Pm 2.5 ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Open Window ◽  
Indoor Particulate Matter ◽  
Pm 10

A study was conducted to see the effect of an opened window vs. a closed window in New Delhi in peak winters. This is the time when the PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations are the highest in the ambient air due to various external factors. A PM 2.5 and PM 10 air quality meter was used at a singular location near the window for 10 days with 9 readings taken during the daily working hours. Contrary to the possible conjectural belief, it was found that the window opened or closed did not have a substantial effect on the concentrations of the indoor levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10. The results showed that opening of the windows does not substantially affect the levels of the indoors with respect to the levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the outdoors. Outdoors may provide the source of the particulate matter in the indoor, but due to diffusive effect, open windows play a key role in the reducing the indoor levels. This study was reconfirmed with options where the windows were opened and then closed and vice-versa. In all cases, the effect of the outdoor was not visible. To curb indoor particulate matter levels, isolation is not the solution. (200 words)

Impacts of stove/fuel use and outdoor air pollution on chemical composition of household particulate matter

Indoor Air ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-305
Author(s):  
Alexandra M. Lai ◽  
Sierra Clark ◽  
Ellison Carter ◽  
Ming Shan ◽  
Kun Ni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Outdoor Air Pollution

CO-BENEFIT MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL IN ISKANDAR MALAYSIA: A METHODOLOGY USING BenMAP

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadhirah Nordin ◽  
M. Rafee Majid ◽  
Ho Chin Siong ◽  
Gakuji Kurata
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Exposed Population ◽  
Pm10 Level

Malaysia is currently experiencing issues of local as well as transboundary air pollution. The issues are especially felt in areas that record high economic growth and rapid urbanization such as Iskandar Malaysia, a fast evolving economic-growth corridor in Southeast Asia. This has led to increased rate of particulate matter emissions, which further led to increase in the rate of respiratory-related health incidences. Many epidemiological studies have proven that particulate matters in the ambient air are associated with adverse health effects. This will affect the existing and future economy of Iskandar Malaysia, where the exposed population may lose their workdays and face increased medical spending. This study focuses on quantifying health and economic benefits from the reduction of particulate matter with a size of 10 micrometers or less in diameter (PM10) using the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP) by US EPA. Health impact functions are used to quantify the relationship between a change in PM10 level and number of related health effects among the exposed population. The samples for this research include a continuous monitoring data on the 2014 monthly average of daily PM10, the 2014 population projection of Malaysian Census Data and the PM10 related health cases for 2014 which are focused in the Iskandar Malaysia region. PM10 data are collected from monitoring stations operated by the Department of Environment (DOE). Respiratory related cases such as Upper Respiratory Tract Infection, which is categorized as J10 in International Classification of Diseases, are collected from selected clinics within the study area. The final outcome of the modeling exercise compares the co-benefits of air pollution reduction between the baseline scenario and the control scenario for PM10 level in Iskandar Malaysia. The results of this study are useful in optimizing and improving the existing policies and strategies for controlling air pollution and PM10 emission in Iskandar Malaysia.

scholarly journals Large global variations in measured airborne metal concentrations driven by anthropogenic sources

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob McNeill ◽  
Graydon Snider ◽  
Crystal L. Weagle ◽  
Brenna Walsh ◽  
Paul Bissonnette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
World Health ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Metal Concentrations

AbstractGlobally consistent measurements of airborne metal concentrations in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are important for understanding potential health impacts, prioritizing air pollution mitigation strategies, and enabling global chemical transport model development. PM2.5 filter samples (N ~ 800 from 19 locations) collected from a globally distributed surface particulate matter sampling network (SPARTAN) between January 2013 and April 2019 were analyzed for particulate mass and trace metals content. Metal concentrations exhibited pronounced spatial variation, primarily driven by anthropogenic activities. PM2.5 levels of lead, arsenic, chromium, and zinc were significantly enriched at some locations by factors of 100–3000 compared to crustal concentrations. Levels of metals in PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded health guidelines at multiple sites. For example, Dhaka and Kanpur sites exceeded the US National Ambient Air 3-month Quality Standard for lead (150 ng m−3). Kanpur, Hanoi, Beijing and Dhaka sites had annual mean arsenic concentrations that approached or exceeded the World Health Organization’s risk level for arsenic (6.6 ng m−3). The high concentrations of several potentially harmful metals in densely populated cites worldwide motivates expanded measurements and analyses.

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