1. business and industrial
2. business operations
3. business plans

Abstracts by Science Question
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SCIENCE QUESTIONS – Use Bookmarks on Left to Jump to Science Question
2
INTRODUCTION
Welcome
3
Purpose, Scope, and Target Audience
4
Abstracts
4
Plenary Sessions and Speakers
4
Conference Committees
6
Publications Policy
8
Sponsors
9
Exhibitors
10
Acknowledgements
12
TECHNICAL PROGRAM ABSTRACTS BY SCIENCE QUESTION
AUTHOR INDEX
14-512
A-1
1
SCIENCE QUESTIONS
(Use Bookmarks on Left to Jump to Science Question)
1.
Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects. How does our understanding of
the health effects of air pollutants (singly or in mixtures) help identify pollutants that can be
linked to sources the control of which would provide maximal health benefits?
(Overarching Theme)
2.
Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches. How reliable are methods
(measurements and models) and approaches (epidemiological and toxicological) for
studying and quantifying the links between air pollutants (species and or sources) and
adverse health effects?
3.
Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure. How do relevant pollutant
properties vary in space and time from sources and in ambient air; what are the
implications of these variations for population exposure?
4.
Relation between Exposure and Dose. What advances have been made in understanding
the relationships between exposure, both spatially and temporally, and estimates of dose
that tie to health outcomes?
5.
Mechanisms of Action and Biomarkers of Exposure and Effects. Are patterns
emerging that relate component(s) of air pollution and/or source types to mechanisms?
What is the status of identifying and measuring biomarkers of exposure and/or adverse
health effects from air pollution?
6.
Susceptible Populations. Who are the susceptible populations, what drives different
susceptibilities to the same or different air pollutants, and are there susceptibility traits
associated with specific health outcomes that are common among the subpopulations?
7.
Confounding or Other Factors. What roles do confounding or other factors have in
increasing, decreasing, or obscuring attribution of the true health effects from ambient air
pollutants?
8.
Accountability. Do actions taken to improve air quality result in reduced ambient
concentrations of relevant pollutants, exposure, and health effects, and have we
encountered unintended consequences?
9.
Regulatory and Policy Implications. What are the policy implications of our improved
understanding of the source to health effect paradigm?
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME
Abstracts from AAAR’s third international specialty conference “Air Pollution and Health: Bridging the
Gap from Sources to Health Outcomes” are presented within. Complete details for the conference can
be found at http://aaar.2010specialty.org/. The objectives and guiding themes, the latter presented as a
series of policy-relevant Science Questions, are given below. This conference brings together a diverse
group of air pollution and health scientists, air quality managers, and policy makers across all levels of
government, private industry and industrial agencies, academia, and others interested in better
understanding the science linkages between air pollution and health effects across the full source-tohealth effects paradigm.
EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) identified this conference to be the kick-off of its “Air
Science 40” celebrating the essential research EPA/ORD has provided in support of stakeholder policies
and decision-making since the Clean Air Act was promulgated by Congress 40 years ago.
The conference consists of a series of nine plenary sessions, platform sessions, and poster sessions.
The conference is planned around the guiding themes / Science Questions, with each Science Question
addressed to the extent possible by its own plenary session, each by three to four experts on the subject.
Four sets of platform sessions, each consisting of four parallel sessions, (Monday -Thursday) and four
poster sessions (Monday -Thursday) support the plenary sessions. Friday’s plenary session on policy
implications also includes a conference summary. Two panel discussions on Friday morning address
questions regarding the use of air quality models to support health and exposure studies and the link
between climate change, air pollution, and health effects. Two lunch time presentations include one on
EPA Special Topics: Air Science 40 and EPA’s National Monitoring Networks and one on Air Pollution
and Health: Policy and Research within the United States - EPA Perspective by Senior Officials (invited).
As is customary with AAAR meetings, two evening receptions are coordinated with additional poster
viewing and the vendor exhibition.
We strongly encourage you to submit papers that derive from your conference presentations to the
peer-reviewed special journal issues associated with this conference. Your publications will provide
definitive documentation of the conference results. The full publications policy is posted on the web at
http://aaar.2010specialty.org/pdfs/APH_Publication_Policy.pdf. Key points of the policy are included
below and the full policy is included in a separate file on the CD. Publications for the special issues will
be due May 17, 2010. Currently, seven (7) peer-reviewed, internationally renowned journals suitable for
the themes of this conference are available for your consideration to provide you maximum flexibility for
reaching your desired audience.
We are very excited about this truly landmark international conference designed to enhance
dissemination and discussion of your important research to the scientific, regulatory, and policy
communities from around the world. AAAR and all those associated with planning this conference thank
the sponsors, exhibitors, authors, all attendees, and AAAR staff for making this conference a huge
success.
Paul A. Solomon
Maria Costantini
Conference Chairs
3
PURPOSE, SCOPE, AND TARGET AUDIENCE
The primary purpose of this international conference is to bring together researchers to engage in
discussion and to disseminate results from scientific studies designed to understand better the linkages
between sources of air pollution and health outcomes across the source to health effects continuum. The
conference is multi-pollutant, focusing across five key science topics: sources, atmospheric sciences,
exposure, dose, and health effects. The conference is driven by eight policy-relevant Science Questions
or guiding themes (see full list below) that integrate various parts across these five science topics and a
ninth question related to policy implications of the findings. Results presented and synthesized from this
conference will help reduce uncertainty in our understanding of the linkages between sources and air
pollutants, human exposure, and health effects.
This conference is intended to reach an interdisciplinary, international audience of air pollution and health
scientists, air quality managers, and policy makers from around the globe and across all levels of
government, private industry and industrial agencies, academia, and others interested in reducing
uncertainty in the science linkages between sources of air pollution and health effects.
ABSTRACTS
Conference chairs reviewed, accepted, and sorted by Science Question and Science Topic all abstracts
for poster and platform presentations included within this abstract’s book. Based on recommendations by
the conference committees, the conference chairs invited, reviewed, and accepted abstracts for plenary
presentations. Each presentation was assigned a chronological program number, which corresponds
with the number in this abstract book and final conference program. A three-part number with A, B, C, or
D in the middle position, identifies abstracts associated with platform presentations. Abstracts associated
with poster presentations are identified with a four-part number with SQ and T in the middle position and
corresponding to the Science Question and science Topic the abstract addresses. Abstracts associated
with plenary presentations are identified by a three-part number with SQ in the middle position relating to
the science question addressed.
PLENARY SESSIONS AND SPEAKERS
Plenary sessions address the nine guiding themes for the conference in a multidisciplinary fashion cutting
across the source-to-health effects continuum. Plenary speakers were invited to participate based on
their recognized international expertise related to the topic of their respective Science Question with an
effort to ensure a balanced institutional and international representation. After the meeting, each group
will prepare a summary journal article for a special journal issue, in a peer-reviewed journal, addressing
the Science Question associated with their plenary session documenting the state-of-the-science at this
point-in- time and achieving one of the key goals of this conference.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Paul A. Solomon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Robert Sawyer, University of California at Berkeley, USA
Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches – Session 1
Armistead Russell, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Jeffrey Brook, Environment Canada, Canada
Flemming Cassee, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands
Annette Peters, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
4
Accountability – Session 4
Annemoon van Erp, Health Effects Institute, USA
Kenneth Demerjian, State University of New York at Albany, USA
Frank Kelly, Imperial College, United Kingdom
Arden Pope, Brigham Young University, USA
Confounding or Other Factors – Session 6
Bert Brunekreef, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
Richard Burnett, Health Canada, Canada
Lianne Sheppard, University of Washington, USA
Susceptible Populations – Session 8
Mark Utell, University of Rochester Medical Center, USA
Robert Devlin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Marie O'Neill, University of Michigan, USA
Carrie Breton, University of Southern California, USA
Relation between Exposure and Dose – Session 10
Robert Phalen, University of California at Irvine, USA
Deborah Bennett, University of California at Davis, USA
Peter Gehr, University of Berne, Switzerland
Daniel Krewski, University of Ottawa, Canada
Pollutants and Sources Associated with Health Effects – Session 12
Alberto Ayala, California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, USA
Michael Brauer, University of British Columbia, Canada
Joe Mauderly, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, USA
Jonathan Samet, University of Southern California, USA
Mechanisms of Action and Biomarkers of Exposure and Effects – Session 14
Sanjay Rajagopalan, Ohio State University, USA
Ian Gilmour, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Michael Kleinman, University of California at Irvine, USA
Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure – Session 16
Spyros Pandis, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Tong Zhu, Peking University, China
Helen Suh, Harvard School of Public Health, USA
Michael Jerrett, University of California at Berkeley, USA
Panel Discussions – Session 18
Characterizing Air Quality for Human Health Studies – 18A
Michael Jerrett, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Richard Scheffe, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
George Thurston, New York University, USA
Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Health Effects; – 18B
Michael Kleeman, University of California at Davis, USA
Michelle Bell, Yale University, USA
TBD
5
Regulatory and Policy Implications – Session 19
Morton Lippmann, New York University, USA
Roger McClellan, Consultant
Martin Williams, Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom
Bryan Hubbell, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Closing Remarks – Session 20
Daniel Costa, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Daniel Greenbaum, Health Effects Institute, USA
Lunch Discussions: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Special Topics
Air Science 40
Daniel Costa, National Program Director for Air Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
USA
National Monitoring Programs - The National Core (NCore) and Chemical Speciation Networks
(CSN)
Tim Hanley and Tim Watkins, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Air Pollution and Health: Policy and Research within the United States - EPA Perspective by
Senior Officials
Dr. Paul Anastas, U.S. EPA, Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development
(Invited)
Dr. Jared Blumenfeld, U.S. EPA, Regional 9 Administrator (Invited)
Dr. Al Armendariz, U.S. EPA, Regional 6 Administrator (Wednesday)
CONFERENCE COMMITTEES
Executive Steering Committee (ESC)
Paul A. Solomon (Conference Chair), U.S. Environment Protection Agency, ORD
Maria Costantini (Conference Chair), Health Effects Institute
Jeffrey Brook, Environment Canada, Canada
Bert Brunekreef, Universiteit Utrecht
Daniel Costa, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD
Philip Hopke, Clarkson University
Joe Mauderly, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute
Constantinos Sioutas, University of Southern California
Helen Suh, Harvard School of Public Health
Mark Utell, University of Rochester Medical Center
Anthony Wexler, University of California at Davis
Technical Steering Committee (TSC)
Paul A. Solomon (Chair), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD
Maria Costantini (Co-Chair), Health Effects Institute
Source:
Alberto Ayala, California Air Resources Board
Ian Kennedy, University of California at Davis
6
Atmospheric Sciences:
Tadeusz (Tad) Kleindienst, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD
Ann Middlebrook, NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory
Spyros Pandis, Carnegie Mellon University
Jamie Schauer, University of Wisconsin
Exposure:
Tina Bahadori, American Chemistry Council
Michael Brauer, University of British Columbia, Canada
Dose:
Robert Phalen, University of California at Irvine
Health Effects:
John Balmes, University of California at San Francisco
Flemming Cassee, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM, The
Netherlands
Wayne Cascio, East Carolina University
Srikanth Nadadur, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Sverre Vedal, University of Washington
Policy:
Jonathan Samet, University of Southern California
Susan Wierman, Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association
PM Centers:
Gail Robarge, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD
Stacey Katz, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD
International Program Committee (IPC)
Bert Brunekreef (Chair), Universiteit Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Chang-Chuan Chan, Taiwan National University, Taiwan
Francesco Forastiere, Rome Health Authority, Rome, Italy
Andrej Kobe, DG Environment EU, Brussels, Belgium
Wolgang Kreyling, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany
Michal Krzyzanowski, WHO, Bonn, Germany
Gary Minsavage, CONCAWE, Brussels, Belgium
Robert Maynard, UK Health Protection Agency, Chilton, UK
Guy Marks, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, Australia
Sophie Punte, Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities, Manila, Philippines
Paolo Saldiva, University of Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Tong Zhu, Peking University, Beijing, China
Technical Program Committees (Chairs)
Plenary Session Chairs
Mark Frampton
John Balmes
Daniel Greenbaum
Wayne Cascio
George Hidy
Daniel Costa
Philip Hopke
Maria Costantini
7
Plenary Session Chairs (continued)
Petros Koutrakis
Annette Peters
Arden Pope
Stefanie Sarnat
Constantinos Sioutas
Paul A. Solomon
Ira Tager
Sverre Vedal
Anthony Wexler
William Wilson
Platform Session Chairs
Alberto Ayala
Flemming Cassee
Ralph Delfino
Kenneth Demerjian
Delbert Eatough
Miriam Gerlofs-Nijland
Alison Geyh
Ian Gilmour
John Godleski
S. Katharine Hammond
Jack Harkema
RKM Jayanty
Morton Lippmann
Joe Mauderly
Jacob McDonald
Tom Merrifield
Ann Middlebrook
William Nazaroff
Haluk Ozkaynak
Spyros Pandis
Jennifer Peel
Allen Robinson
Jeremy Sarnat
Helen Suh
Geoffrey Sunshine
George Thurston
Mark Utell
Sverre Vedal
Alan Vette
Susan Wierman
Ronald Wyzga
Mei Zheng
Panel Discussion Chairs
Valerie Garcia – 18A
Tim Watkins – 18A
Darrell Winner – 18B
Lunch Discussion Chairs
Tim Hanley
Daniel Costa
Paul A. Solomon
Exhibit Committee
Tom Merrifield, BGI, Inc. (Chair)
Publications Committee
Paul A. Solomon (Chair)
PUBLICATIONS POLICY
Submit tentative titles and authors with corresponding author‘s full contact information via email by
Monday, April 12, 2010 to Paul Solomon, (solomon.paul@epa.gov). This will allow tracking of papers
since you will be submitting papers directly to journals.
The submission deadline for papers to these special issues is Monday, May 17, 2010.
8
Submissions must adhere to all publication guidelines specified by each individual journal,
including scope, goals, and authors guidelines, and each paper will strictly follow the rigorous
review process of that journal. Journals that require authors to pay page charges will be paid by
the author, not the conference. (Please see the publications policy on the conference website for
additional details.)
All journals require electronic submission.
In all cases, submit an electronic copy (PDF preferred) by email to Paul Solomon after submitting
to the journal. Include the full contact information for the author to which correspondence should be
address. Please also include in the body of the e-mail a list of five potential reviewers and their
complete contact information.
Do NOT zip files, as the attachments will be stripped from the email by the EPA firewall.
Seven journals have agreed to consider special issues consisting of high quality scientific original papers
and include:







Aerosol Science and Technology (AAAR Journal)
Atmospheric Environment
Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health
Environmental Health Perspectives
Inhalation Toxicology
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association
The complete publications policy, with links to the journals and author information for each journal can
be found at the conference website.
Special Issue Disclaimer
Special Issues in many journals are costly to the organizing group, in this case AAAR. If insufficient
conference funds are available for one or more special issues the submitted papers will simply move into
that journal’s normal submission and review process and be published, if accepted as individual papers.
Listed page charges are subject to change.
2010 AAAR INTERNATIONAL SPECIALTY CONFERENCE SPONSORS
The AAAR gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the sponsors for the 2010 AAAR Air Pollution
and Health International Specialty Conference
Financial Sponsors
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development
Health Effects Institute
American Chemistry Council
American Petroleum Institute
California Air Resources Board, Research Division
Electric Power Research Institute
NARSTO
9
Financial Sponsors (continued)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Southern Company
Organizational Sponsors
Air & Waste Management Association
International Society of Exposure Sciences
Springer
EXHIBITORS
AAAR gratefully acknowledges the following companies for their participation this year! Please stop
by and visit each company in the exhibit area in the Sheraton San Diego Hotel.
American Ecotech
100 Elm Street, Factory D
Warren, RI 02885
USA
Tel: 401-247-0100
Fax: 401-537-9166
Website: www.ecotech.com
Ecotech partners with industry, research, and government organizations for a cleaner, safer, healthier
environment. Ecotech aerosol monitoring instrumentation includes the Aurora nephelometer used
extensively in climate change research.
BGI Instruments
58 Guinan Street
Waltham, MA 02451
USA
Tel: 781-891-9380
Fax: 781-891-8151
Website: www.bgiusa.com
BGI has provided the environmental monitoring community with four decades of seminal
leadership in aerosol science instrumentation. BGI manufactures air flow calibrators, industrial
hygiene samplers, and EPA approved ambient monitoring instrumentation.
EcoChem Analytics
202 Reynolds
League City, TX 77573
USA
Tel: 281-338-9888
Fax: 281-332-6152
Website: www.ecochem.biz
EcoChem provides continuous monitors for measuring fine particle combustion aerosols.
Elemental Carbon, PAH, and particle surface area can be estimated from these analyzers. The
instruments are used for ambient air monitoring, vehicular emissions, and personal exposure.
10
EPA’s Clean Air Research Program
4930 Page Road
E205-09
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
USA
Tel: 919-541-7818
Website: www.epa.gov/airscience
The research program is providing the scientific foundation for environmental decision making by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to effectively reduce and control air pollution.
HI-Q Environmental Products Co.
7386 Trade Street
San Diego, CA 92121
USA
Tel: 858-549-2820
Fax: 858-549-9657
Website: www.HI-Q.net
HI-Q Environmental Products Company has been a leading manufacturer of Air Sampling
Equipment, Systems, & Accessories since 1973. As an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company our
product line includes continuous duty high & low volume air samplers, air flow calibrators,
sampling cartridges, collection filter media, combination filter holders, and complete stack & fume
hood sampling systems. See www.HI-Q.net for detailed information on our complete line of air
sampling products.
Magee Scientific
2800 Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
USA
Tel: 518-845-2801
Fax: 510-845-7137
Website: www.mageescientific.com
Magee Scientific produces instruments to measure Aerosol Black Carbon using the
Aethalometer® measurement technology. Our instruments are used in atmospheric studies,
ambient air quality, exposure, and source monitoring applications.
MSP Corporation
5910 Rice Creek Parkway
Suite 300
Shoreview, MN 55126
USA
Tel: 651-287-8100
Fax: 651-287-8140
Website: www.mspcorp.com
MSP Corporation is an applied engineering company located in Shoreview, Minnesota, dedicated
to the design, development, and manufacture of particle sampling and measurement instruments.
Since 1985, MSP has developed numerous aerosol samplers and analytical instruments that
serve clients in the air quality monitoring, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor industries, as well
as those engaged in scientific research fields.
Sunset Laboratory, Inc.
210
10160 Sw Nimbus Avenue, Suite F8
Tigard, OR 97223
11
USA
Tel: 503-624-1100
Fax: 503-620-3505
Website: www.sunlab.com
Sunset Laboratory makes high-quality sensors for analysis of carbon aerosols. We also
provide a variety of reliable testing services. Our products and services are used in the fields of
aviation, weather research, mining operations, academic research and more.
Tisch Environmental, Inc.
145 South Miami Avenue
Cleves, OH 45002
USA
Tel: 513-467-9000
Fax: 513-467-9009
Website: www.tisch-env.com
Tisch Environmental is a family-owned business. TEI employs skilled personnel who design,
manufacture, and support air pollution monitoring equipment. Our philosophy and experience
have made TEI the supplier of choice for air pollution monitoring equipment.
TSI Incorporated
500 Cardigan Road
Shoreview, MN 55126
USA
Tel: 800-874-2811
Fax: 651-490-3824
Website: www.tsi.com
TSI specializes in the design and production of precision aerosol instrumentation. For over 40
years, TSI has partnered with research institutions to create measurement solutions for global
applications combustion emissions, nanotechnology, air quality, filtration, biodetection, and more.
Visit our booth to see our new Laser Aerosol Spectrometer and other innovations.
URG Corporation
116 S. Merritt Mill Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
USA
Tel: 919-942-2753
Fax: 919-942-3522
Website: www.urgcorp.com
The URG Corporation manufactures the Ambient Ion Monitor (AIM) for continuous direct
measurements of particulate nitrate, sulfate and ammonium in PM2.5 plus gas measurements of
nitric acid and ammonia. The AIM monitors for the speciation of particles, and gases. Selection
of Teflon coated cyclones and stainless steel cyclones for diesel emissions are available.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Organizing this landmark international conference has been exciting and challenging. This, the third
AAAR specialty conference, Air Pollution and Health: Bridging the Gap from Sources to Health
Effects, could not be accomplished by just the two of us, but rather was achieved by a dedicated team of
people working toward the common goal of a successful meeting. It is our pleasure to have such an
exceptional team supporting the conference and to acknowledge their efforts, for this conference would
not be taking place if not for them.
12
Several committees came together to help develop the technical program, organize and announce the
conference: the Executive Steering Committee, the Technical Steering Committee, and the International
Program Committee. The composition of these Committees is provided above. These committees
engaged with us to develop a clear set of goals for the meeting and the Science Questions, which are the
drivers or ‘Guiding Themes” for this conference. Members from these committees also helped to
announce the conference and solicit abstracts, plenary speakers, and sponsors. They are assisting with
chairing many of the plenary and platform sessions as well. Special thanks goes to Donald Dabdub,
whose assistance in developing and managing the abstract submission website, posting the conference
information, and preparing the conference program and abstract book was essential and well beyond
expectations. We are also grateful to the AAAR Board of Directors and in particular, to presidents Chris
Sorenson (2007 – 2008), Spyros Pandis (2008 – 2009), and Paul Ziemann (2009 – 2010) who provided
guidance though the approval and implementation processes. Finally, this conference would not have
been possible without the continuous involvement and activities of AAAR’s management staff at
Association Headquarters, who are responsible for much of the logistical support and fund raising. The
staff has been both pro-active and responsive in pulling together the many details needed to make this
meeting possible. Their assistance has been invaluable.
We thank whole heartedly our sponsors, who have been extremely generous in their support of this
AAAR meeting, even in this time of economic challenge. Without their support, we would not have many
of the special features nor the ability to publish special journal issues from authors interested in publishing
their results with others from this meeting. These special journal issues provide the final documentation
for the meeting. Most importantly, they have made this conference possible by allowing the organizers to
set a reasonable registration rate, much lower that would have been needed to cover all the expenses.
We would like to acknowledge in particular the Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, which
provided 50% of the support though the office of the National Program Director for Air Research, Dr.
Daniel Costa. Health Canada’s interest in the meeting is acknowledged as well.
Finally, we thank you, the chairs, presenters, and attendees. This conference is for you. The greater
then expected number of abstract submissions and your presence at the meeting are an indication of the
interest in discussing and integrating new results, methods, and approaches in air pollution research
across the many disciplines represented at this meeting.
We look forward to meeting each of you at the conference.
Thank you,
Paul A. Solomon, U.S. EPA, ORD
Maria Costantini, HEI
Conference Chairs
13
TECHNICAL PROGRAM ABSTRACTS BY SCIENCE QUESTION
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: Eͬ
Sub-Topic: N/A
0SQ0.2
California's Science-Based Air Quality Regulation. ROBERT SAWYER (1), (1) University of California,
Berkeley
California experiences the nation’s worst air quality. Its innovative, science-based regulatory program is a model for
the nation and the world. At the beginning, the science community identified the then unique nature of air pollution
in southern California. It provided the tools to quantify air quality, to identify sources, and to show the relationship
between the two. The evolving understanding of the cause-effect relationship between poor air quality and adverse
health effects provides the foundation for regulatory policy. Animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies all
contribute to that understanding. The quantitative relationships among emissions, air quality, and health outcomes
provide the basis for setting emission regulations and for justifying the cost of regulation. Scientific uncertainties
provide arguments for those who resist regulation and discomfort for those responsible for implementing
regulations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
5A.3
Nuclei and Aitken Mode (dp<10, and 10nm<dp<56nm range) up to 5.6 um On-Road Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbon (PAH) Emission Factors from Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles Measured in Winter and Summer.
Arantzazu Eiguren-Fernandez (1), ANTONIO H. MIGUEL (2), (1) Southern California Particle Center, School of
Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, (2) Nanochemistry Laboratory, UCLA Institute of the Environment, Los Angeles
(Currently at the Organic Analysis Section, Haagen-Smit Laboratory, California Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) - Air Resources Board, El Monte, Ca
Nanoparticles (NPs, dp<100 nm) can translocate across cell barriers by various mechanisms culminating in their
association with sub-cellular structures (Oberdoerster et al., J. NanoScie. & Nanotech, 8, 4996-5007, 2009).
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of combustion-generated compounds found in the air of urban
centers, include several mutagenic or carcinogenic species that are associated with fine and NPs (Miguel et al.,
Aerosol Sci. & Technol., 39, 415-418, 2005; Miguel et al., Environ. Sci. & Technol., 32, 450-455, 1998; Marr et
all., 1999).
We report real-world engine exhaust emission factors (EFs) for twelve particle-phase EPA Priority PAHs emitted
from gasoline light-duty vehicles with spark ignition (SI) and heavy-duty diesels with compression ignition (CI).
Size-resolved PAHs (dp<10nm to 5.6 um) were collected using a Nano-MOUDI Model 125A Impactor (MSP Corp.
The particles were collected onto aluminum foils, and quartz fiber filters from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm, in summer 2004
and winter 2005, directly from the traffic lanes of bores 1 (mixed traffic) and bore 2 (SI only) of the Caldecott
tunnel, Berkeley, Ca, approximately 50 m from the eastern end. CO2 and CO concentrations, temperature and
relative humidity were monitored continuously using a TSI Q-trak Plus and recorded as 2 min averages.
The size-resolved EFs for SI vehicles were computed directly from the light-duty bore 2 measurements of background subtracted PAHs, CO2, and CO concentrations using a carbon mass balance. For CI emissions, the EFs were
apportioned under the assumption that CI and SI vehicles emit comparable amounts of CO per unit distance traveled
(Pierson, et al., Atmos. Environ., 30, 2233-2256, 1996).
We focus our results and discussion on twelve PAH EF estimates for nuclei and Aitken mode particles (dp<10, and
in the 10 to 56nm range). For the SI emissions, the fluoranthene (FLT, semi-volatile) EF in the nuclei and Aitken
modes accounted for 16 and 29% of the total (dp<10nm to 5.6 um) FLT emitted (0.69 and 0.40 ug/kg), respectively,
for summer and winter. The benzo(ghi)perylene (BGP, particle-phase only) EF in the nuclei and Aitken modes
accounted for 30 and 49% of the total BGP emitted (2.68 and 5.17 ug/kg). For the CI emissions, the FLT EF in the
nuclei and Aitken modes accounted for 47 and 10% of the total FLT emitted (45.5 and 83.0 ug/kg) during summer
and winter, respectively. The BGP nuclei mode accounted for 39 and 91% of the total BGP emitted (7.95 and 16.9
ug/kg).
For both the LDV and the HDD exhaust emissions, compared with summer, the PAH mass found in the after-filter
(dp<10nm) was higher in the winter and increased with decreasing PAH equilibrium vapor pressure, consistent with
a temperature effect on the condensation processes, similar to the observed effect of temperature on the number
concentration of NPs emitted by CI engines, as reported by the Kittelson group.
We discuss our results in light of observations that nanoparticles may associate with sub-cellular structures with the
ensuing potential adverse health effects, and the mechanism of formation of the observed PAH modes.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
5A.4
Gas and particle-phase size distribution concentrations of PAHs and their derivative compounds quinones in
traffic environments. JUANA MARI DELGADO-SABORIT (1), Christopher Stark (1), Roy M. Harrison (1), (1)
Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences;
University of Birmingham; Birmingham; B15 2TT; United Kingdom
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are amongst the best-known chemical carcinogens occurring widely in the
environment. The main sources of PAH emission to the atmosphere are combustion processes such as traffic and
heating, as well as some industrial combustion processes. PAHs are a group of many compounds characterised by
fused aromatic rings whose individual carcinogenicity varies significantly. According to their molecular weight and
hence vapour pressure, some PAH compounds exist predominantly in the atmosphere in the vapour phase and others
mainly associated with particles. The more carcinogenic species tend to be particle-associated [1]. Quinones are an
oxidation product of PAHs in the atmosphere, which have the ability to produce reactive oxygen species [2],
resulting in oxidative stress, which is a casual factor in the pathology of many diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases)
[3].
The aim of this study is to quantify the levels of PAHs and their derivative compounds quinones in a traffic
environment in order to quantify the levels of carcinogenic and toxic compounds emitted by traffic sources.
Gas and particulate PAH and quinones have been measured using a sampling train consisting of XAD-4 coated
denuders, MOUDI sampler and backup PUF filters (500 cm3). The MOUDI sampled the size ranges of 3.2-10.0
micro-m (stage-1), 1.8-3.2 micro-m (stage-2), 1.0-1.8 micro-m (stage-3), 0.2-1.0 micro-m (stage-4) and less than 0.2
micro-m (stage-5) in quartz fibre filters.
The levels of benzo(a)pyrene in the gas ranged between 0.02-0.04 ng/m3 whilst the levels in size-fractionated
particle phase ranged between 0.05-0.016 ng/m3, 0.011-0.015 ng/m3, 0.013-0.030 ng/m3, 0.003-0.019± ng/m3 and
0.041-0.064 ng/m3 for stages 1-5 respectively. As regards the levels of quinones, most of the quinones (i.e. 2methylanthraquinone, acenaphthenequinone, 2,3-dimethylanthraquinone, benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione and 5,12naphthacenequinone) were more abundant in the particulate phase (e.g. benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione particlephase ranged between 0.01-0.70 ng/m3 in stage-1 vs. gas-phase 0.01-0.06 ng/m3), except for methyl-1,4benzoquinone and 2,6-ditertbutyl-1,4-benzoquinone which were evenly distributed in the gas and particulate phase
(e.g. methyl-1,4-benzoquinone particle-phase ranged between 0.5-1.7 ng/m3 in stage-1 vs. gas-phase 0.02-3.9
ng/m3). Methyl-1,4-benzoquinone was the most abundant quinone in both phases, followed by 2,6-ditertbutyl-1,4benzoquinone (i.e. particle-phase ranged between 0.2-1.7 ng/m3 in stage-1 and gas-phase 0.1-3.4 ng/m3). The rest
of the quinones were one order of magnitude lower (e.g. 2,3-dimethylanthraquinone particle-phase ranged between
0.09-0.30 ng/m3 in stage 1 and gas-phase 0.001-0.01 ng/m3). Quinones were present in all size ranges; however 2,6ditertbutyl-1,4-benzoquinone was more frequent in the size range below 1.8 micro-m.
The occurrence of quinones and carcinogenic PAH in association with fine particles and vapour confers upon them a
capacity to penetrate to the deeper regions of the respiratory tract.
1. EPAQS, A recommendation for a United Kingdom air quality standard for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. ,
T.a.R.E.P.o.A.Q.S. Department of the Environment, Editor. 1999, The Stationery Office.
2. Kumagai, Y. and N. Shimojo, Induction of Oxidative Stress and Dysfunction of Nitric Oxide-Dependent Vascular
Tone Caused by Quinones Contained in Diesel Exhaust Particles. Journal of Health Science, 2001. 47(5): p. 439445.
3. Heitzer, T., et al., Endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and risk of cardiovascular events in patients with
coronary artery disease. Circulation, 2001. 104(22): p. 2673-2678.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
9A.1
Development of Air Quality Indicators for use in Epidemiologic Studies. JORGE PACHON (1), Ted Russell
(1), Jim Mulholland (1), Siv Balachandran (1), Stefanie Sarnat (2), Jeremy A. Sarnat (2), Mitch Klein (2), Paige
Tolbert (2), (1) Georgia Institute of Technology (2) Emory University
Respiratory (RD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been associated with pollutants from diverse emission
sources [1,2,3]. In an effort to assist in epidemiologic studies linking health end points to sources, we are developing
and assessing air quality indicators of varying complexity. The primary focus of this work is on indicators for
mobile source impacts.
In order to identify the indicators that are most associated with health endpoints, we use factor analysis techniques,
such as principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF), to help identify groups of
pollutants that are associated with health endpoints. In this case, we use not only particulate matter species
concentrations, but also gaseous species and residuals from epidemiologic models. Such residuals are the difference
between the predicted and observed emergency department (ED) counts for selected outcomes in epidemiologic
models in which air pollution has not been included as a variable.
Air quality data for this project are collected from the Jefferson Street (JST) site, a mixed industrial-residential area
in Atlanta, GA during the period 1999-2004. JST is part of the SEARCH network [4]. After a data screening
process, a total of 1,888 days within the six year period were considered valid for the study. For the epidemiologic
models, data from 31 hospitals in the metro-Atlanta area have been collected from January 1993 to August 2000. A
total of 4,407,535 ED visits from residents were recorded during this period and classified as RD or CVD.
Indicators for mobile sources that we are testing include single species, such as CO, NOx and elemental carbon, and
combinations of species that are commonly associated with mobile sources, derived from the application of receptor
models. We are also looking at the fraction of ozone associated with automobile emissions, developed from
chemical transport modeling and sensitivity analysis [5]. Additionally, we have also used regression modeling to
help quantify the amount of primary organic and secondary organic aerosol, and the method provides information on
the amount that is due to mobile sources [6]. In addition to use in health studies, the indicators developed can also
be used to help assess how source impacts on air quality have varied over time.
References
1.Peel, J. L. et al. Epidemiology 2005, 16, (2), 164-174.
2.Metzger, K. B. et al. Epidemiology 2004, 15, (1), 46-56.
3.Sarnat, J. A. et al. Environ. Health Perspect. 2008, 116, (4), 459-466.
4.Hansen, A. et al. Journal Air & Waste Manag. Assoc. 2006, 56: 1445-1458.
5.Cohan, D. S., et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39(17): 6739-6748.
6.Pachon, J., et al. AAAR 28th Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN. 2009
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
9A.4
Estimation of Shipping Emission Contribution at Algeciras Bay (S. Spain) by means of PMF Receptor Model,
Chemical Speciated PM Data and Wind Data. Marco Pandolfi (1), Yolanda Gonzalez-Castanedo (2), Andrés
Alastuey (1), Jesus D. de la Rosa (3), Enrique Mantilla (4), Xavier Querol (1), Jorge Pey (1), (1) Institute of
Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) - CSIC, Barcelona, Spain, 08034. (2) University of
Valladolid, Department of Optics and Applied Physics, Valladolid, Spain, 47071. (3) University of Huelva,
University campus El Carmen, Geology Department, Huelva, Spain, 21071. (4) Fundación Centro de Estudios
Ambientales del Mediterráneo (CEAM), Valencia, Spain, 46980.
The marine transport sector affects air quality by burning low-quality residual fuels containing high amounts of
sulfur and heavy metals. Estimations show that the amount of fuel consumed on a global level by the shipping sector
(around 300 million tons per year) generates huge amounts of primary PM emissions (about 1.2-1.7 Tg/year). Main
concern is related with particles matter finer than 10 um (PM10) and 2.5 um (PM2.5) given their potential for
reaching the pulmonary alveoli and the finer fractions for penetrating deeply into the cardiovascular system.
However, despite its potential impact on air quality and human health and mainly in community located in coastal
areas, the maritime sector operates with little regulation concerning the pollutant emissions. Consequently, the
projections estimate that SO2, NOx and PM2.5 emissions from the maritime sector around Europe will increase by
around 42%, 47% and 55% respectively by 2020 (1). The poor mitigation strategies adopted by this sector could be
also related to the poor number of studies dealing with the shipping contribution estimates to the measured ambient
levels of PM. The present study aims to evaluate the effect on air quality of the anthropogenic activities performed
in the Bay of Algeciras (Southern Spain) with special attention paid to the quantification of the contribution of
shipping emissions to ambient PM levels. The vessel traffic contributions to ambient PM from the present work will
be also compared with previous studies from literature. The estimation of the pollutant sources and their contribution
in the Bay of Algeciras was obtained by applying the positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor model to the
PM10 and PM2.5 speciation data (4 years) collected at four urban agglomerations surrounding the Algeciras Bay.
This area was selected due to the high maritime traffic, since all ships leaving the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic
and viceversa have to cross this area. Moreover, the Bay of Algeciras hosts one of most important ports in Spain.
The Port of Algeciras leads the Spanish Port System reaching a total traffic of 74'8 million tons during 2007 with
more than 80,000 registered ships. In this work, V and Ni together with the lanthanoid elements La and Ce were
used as markers to estimate where the emissions from shipping were prominent. La/Ce ratios between 0.6-0.8 in
both PM10 and PM2.5 together with V/Ni ratios of about 3.0 in PM10 and 2.8-3.1 in PM2.5 characterized the
emissions from shipping. The direct contribution from shipping in the Bay of Algeciras was estimated in about 1.3 2.6 ug/m3 in PM10 and 1.2 – 2.3 ug/m3 in PM2.5 representing up to about 7% and 9% of PM10 and PM2.5 mass
respectively.
(1) Cofala J.; Amann M.; Heyes C.; Wagner F.; Klimont Z.; Posch M.; Schöpp W.; Tarasson L.; Jonson J.E.; Whall
C.; Stavrakaki A. Analysis of Policy Measures to Reduce Ship Emissions in the Context of the Revision of the
National Emissions Ceilings Directive. Final report Submitted to the European Commission, DG Environment, Unit
ENV/C1 Contract No 070501/2005/419589/MAR/C1. 2007.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
9D.4
Health Impact Assessment of Aircraft Particulate Matter. PREM LOBO (1), Elizabeth Black (1), Donald
Hagen (1), (1) Missouri University of Science and Technology
Studies over the last decade have suggested that particulate matter (PM) within certain size ranges deposit in the
tracheobonchial and alveolar regions of the lung, and increased mortality and morbidity rates are observed as PM
concentrations become elevated. While on-road vehicular PM is typically the dominant source of PM in urban areas,
airport operations also contribute to elevated levels of PM in the urban environment. Air quality and health related
effects of airport activities, continue to be an important consideration for airports and their surrounding
communities. Recent studies of aircraft jet engine emissions reveal that their PM size distributions fall into the size
range of particular concern (i.e. <100 nm diameter). Aircraft PM has unique properties with respect to deposition,
retention kinetics, and clearance pathways in the human respiratory system, and is composed of sizes that readily
travel gas streamlines that penetrate the deepest regions of the lung. The deposited PM in these regions of the lung
could also potentially cross the blood-membrane barrier and migrate into the bloodstream. A novel health impact
metric, Surface Area Deposition Index (SADI), was developed to quantify the surface area of deposited PM in the
lung per kilogram jet fuel burned. SADI couples measured PM emissions data collected down-wind of active
runways at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for various airframe–engine combinations along
with the established ICRP lung deposition model. The results of the analysis indicate that statistically significant
differences in SADI among emissions from different engine types are not observed, and variations in SADI are not
correlated with temporal changes.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.142
Source Apportionment and Genotoxicity of Size Segregated Aerosol. JAN HOVORKA (1), Jan Topinka (1,2),
Jiri Krouzek (1), Philip K. Hopke (3), (1) Charles University in Prague, (2) Institute of Experimental Medicine
ASCR, Prague, (3) Clarkson University, Potsdam
Aerosol genotoxicity is usually determined for PM size-integrated samples. Such approach in principle does not
allow specifying dependency of aerosol genotoxicity on particle size and also lowers resolution power of aerosol
source reconnaissance techniques. Method of aerosol genotoxicity determination is thoroughly discussed, also in
relation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PaH) concentrations, in another our study presented at the conference.
In this contribution, genotoxicity of organics extracts from aerosol of coarse (1.0-10 micro-meter) accumulation
(0.50-1.0 micro-meter) and condensational mode (0.17-0.50 micro-meter) sampled by HiVol cascade impactor were
related to likely aerosol sources. Sampling campaign went during winter 2009 for 18 days consecutively at four sites
in the Czech Republic. The sites were Prague center, small settlement in highly industrialized area, proximity to
highway and background in a large forested area. Highly time-resolved data of aerosol size distributions, gaseous
components and meteorology recorded concurrently with HiVol sampling at each site were used to apportion aerosol
sources. Coarse fraction exhibited lowest genotoxicity per fraction mass, in comparison with smaller sizes, and
showed low inter-site variability. Fugitive dust sources dominated coarse aerosol fraction at all the sites. Similarly,
genotoxicity of accumulation mode particles did not vary significantly among the sites but was, as per fraction mass,
near two-fold than in coarse mode. Contrary to coarse and accumulation modes, genotoxicity of condensational
mode particles was the highest and varied significantly among the sites. There was near two-fold genotoxicity at the
small settlement in comparison with other sites. The settlement site is under the impact of emissions from nearby
coal power stations. Surprisingly, Prague and highway sites influenced by emission from mobile combustion sources
did not exhibit significantly higher values of genotoxicity as per size fraction mass.
Supported by the Czech Ministry of the Environment (grant #SP/1a3/149/08).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.143
Emissions of Particulate Trace Elements, Metals and Organic Species from Gasoline, Diesel and Biodiesel
Passenger Vehicles and their Relation to Oxidative Potential. KALAM CHEUNG (1), Leonidas Ntziachristos
(2), Theodoros Tzamkiozis (2), James Schauer (3), Zissis Samaras (2), Katharine Moore (1), Constantinos Sioutas
(1), (1) University of Southern California, Los Angeles (2) Aristotle University, Greece (3) University of Wisconsin,
Madison
The chemical and toxicological characteristics of the particulate exhaust emissions from light-duty passenger
vehicles were determined in a chassis dynamometer study. Three light-duty passenger vehicles were tested in five
configurations, varying in vehicle type, fuel and emission control technology at the dynamometer facility of the
Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. The first vehicle was a
newer diesel Honda 2.2 L vehicle with a three stage oxidation system, meeting the “Euro 4” emission standard. Its
main catalyst was replaced with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and tested as a second configuration. In this
configuration, the vehicle complies with the expected (2010) Euro 5 emission standards. This car is considered
representative of diesel emission levels of today and future vehicle technologies. The second vehicle was a gasolinefuelled Toyota Corolla, a representative of “Euro 3” emission level. It is equipped with a typical three-way catalytic
converter. The last vehicle was an older Golf diesel vehicle. This vehicle was also tested in two alternative
configurations. In the first configuration, the vehicle was tested using petro-diesel, and the originally-equipped
oxidation catalyst was removed to represent the baseline conditions. In the second configuration, the vehicle was
tested with biodiesel and equipped with an oxidation catalyst, thus representing “Euro 2” compliance. Particulate
matter was collected on filters and subsequently analyzed using various chemical (OC/EC, WSOC, GCMS, IC and
ICPMS) and toxicological assays. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which has been shown to
induce oxidative stress and play a direct role in modulating adverse health outcomes related to particle exposure (Li
et al. 2003; Nel, 2005), was quantified by the dithiothreitol (DTT) and macrophage-ROS assays to measure the toxic
activity induced by these PM samples.
The results showed that the Golf vehicle in both configurations (using either petro-diesel or biodiesel fuel) had the
highest emissions of organic species (PAHs, hopanes, steranes, and organic acids). The biodiesel vehicle had
elevated emissions of several organic acids due to incomplete combustion, although they did not seem to affect the
oxidative properties of the emitted PM. The DPF-equipped diesel Accord car emitted minimal amounts of organic
species and the lowest oxidative potential, to the levels lower than the gasoline vehicle. Our findings therefore
indicate that the use of efficient emission control technologies (such as DPF) or cleaner fuel (gasoline) may be far
more effective in reducing the emissions of carcinogenic substances like PAHs than the use of biodiesel.
Correlation analysis showed that soluble Fe is strongly correlated with particulate ROS activity (R=0.99), while
PAHs and hopanes were highly associated with the DTT consumption rates (R=0.94 and 0.91, respectively). In
particular, the DTT-measured oxidative potential was found to be strongly associated with tracers of lube oil
emissions, namely Zn, P, Ca and hopanes (R=0.96, 0.92, 0.83 and 0.91 respectively), suggesting that incomplete
combustion of lube oil plays a significant role in the overall PM-induced toxic activity of vehicular exhaust.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.144
Redox Activity of Urban Quasi-ultrafine Particles from Primary and Secondary Sources. VISHAL VERMA
(1), Zhi Ning (1), Arthur K. Cho (2), James J. Schauer (3), Martin M. Shafer (3), Constantinos Sioutas (1), (1)
University of Southern California, (2) University of California Los Angeles, (3) University of Wisconsin, Madison
To characterize the redox activity profiles of atmospheric aerosols from primary (traffic) and secondary
photochemical sources, ambient quasi-ultrafine particles were collected near downtown Los Angeles in two
different time periods – morning (6:00-9:00 PDT) and afternoon (11:00-14:00 PDT) in the summer of 2008.
Detailed chemical analysis of the collected samples, including water soluble elements, inorganic ions, organic
species and water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) was conducted and redox activity of the samples was measured
by two different assays: the dithiothreitol (DTT) and the macrophage reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays. Tracers
of secondary photo-chemical reactions, such as sulfate and organic acids were higher (2.1±0.6 times for sulfate, and
up to 3 times for the organic acids) in the afternoon period. WSOC was also elevated by 2.5±0.9 times in the
afternoon period due to photo-oxidation of primary particles during atmospheric aging. Redox activity measured by
the DTT assay was considerably higher for the samples collected during the afternoon; on the other hand, diurnal
trends in the ROS-based activity were not consistent between the morning and afternoon periods. A linear regression
between redox activity and various PM chemical constituents showed that the DTT assay was highly correlated with
WSOC (R2=0.80), while ROS activity was associated mostly with water soluble transition metals (Vanadium,
Nickel and Cadmium; R2>0.70). The DTT and ROS assays, which are based on the generation of different oxidizing
species by chemical PM constituents, provide important information for elucidating the health risks related to PM
exposure from different sources. Thus, both primary and secondary particles possess high redox activity; however,
photochemical transformations of primary emissions with atmospheric aging enhance the toxicological potency of
primary particles in terms of generating oxidative stress and leading to subsequent damage in cells.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.145
Dissolution And Solubility of Trace Metals In Aerosol Particles Emitted From Biomass Burning In Southeast
Asia. Jun He and RAJASEKHAR BALASUBRAMANIAN, National University of Singapore
Toxicological studies have implicated that trace metals adsorbed onto airborne particles as possible contributors to
respiratory and/or cardiovascular inflammation. In Southeast Asia, the smoke haze resulting from biomass burning
occurs almost every dry season since the late 1990s due to the uncontrolled land-clearing activities in Sumatra and
Borneo in Indonesia. This air pollution problem affects the regional air quality. During smoke haze periods,
inhalation of trace metal-bearing particles is of particular health concern due to of toxicity heavy metals and their
potential to cause oxidative stress through generation of free radicals. In order to assess the potential health effects
following human exposure to various trace metals emitted from biomass burning, aerosol samples were collected in
the vicinity of biomass burning sources in Indonesia and also at distant locations from Sept to Oct 2009. It is known
that not the total amount of trace metals but more critically the chemical forms in which they exist in the
environment will decide their toxicity, mobility and bioavailability. Therefore a modified sequential extraction
procedure, a three-step protocol proposed by the Standards, Measurements and Testing program (SM & T-formerly
BCR) of the European Union, was applied to aerosol samples with the assistance of microwave digestion. This
experimental procedure provided measurements of extractable metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd, V and As) in
different chemical phases from a chain of media such as CH3COOH (0.11M), NH2OH-HCl (0.5M, ph=1.5), H2O2
(8.8M) plus CH3COONH4 (1M) and HCl/HNO3 (3:1), which are exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable and residual
fractions, respectively. In addition, enrichment factors were calculated based upon abundances of the elements in
the Earth’s crust, taking into consideration their total metal levels. These soluble trace metals under different
aqueous conditions represent the fractions that may be involved in allergic or asthmatic reactions. To further
evaluate the respiratory bioaccessibility of trace metals in aerosols of biomass burning origin, a synthetic lung fluid
was used to simulate an inhalation exposure scenario, which is a solution that mimics the surfactant fluids released
by Type II alveolar cells that fills the space between alveolar cells and acts to reduce the surface tension of the water
in the lungs to facilitate gas exchange. All tests were performed in vitro to determine total released trace metal
concentrations, release rates, and also to elucidate its time-dependence. The results of this work can aid in
understanding the possible toxic effects and chemistry of particulate-bound trace metals in human biological fluid.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
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AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.146
Examination of the Volatility of Ambient Carbonaceous Particles and Molecular Marker Compounds.
CHRIS RUEHL (1), Walter Ham (1), Jorn Herner (1), Michael Robert (1), Michael Kleeman (1), (1) University of
California, Davis
Much epidemiological data have linked human health effects to ambient particulate matter concentrations.
Evaluation of strategies designed to reduce these concentrations requires knowledge of the specific sources of
ambient aerosols. For primary carbonaceous particles (i.e., organic and elemental carbon), source apportionment has
been achieved by quantifying concentrations of compounds that serve as molecular markers for specific primary
sources (e.g., hopanes for motor oil). This technique assumes that marker compounds are are conservative (i.e. they
do not partition to the gas phase). Recent studies, however, have suggested that primary emissions are semi-volatile,
and that most of the mass emitted in the particulate phase evaporates once diluted in the atmosphere. If molecular
markers evaporate, this would limit their usefulness as source tracers. In the present study, we collected parallel
particulate matter samples on quartz filters at both ambient temperatures and at approximately 10 degrees above
ambient temperature to examine the volatility of the carbonaceous material and the associated molecular markers.
Samples were collected in the diluted exhaust of gasoline engines and diesel engines as well as during field
campaigns that were conducted in both rural and urban California, during both the summer and winter. These filters
were analyzed for elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) using a Sunset thermal-optical analyzer. In addition,
molecular markers including cholesterol, levoglucosan, PAHs, hopanes, steranes, n-alkanes, and n-alkanoic acids
were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Back-up filters were also collected to correct for gasphase artifacts. We compare the results between the ambient and heated samples, to determine if and when
volatilization reduces particle-phase concentrations. The results have implications for the utility of specific
molecular markers as tracers of primary particle sources under typical diurnal variations of atmospheric temperature.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.147
Indoor Source Apportionment in Boston, MA. MARIANTHI-ANNA KIOUMOURTZOGLOU (1), Helen Suh
(1), (1) Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Background. As people spend most of their time indoors, it is important to identify indoor sources of PM2.5 and
determine the proportion of outdoor PM2.5 that infiltrates indoors in order to better characterize exposures to
PM2.5 and its components.
Specific Aims. Our study examines the contribution of sources to indoor PM2.5 and examines the relation of these
sources to markers of inflammation.
Methods. Seven-day integrated PM2.5, elemental carbon by reflectance, and elemental concentrations by XRF
samples were measured in the homes of 149 participants of the Normative Aging Study (NAS). All homes were
located within the greater Boston Area and were sampled between mid-July 2006 and May 2008. Corresponding
outdoor concentrations were measured at our central monitoring site located at the Harvard Medical School in
downtown Boston. In addition, markers of inflammation were measured at the end of the seven-day sampling
period for each NAS subject participating in indoor monitoring. EPA’s Positive Matrix Factorization method (PMF)
was used to apportion indoor and outdoor sources of PM2.5. The relation between indoor and outdoor
concentrations and their sources was examined using Spearman correlation coefficients and linear regression models
that controlled for season and that incorporated housing information. Findings will be related to markers of
inflammation measured for this cohort.
Results. Indoor and outdoor concentrations were not correlated for any of the measured species, except for sulfur,
for which the Spearman correlation coefficient equaled 0.70. Outdoor PM2.5 was apportioned into seven factors,
consistent with secondary PM2.5 (10%), motor vehicles (28%), sea salt (5%), burning oil (4%), crystal dust (15%)
and re-suspended dirt particles (~1%). These results are in accordance with results reported previously. Indoors, six
factors for PM2.5 were identified, consistent with sources including crystal dust, secondary PM2.5 from outdoors,
motor vehicles, re-suspended dust, and cleaning. Housing and personal factors that affect the indoor and outdoor
source contributions will be identified, with their impacts on various markers of inflammation examined.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.148
Comparison of biodiesel, renewable diesel and conventional fossil diesel emissions with and without a DOCPOC catalytic converter. KARI KUUSPALO (1), Mika Ihalainen (1), Tommi Karhunen (1), Pasi Yli-Pirilä (1),
Pasi Jalava (1,2), Maija Tapanainen (1,2), Raimo O. Salonen (2), Mikko Happo (1,2), Arto Pennanen (2), Kari
Lehtinen (1,3), Ulla Makkonen (3), Risto Hillamo (3), Maija-Riitta Hirvonen (1,2), Jorma Jokiniemi (1,4), (1)
University of Kuopio, Finland (2) National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland (3) Finnish
Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland (4) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
New fuels with different properties may change the physico-chemical and related toxicological characteristics of
particulate and gas phase emissions. Because diesel engines are one of the major sources of air pollution in urban
areas, the emissions of new biobased diesel fuels need to be evaluated in comparison to the conventional ones to
avoid unexpected consequences for human health.
In this study, the exhaust emissions of three different diesel fuels were investigated. A biodiesel (rapeseed methyl
ester, RME) and a renewable diesel (hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO) were compared to a conventional European
EN590 diesel fuel. The effects of a catalytic converter (diesel oxidizing-particle oxidizing, DOC-POC) to the
emissions were also studied. Engine was an Indirect Injection non-road Euro II diesel. A dynamometer was used to
produce the test modes for the engine according to the ISO 8178-4:1996 (C1) standard. Only pure fuels were used.
A Fast Mobility Particle Sizer, an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor, and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer with a
long and a nano Differential Mobility Analyzer were used for the particle size distribution measurements. In
addition, filter samples for gravimetric, elemental and organic/elemental carbon (OC/EC) analyses were collected
using a dilution system containing a porous-tube diluter, an ageing chamber, and an ejector-type diluter.
A constant volume dilution tunnel was used to dilute the exhaust gas for polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), soluble
organic fraction (SOF) and for toxicological samples. Results from the toxicological and gravimetric analyses are
presented by Jalava et al. (ibid.) Regulated and unregulated gas phase emissions were continuously monitored.
Number size distribution measurements revealed that on the higher engine loads, with and without the DOC-POC,
the biobased fuels decreased the geometric mean diameter (GMD) of the particle emissions. On the lowest load and
on idle the emissions with HVO deviated from this trend and produced the largest GMD. Biobased fuels produced
the highest number concentrations when the engine was operated with rated speed at different loads without the
catalyst. Generally, over the whole cycle (C1) the number concentrations with EN590 and HVO were similar while
RME produced the highest number concentrations with and without the DOC-POC.
In all the C1-modes measured, the PAH emissions were the highest with EN590 with and without the DOC-POC.
There were also some clear differences between fuels on the dominance of different PAHs. For example,
bentso(b)fluoranthene and pyrene were the most abundant in the case of RME and EN590, respectively. DOC-POC
radically reduced the PAH emissions with all the fuels, but the general trends between the fuels remained.
SOF emissions were the highest on the low loads of the engine, and HVO had generally the lowest SOF emissions.
DOC-POC reduced SOF around 80% with all the fuels.
HVO and RME produced the lowest OC and EC emissions respectively. In all the cases the OC/EC emissions were
the highest with EN590. Catalyst reduction was around 50% with all fuels.
Hydrocarbon, as well as other gaseous (CO, NO, NO2, CO2), emissions were, in general, the lowest for HVO with
and without the DOC-POC.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.151
Characterization of a 2007-Compliant On-Road Diesel Inhalation System. Jake McDonald1, Tom Holmes1,
Judy Chow2, Barbara Zielinska2, and Joe L. Mauderly1, (1) Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque,
(2) Desert Research Institute, Reno
The Health Effects Institute is conducting a multidisciplinary program, the Advanced Collaborative Emissions
Study, that aims to better characterize the composition and toxicity of emissions from 2007 compliant diesel
engines. As part of this work, a new inhalation facility was developed and characterized in preparation for a rodent
carcinogenicity study. The facility implemented a 500 hp diesel engine with a particle trap that filtered the exhaust.
The engine was operated on a specially adapted 16 hr dynamometer drive cycle. The inhalation exposure system
was evaluated at dilutions set to nitrogen dioxide concentrations of 4.2, 0.8 and 0.1 ppm. At these concentrations
the particle mass concentrations ranged from approximatley 15-1 microgram/cubic meter. The particulate matter
was composed of only ~10 % elemental carbon, and ~40 % elemental carbon. The remaining mass consisted of
sulfate, ammonium and small amounts of nitrate and metals. Volatile organic compounds were also low in
concentration, and primarily consisted of low molecular weight non-oxygenated compunds. Particle number size
distribution analysis showed that particles were only observed in signficant concentrations during regeneration of
the diesel particle trap, and the particles that were present were primarily less than 100 nm. This work was funded
by the Health Effects Institute.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.328
Assessing the Possible Effects on Health of Smoke Generated by Fires. ANDREW KIBBLE (1), Robert
Maynard (2), Heather Walton (2), (1) Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division (Birmingham), Centre for Radiation,
Chemicals and the Environment, Health Protection Agency, UK (2) Air Quality Unit, Centre for Radiation,
Chemicals and the Environment, Health Protection Agency, UK
The Health Protection Agency is frequently required to advise on the public health effects from fires. Smoke from
fires clearly can have a health effect and advice is needed by incident managers taking decisions about sheltering
or evacuation of people living and working close to the fire. Access to limited but helpful information on
concentrations of airborne particles has allowed estimates of potential effects on health to be made by application of
particulate air pollutants with effects on health. Such estimates cannot be expected to be exact but have proved
helpful in local decision-making and forms a key part of the risk assessment.
Many fires are likely to generate local concentrations of particles above the UK Air Quality Strategy objective of 50
micrograms per cubic meter (24-hour average PM10). Therefore, in terms of ordinary risk assessments,
concentrations typical of smoke from fires would be seen as unacceptable. This suggests that the ordinary approach
to assessing acceptability of risk is not a helpful basis for assessing the impact of such events.
Both short-term and long-term exposure to particles monitored as PM10 and PM2.5 have been found to be associated
with effects on health. Time-series studies have linked daily variations in PM10 and PM2.5 with “all-cause”,
cardiovascular and respiratory deaths and with admissions of people to hospital for treatment of cardio-respiratory
disorders. The associations reported can be represented by coefficients linking ambient
concentrations of particles (i.e. PM10 and PM2.5) with increased risk of death or increased risk of admission to
hospital. Recalling that evidence comes both from time-series studies (reflecting, it is thought, to effects of shortterm changes in concentrations of particles) and from cohort studies (reflecting, it is thought, the effects of long-term
exposure) we can define, as examples, two coefficients linking ambient concentrations of particles with increased
risk of death.
It is therefore possible to calculate an increase in risk of death (based on a coefficient and a concentration) to an
impact by incorporating the background rate of death in a population of known size. In a limited population the
impact will, inevitably, be small: not many deaths are expected in a short period and exposure to particles will
increase this by only a small amount. A real difficulty is, however, met when an attempt to decide whether the
increased risk is “acceptable” is made. This paper will outline a proposed methodology for calculating the risks
associated with exposure to smoke from fires which can aid public health decision making and explores the
uncertainties inherent in such estimates of possible effects.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ1.T1.351
Effect of Air Pollution on Lung Function of Cyclist Commuting in Routes with Different Degrees of Exposure
to Ambient and Traffic Pollutants in Santiago, Chile: Study Design. Pablo Ruiz (1), Paulina Pino (1), Verónica
Iglesias (1), Faustino Alonso (1), Alvaro Lefio (1), Paulina Ramonda (2), (1) University of Chile, School of Public
Health, Chile (2) Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Sur, Chile
Active transport, as the use of bicycle, is a way of commuting that because its advantages, has earned important
spaces. The use of bicycle promotes a healthy lifestyle, reduces obesity and stress and, additionally, diminishes
traffic congestion, emission of air pollutants and the use of fossil fuels. Because of these reasons, it has been
recently proposed at the national level initiatives that promote the use of this way of transport such as the Bicycle
Law and the Bicentenario Program of Bike Routes. However, the use of this transport mode has some potential
disadvantages that may reduce the enormous benefits of its massive use such as aspects of security and health.
In the case of health, it has to be evaluated the potential effect of exposure of cyclist to air pollutants that are present
in a city such as Santiago. Even though in general cyclist may be healthy young persons, exercise causes an
increment in inhaled air with the resulting larger deposition of pollutants in the lungs.
Additionally, we postulate that exposure to pollutants is larger in zones of a medium-low SES (Downtown-West)
compared to zones of a medium-high SES (East). We assert this because in Downtown-West zones the air pollutant
levels, that are already high, are worsened by vehicular emissions of an older fleet, which adds an aspect of inequity
to this problem.
In this study we are interested in evaluating the effect on lung function of cyclist using routes with different degree
of exposure to ambient pollution and vehicular emissions. We will recruit 80 individuals (male and female) without
conditions that alter lung function, non smokers, between 18 and 35 years old, and that use bicycle regularly. During
winter 2010, each participant will bike an assigned route of about 30 minutes while its exposure to pollutants
(PM2.5 and ultrafine particles) is measured with personal monitors.Also, Lung function will be measure by
spirometry at the beginning and end of the trip.
The design considers 4 routes of exposure/control: 2 in the East and 2 in Downtown. In each zone a high traffic
emissions exposure route will be established and another nearby exposed to low traffic emissions. This design will
allow comparing the effects in spirometry of different levels of traffic emissions and of the ambient pollutant levels
of two zones with different SES. The trips will be performed in the morning (8am-9am) and evening (6pm-7pm)
rush hours. Each participant will be assigned in a random order to the 4 routes (cross-over design).
Because we will collect repeated measures for each subject, the results will be analyzed using multilevel regression
models. It will be evaluated the effect on spirometry parameters of routes with low and high traffic, medium-high
and medium-low SES zones, and the exposure to MP2.5 and ultrafine particles. We expect the results will suggest
guidelines that allow improving the conditions of cyclist in such a way as to optimize the healthy aspect of this
transport mode.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
12SQ1.1
Mobile Source Emission Reductions for Meeting Environmental Goals. Alberto Ayala, California
Environmental Protection Agency - Air Resources Board
Motor vehicles are vital to the fabric of modern society; we depend on them for personal mobility, services, and for
the movement of goods. But motor vehicles are energy-intensive and represent a major source of emissions that
adversely impact air quality, health, and the local, regional, and global environment. In California, the transportation
sector is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, for which efforts are underway to
achieve significant reductions. Mobile sources also tax our air with more CO and NOx than any other sector. These
factors highlight our increasing need for the environmental reconciliation between a growing reliance on fossil fuels
and reductions in air and climate-active pollutants.
Mobile source technology is advancing rapidly. The most prominent example is hybridization, a transformational
luminary on the path toward electrification and zero emissions. But transforming a fleet like California’s will take
time. In the near-term, environmental and climate protection efforts will also necessitate advances in low-carbon
fuels, gasoline, and clean diesel engines.
Motor vehicle air pollution control started in California half a century ago, and has spread all over the world. Future
policies in California will force all new passenger vehicles to be as clean as the best super-ultra-low emission
vehicles in use today. The adoption of more efficient technology like gasoline direct injection will help meet GHG
emission reduction targets. New diesel engines will also result in significant emission reductions. For example, we
have high expectations for significant reductions of NOx emissions from mobile sources with the imminent
widespread use of selective catalytic reduction in the heavy-duty diesel sector.
We now have extensive evidence that order-of-magnitude reductions in PM mass emissions are possible with
enabling technology like the diesel particle filter (DPF). However, in some cases, reductions in PM mass from DPFs
have led to an increase in the number of particles emitted. This increase in number is due primarily to volatile
ultrafine particles formed by nucleation under some operating conditions. But the composition of these emissions,
often at or near background levels, is dominated by relatively non-toxic ions like sulfate and ammonium.
With the expanding recognition of the associations between adverse health outcomes and exposure to mobile source
emissions, the health effects community has a strong interest in those emissions. But estimates of source-receptor
relationships used to inform source-specific health assessments are only as good as the representation of the factors
that influence emissions from a given source. Fortunately, mobile-source research is keeping pace with the evolution
of emission-reduction technology. Recent and on-going studies are advancing our understanding of the nature of
vehicle emissions and their precursors, and the ways that advances in clean fuels, lubricants, engines, and
aftertreatment are changing those emissions and their health-relevant characteristics. This will enable health
scientists to have the most useful source-specific inputs for their research.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
13A.4
Physico-chemical determinants of in vitro particulate oxidative burden. KRYSTAL J. Godri (1,2), Ian S.
Mudway (1), Frank J. Kelly (1), Roy M. Harrison (2), Maciek M. Strak (3), Maaike Steenhof (4), Paul H.B. Fokkens
(3), A. John F. Boere (3), Daan L.A.C. Leseman (3), Kaas Meliefste (4), G. Hoek (4), Bert Brunekreef (4), Erik
Lebret (3), Ilse Gosens (3), Flemming R. Cassee (3), Nicole A.H. Janssen (3), (1) MRC-HPA Center for
Environment and Health, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom, (2) Division of Environmental Health
& Risk Management, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United Kingdom, (3) RIVM (National Institute for
Public Health and the Environment), Bilthoven, the Netherlands, (4) IRAS (Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences),
Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Background: The capacity of particulate matter (PM) to elicit inflammation in vivo has been proposed to be a
function of its oxidative potential (OP): the ability of PM to directly or indirectly elicit reactive oxygen species
generation in the lung. In this paradigm the imposition of oxidative stress in the lung following PM inhalation
activates redox sensitive transcription factors, driving the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. PM OP
therefore reflects its content of catalytic transition metals and quinones, as well as other organics (PAHs) and
biological (endotoxin) constituents that can induce oxidative stress indirectly via xenobiotic metabolism or the
induction of inflammation respectively. The derivation of an expression that summarises the particulate OP is
therefore appealing, as a way of integrating various PM compositional and physical characteristics into a single
expression with pertinence to the observed biological response.
Objective: We examined the OP of size fractionated PM collected at microenvironments with contrasting local
sources and identified the physical and chemical determinants of this metric.
Methods: PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 samples were collected at seven microenvironments with contrasting sources (n=45
per size fraction). Locations included traffic (urban intersection, carriageway, diesel), background (urban
background, farm), and industrial (steel mill, harbour) sites. Six-hour sampling campaigns (9:00-15:00) were
conducted with 4-10 visits per site. A high volume cascade impactor and micro-orifice cascade impactor were
deployed to obtain samples for chemical composition and OP characterisation, respectively. The latter was
quantified based on PM-induced antioxidant (ascorbate (AA) and glutathione (GSH)) oxidation from synthetic
respiratory tract lining fluid (RTLF). Water soluble inorganic ions, total and soluble trace metals, elemental and
organic carbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and quinones were measured in all PM samples. Particle number
concentration and surface area were also measured with 1 minute resolution. The determinants of PM OP, based on
both AA and GSH oxidation were identified using stepwise multiple linear regression modelling with a backwards
deletion approach.
Results: The total particulate OP was stratified across microenvironments with the greatest activities associated with
the traffic sites (mean 55.6+/-2.2m-3) followed by the urban background site (39.3m-3), industrial sites (mean
29.0+/-5.4m-3) and the lowest at farm location (23.8m-3). Variation in PM OP based on AA oxidation from the
RTLF was highly correlated with total trace metal concentrations for both size fractions (>95% total variance
explained). Conversely, trace metal concentrations alone only accounted for 56% (PM2.5) and 68% (PM2.5-10) of
the measured variation in OP based on GSH oxidation. Overall, OP based on GSH oxidation appeared to be driven
by traffic emission components, specifically those related to non-tailpipe sources (Cu). In contrast, the OP based on
AA oxidation appeared sensitive to emissions from both traffic (Cu, Fe) and fuel oil combustion sources (Ni, V).
Conclusions: Redox active and non-active metals were found to have the strongest correlations with the associated
PM oxidative burden. OP based on AA and GSH oxidation was found to be sensitive to different panels of chemical
species suggesting that a measure of total OP maybe best reflected by the sum of these two individual expressions.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
13C.3
Physicochemical characterization of fine particles from small scale wood combustion for toxicological studies.
HEIKKI LAMBERG (1), Kati Nuutinen (1), Jarkko Tissari (1), Jarno Ruusunen (1), Arto S. Pennanen (2), Maija
Tapanainen (2), Pasi I. Jalava (2), Ulla Makkonen (3), Risto Hillamo (3), Raimo O. Salonen (2), Maija-Riitta
Hirvonen (2), Jorma Jokiniemi (1)(4), (1) University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland, (2) National Institute of
Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland, (3) Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland (4) VTT Technical
Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland
Emissions from small scale wood combustion appliances are of special interest since fine particles have been
consistently associated with adverse health effects. It can be expected that physicochemical characteristics of the
emitted particles affect also their toxic properties. The mechanisms behind these phenomena and causative role of
particles from specific sources are still mostly unknown. Combustion conditions vary significantly in small scale
appliances, especially in batch combustion. They are affected by fuel properties, appliance type and operational
practice. The purpose of this study was to analyze gas composition and fine particle properties in different
combustion conditions. Particulate (PM1) emissions and their chemical constituents from different combustion
conditions were compared and this physicochemical data was combined to toxicological data on cellular responses
induced by the same particles (see Tapanainen et al. ibid.).
In the present study, samples collected from six appliances representing various combustion conditions in small
scale combustion were investigated. These appliances were five wood log fuelled stoves, including one stove with
modern combustion technology, three different conventional combustion appliances and one sauna stove. In
addition, a modern small scale pellet boiler represented advanced continuous combustion technology.
Experimental setup consisted of three parallel dilution systems, which enabled efficient dilution for each
measurement device. Porous tube diluter was applied for Dekati Gravimetric Impactor (DGI) that was used to
collect PM1 samples for chemical and toxicological analyses in each combustion condition. Porous tube and ejector
diluters were used for dilution of the samples for filter collections and Dekati Low Pressure Impactor (DLPI), which
measured particle mass size distribution. Gravimetric, organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon analyses were
performed from the filter samples. The dilution ratios in these two systems were approximately the same in each test
run according to continuous monitoring. Particle number size distributions were measured continuously from
dilution tunnel with Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) and Fast Mobility Particle Sizer (FMPS). Carbon
dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), organic gaseous compounds (OGC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) were
analyzed from undiluted flue gas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration was also measured in diluted samples to
calculate dilution ratios.
Particle emissions from different combustion appliances varied significantly. Overall, pellet boiler with the most
advanced combustion technology produced the smallest emissions and sauna stove the largest emissions. Good
batch combustion produced about 2.5-fold PM1 emissions compared to modern pellet boiler, but the difference in
total particulate PAH content was 600-fold. Interesting differences were seen between modern and conventional
stoves which had almost the same PM1 emissions. There was a 10-fold difference in total particulate PAH, 4.5-fold
difference in OGC emissions, and 2-fold difference in OC. These results indicate that the same PM1 emission from
two similar combustion conditions can be associated with very different chemical compositions potentially leading
to different toxic properties of the particles. Thus, a change from an old less efficient combustion appliance to
modern combustion appliance can have a greater impact on toxic properties than the emitted PM1 mass indicate.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
13D.7
Hydrogen Peroxide Generation by Aerosol Particles in Southern California. Ying Wang (1), Chuautemoc
Arellanes (1, 2), Daniel Curtis (1, 3), SUZANNE PAULSON (1), (1) University of California, Los Angeles, (2) Now
at Environ, Corp. (3) Now at California State University, Northridge
H2O2 is a member of the family of reactive oxygen species thought to be associated with a range of adverse health
outcomes thought to be associated with oxidative stress. Fine and coarse mode aerosols were collected at three sites
in the Los Angeles area, two in Riverside, CA, one upwind and the other downwind of a major freeway, and also on
the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Additionally, several aerosol source materials
were tested for their ability to generate H2O2.
H2O2 generation by coarse mode aerosols at these sites was uncorrelated with particle mass, but was strongly
correlated with soluble iron, zinc, and copper (r = 0.47-0.72, p = 0.00-0.01). H2O2 generation was not affected by
the addition of dithiothreitol, a marker for quinone redox activity. H2O2 generation was sensitive to the pH of the
particle extraction solutions, increasing as the pH was decreased, so that particles extracted at pH 1.5 exhibited
about 5 fold more H2O2 generation than those extracted at pH 7.5. The initial rate of H2O2 generation by coarse
mode aerosols was 7.8 (± 5.7) × 10-8 M min-1, similar to initial rates of hydroxyl radical generation from dissolved
Fe2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ solutions. These results support the notion that the majority of coarse mode H2O2 generation
is mediated by a small set of transition metals.
Results for the fine mode contrast those for the coarse mode in several respects. H2O2 generation by fine mode
aerosols only showed significant correlations with soluble iron, zinc, and copper when their concentrations were
relatively high. H2O2 generation was increased by the addition of dithiothreitol, a marker for quinone redox
activity. H2O2 generation is sensitive to the pH of the particle extraction solutions, peaking instead in the pH range
of 2.5-5.5. The initial rate of H2O2 generation by fine mode aerosols was found to be 5.9 (± 2.8) × 10-9 M min-1,
similar to the initial rates of H2O2 generation by active quinones. Lab experiments show that ammonium sulfate
particles do not generate H2O2, while secondary organic aerosol and diesel/biodiesel exhaust particles generate
substantial quantities of H2O2. The ammonium sulfate results indicate that an earlier in vivo study (Morio et al.
2001) investigating the effect of elevated H2O2 and ammonium sulfate aerosol underestimated the impact of H2O2
from ambient particles to elicit oxidative stress, because the ammonium sulfate carried levels of H2O2 that were
similar to (rather than highly elevated above) H2O2 levels commonly observed associated with ambient aerosols.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5C.3
Characterization of Atmospheric Particulates, Particle-bound transition metals and Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons in Delhi (India). DHARAMPAL SINGH(1), Ranu Gadi (1), Tuhin K Mandal (2), (1) Guru Govind
Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, India (2) National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, India
The concentration of trace metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adsorbed to respirable particulate
matter (PM10) and fine fraction of particulate matter (PM2.5) were determined from a site in centre of Delhi (India),
which is characterized by heavy local traffic and is densely populated, during the winter and summer periods in
2007-2008. A seasonal effect was observed for the size distribution of aerosol mass, with shift to large fine fraction
in winter. The most commonly detected trace metals in the PM10 and PM2.5 were Pb, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, V, Ni and Cd
and their concentrations were similar to levels observed in heavily polluted urban areas from local traffic and other
anthropogenic emissions. Analysis of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to PM showed that they
are mostly traffic related. In general, the PM2.5 PAHs concentrations are higher than PM10 particles. The most
common PAHs were pyrene, phenanthrene, acenapthylene, fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and
benzo[ghi]perylene, which are associated with diesel and gasoline exhaust particles. The results of this study
underlined the importance of local emission sources, especially vehicular traffic, central heating and other local
anthropogenic emissions. Compared with other big countries cities, Delhi has much higher levels of airborne
particles, especially for finer fractions i.e. PM10 and PM2.5, correlated with traffic related air pollution.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
11SQ1.T2.105
Particulate and Gaseous Pollutants Source Contribution influencing Ambient Air Quality at the Center of
Excellence (CoE) in Environment and Energy Systems Building in Syracuse, NY. YUANXUN ZHANG (1),
Edmund Mc-Addy (1), Philip K. Hopke (1), Thomas Holsen (1) Xing Wang (2), K. Max Zhang (2) Myron Mitchell
(3), (1) Clarkson University (2) Cornell University (3) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
To characterize the ambient air in the vicinity of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environment and Energy
Systems building in Syracuse, NY. Two fixed monitoring sites have been established and instrumented with gaseous
and particulate samplers and weather monitors. One station was the COE building site located 25 meters from the
southeastern corner of the intersection of I-81 and I-690 in downtown Syracuse. The Upper Onondaga Park (UOP)
site is located 4 km upwind of the COE site. Results of particulate mass and particle number counts in the size range
of 0.22 – 10 micro-m and their elemental constituents together with simultaneously measured concentrations of CO,
NOx and O3 covering a period of January to July, 2009 will be presented and discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
11SQ1.T2.123
Association between Source Contributions of PM10 and PM2.5 and Mortality in Seoul, Korea. JONGBAE
(1), BORA CHOI (1), KYESUN KIM (1), SEUNG-MUK YI (1), (1) Department of Environment Health, School of
Public Health, Seoul National University
Recently, epidemiological studies in developed countries have focused on identifying sources of PM that greatest
health risks. Environmental health problems arising from exposure to atmospheric particles (PM10 and PM2.5)
have been identified in many parts of Korea. However, PM is not properly managed in Korea because of lack of
systemic approaches to study it. To develop efficient and effective PM control strategies in Korea, there is a need
for identifying what specific sources of PM are causing greatest health effects.
For this information, we examined the chemical composition of PM10 and PM2.5 collected on the ambient air
monitoring site (School of Public Health building of Seoul National University) and conducted a time-series study to
investigate the association between particle chemical constituents and source apportionments and daily mortality.
Atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and chemical speciated samples were collected every third day
from August 2006 to November 2007 using 4-channel system consisting of Annular Denuder System (ADS) and
filter packs (URG). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to identify the PM sources and their
contributions to ambient PM concentrations. We obtained daily count of non-accidental deaths among residents in
Seoul from 2006 to 2007. We examined association of PM mass, chemical components, and source contributions
with daily counts of all cause and cardiovascular mortality.
In this study, nine PM2.5 source categories were identified providing physically realistic profiles and interesting
insights into the source contributions to the PM2.5 mass concentrations. The major contributors of PM2.5 were
secondary nitrate, secondary sulfate, gasoline-fueled vehicles, and biomass burning, while lesser contributions were
from diesel emissions, soil, road dust, road salt and two-stroke engine, and aged sea salt. Nine PM10 source
categories were resolved; motor vehicle, road dust, secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, soil, biomass burning, Curelated, road salt and two-stroke engine, and aged sea salt.
We found significant positive associations between same-day PM (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations attributed to
local primary sources including motor vehicles, biomass burning, and road dust. For the chemical constituents of
coarse fraction (between PM10 and PM2.5), the IQR change in same-day concentrations of crustal and non-crustal
constituents corresponded to 0.94% (95% CI: 0.22, 1.66) and 1.72% (95% CI: 0.25, 3.21) increase, respectively.
In this presentation, detailed estimates of relative risk, extensive model validation and testing, and the limitation of
data will be discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
11SQ1.T2.152
Conditional Sampling for Source-Oriented Toxicological Studies using a Single Particle Mass Spectrometer.
KEITH BEIN (1), Yongjing Zhao (1), Anthony Wexler (1), (1) University of California, Davis
Current particulate matter regulations control the mass concentration of particles in the atmosphere regardless of
composition, but some primary and/or secondary particulate matter components are no doubt more or less toxic than
others. Testing direct emissions of pollutants from different sources neglects atmospheric transformations that may
increase or decrease their toxicity. This work describes a system that conditionally samples particles from the
atmosphere depending on the sources or source combinations that predominate at the sampling site at a given time.
A single particle mass spectrometer (RSMS-II), operating in the 70-150 nm particle diameter range, continuously
provides the chemical composition of individual particles. The mass spectra indicate which sources are currently
affecting the site. Ten ChemVols are each assigned one source or source combination and RSMS-II controls which
one operates depending on the sources or source combinations observed. By running this system for weeks at a
time, sufficient sample is collected by the ChemVols for comparative toxicological studies. This paper describes the
instrument and algorithmic design, implementation and first results from operating this system in Fresno California
during summer 2008 and winter 2009.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
11SQ1.T2.153
Monitoring of Particles PM10 and PM2.5 in the Mitrovica Urban Atmosphere and influence in health.
AFRIM SYLA(1), Fisnik Kabashi2 , Xhevdet Jonuzi2, Petrit Jonuzi, 1*Universitet of Prishtina, Faculty of
Technology and Environment, Mitrovica 40000 Mitrovica 2University of Prishtina, Faculty of Mining and
Metallurgy in Mitrovica, 40000 Mitrovica Kosova
Abstract: The city of Mitrovica, approximately 40 km north of Prishtina, was the site of one the largest lead smelters
in Europe. The present environmental situation in Mitrovica, put as in front of the responsibility to act more
rationally towards nature and to be more responsible towards the protection of the environment for future
generations. The lack of protection of the environment during the last ten years, as well as the conflict in Kosova is
the origin of huge problems regarding present environmental situation in Mitrovica (Kosova). Mitrovica has its air
divided in two kinds, speaking in quality terms: air above rural and mountainous zones, which is clean, air above
city urban of the center and nearby different plants, which is more polluted. Urban air contains dust particles and
gases, added on it is as results of normal activity of the city and industries in them. Now Mitrovica can be cited as
one of the capitals of Europe with worst air pollution. Exposure to airborne particulates PM10 and PM2.5 containing
low concentrations of heavy metals, such as Pb, Cd and Zn, may have serious health effects. However, little is
known about the specification and particle size of these airborne metals. Fine and PM10 particles size with heavy
metals in aerosol samples from the Mitrovica urban area were examinated in detail to investigate metal
concentrations and speciation. The crystal structures of the particles containing Pb, Cd and Zn were determined from
their electron diffraction patterns by XRF methods.
Atmospheric particles aerosols are some of the key components of the atmosphere. They influence the energy
balance of the Earth’s surface, visibility, climate, human health and environment as a whole. According to World
Health Organization (WHO), ozone, particulate matter, heavy metals and some hydrocarbons present the priority
pollutants in the troposphere. The results of the long-term studies confirm that the adverse health effects are mainly
due to particulate matter, especially small particles–less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10). According to the
1999/30/EC Directive, the countries-members are obligated to reduce the emission of the particles in urban areas by
some 50% over the existing levels in order to meet the health-based limit values by 2005 and 2010. The majority of
particles of industrial origin contain significant quantities of some potentially dangerous trace elements. As the
result of condensation and adsorption processes, the elements as As, Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn can be found on the
particle surface.
Sampling of suspended particulate matter, PM10 and PM2.5 started in July April 2003 and are still in progress at
three sites in the very urban area of Mitrovica: roof of the FXM building MIP, roof of the elementary school “Bedri
Gjina” at about 4m height; 40m far from heavy-traffic streets; on the platforms above entrance stairs to the faculty of
Mining at the height above 3m from the ground. Suspended particles were collected on Pure Teflon filters, Whatman
(37 mm diameter, 2µm pore size) and Pure Quartz, Whatman (37 mm diameter) filter paper, using the low volume
air sampler Mini-Vol Airmetrics Co, Inc. (5 l min-1 flow rate). The duration of each sampling period was 24 hours.
The filter samples were sealed in plastic bags and kept in portable refrigerators, in horizontal position during
transport back to the laboratory. Particle mass was gravimetrically determined by weighting loaded and unloaded
filters, after 48 hours conditioning in a desiccator’s, in clean room class at the temperature T=20 degree C and
constant relative humidity RH around 50%.
For a quality assurance procedure, the quality of sample collection was determined by collecting blank samples in
the field and by three control filters. During the sampling, conventional meteorological parameters were regularly
recorded at the Meteorological Station of the Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosova located inside central urban
area.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
11SQ1.T2.154
Quantification of Hydroxyl Radical Formation in a Surrogate Lung Fluid Containing Dissolved Organics
With and Without Dissolved Transition Metals. JESSICA G. CHARRIER (1), Cort Anastasio (1), (1) University
of California, Davis
It is well documented that inhalation of particulate matter (PM) can cause increased morbidity and mortality in
humans; however, the mechanisms of toxicity are not well understood. One hypothesis is that particles can induce
oxidative stress in the lungs via production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) directly, from the physical properties
or chemical composition of the particles, and/or indirectly, through biological responses to the PM. While ROS
generation has been widely investigated, few studies have quantitatively measured production of individual ROS.
This is an important weakness because understanding the ROS-mediated health effects of PM will likely require
knowledge of both the identities and absolute amounts of each ROS formed by PM, since the different ROS have
very different reactivities.
This work focuses on quantifying in vitro hydroxyl radical (OH) production from individual organic compounds and
mixtures of organics with transition metals in order to understand the importance of different PM compounds in
forming OH. OH production from a suite of organic compounds will be used to assess their individual redox
activity, while OH production from organics in combination with transition metals will be used to assess the effect
of organics on the redox activity of transition metals. Based on our preliminary results, transition metals are the
single most important chemical class for OH production, but organic species can be important in modifying
transition metal reactivity. Understanding the detailed chemistry of oxidant production from PM should help in the
identification of chemical mixtures that produce oxidants most efficiently, which will assist in identifying sources
and atmospheric transformations that are most harmful to human health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
11SQ1.T2.155
Assessment of air quality in the coastal area of South Korea using multivariate analysis and enrichment
factor. HEE-JONG YOO (1), Hyun-Sup Ha (1), Choon-Suck Choe (1), Yong-Hee Kim (1), Kyung-Duk Zoh (2),
Seung-Muk Yi (2), (1) Incheon Institute of Public Health and Environment, Incheon, Korea (2) Seoul National
University, Seoul, Korea
The investigation of ambiet air pollution in relation with meteorological parameters is a topic of great interest to
maintain and manage ambient air quality in the coastal region of South Korea. The objectives of this study were: (i)
to locate emission sources qualitatitively and quantitatively, (ii) to identify air quality by day with similar air
pollution behaviors; and (iii) to evaluate the effect of sea salt on the aerosols. Two statistical techniques, principal
components analysis(PCA) and cluster analysis(CA) were applied to the concentrations of five pollutants (PM10,
SO2, NO2, CO and O3). The enrichment factor(EF) representing the ratio of Cl/Na in aerosol to Cl/Na in sea water
was calculated with 2 soluble ions(Na+ and Cl-) in PM10 analyzed by ion chromatograph in coastal urban area of
Incheon city, South Korea from January to December 2008. PCA results show three emission sources; (i) high
PM10, NO2 and CO with low temperature, radiation and wind speed(35.9%), (ii) high O3 with high radiation and
wind speed, and low humidity(18.2%), (iii) high NO2 and O3 with high temperature and radiation, and low wind
speed(11.2%), respectively. CA results show three groups; (i) Friday (high PM10 and NO2, low O3), (ii) Sunday
(low PM10 and NO2, high O3), (iii) Monday~Thursday/Saturday (medium PM10, NO2 and O3). EF was 1.02
implying contribution of sea salt on the aerosol level with various anthropogenic sources. In conclusion, PCA and
CA are suitable for idenfying and estimating the sources of air pollution. EF allows for investigating the effect of sea
salt on the PM10 in the region where sea-land breezes. It was conclueded that the sea wind had an important
contribution towards the variation of air pollutants.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
18B.1
Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Health Effects. Chair: Darrell Winner (1) Panel Members: Michael Kleeman
(2), Michelle Bell (3), (1) US EPA; (2) University of California, Davis; (3) Yale
Session Format
The session will consist of three panelists with each panelist member speaking for 10 – 15 minutes, followed by a 20
minute discussion involving the audience, for a total session length of 60 minutes.
Background
This session will investigate the links between climate change, air quality and human health by convening a panel of
experts to address the following questions:
- How can global and regional models be used to understand the impact of climate change on air quality?
- What the health implicaitons of changes in climate and air quality?
- How do traditional air pollutants (e.g. black carbon) influence climate change?
- What actions can improve climate, air quality, and health? What considerations are important to consider in
climate policy to maximize the benefit in regional air quality?
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.156
Selected Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted from Integrated Iron and Steel Plant. Chiang HungLung, Wang Wei-Chi, Department of Health Risk Management, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402,
Taiwan
Concentrations of 15 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated in the workplace air of four processes:
sintering, cokemaking, and hot and cold forming. Selected VOCs included three paraffins (cyclohexane, n-hexane,
methylcyclohexane), five chlorinated VOCs (trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene,
chlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene), and eight aromatics (benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, toluene, m,p-xylene, oxylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) for non-cancer risk. Concentrations of toluene, m,p-xylene,
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, dichlorobenzene and trichloroethylene were high in all four processes. Carbon tetrachloride
and tetrachloroethylene concentrations were high in the hot and cold forming processes. The sequence of noncancer risk of the four processes was cokemaking > sintering > hot forming > cold forming. 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene
and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene contributed 41-65% and 12-20% of non-cancer risk, respectively, for the four processes.
Benzene accounted for a high portion of the non-cancer risk in cokemaking. The non-cancer (6.6-18) of the average
VOC concentrations suggest that health risks can be reduced by improving workplace air and protecting workers.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.157
Impact of Emission Technologies and Fuel on the Oxidative Capacity and Inflammatory Potential. MIRIAM
GERLOFS-NIJLAND (1), Daan Leseman (1), Theodoros Tzamkiozid (2), Leonidas Ntziachristos (2), Zissis
Samaras (2), Annike Totlandsdal (3), Marit Lag (3), Per Schwarze (3), Jakob Bonlokke (4), Torben Sigsgaard (4),
(1) RIVM, the Netherlands, (2) Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Greece, (3) Norwegian Institute of Public Health,
Norway, (4) Institute of Public Health, Denmark
It is well known that particulate matter (PM) from traffic is linked to adverse human health effects. The emissions of
engines contribute significantly to these observed outcomes. However, the influence of new technologies and fuels
on both PM emission and health effects is not well established. New engine or exhaust aftertreatment technologies
are mainly introduced to meet the current European PM standards. Moreover, an important reason to introduce
biofuels is the reduction of greenhouse gases. In this study we examined the effects of a diesel particle filter (DPF)
and a blend of 50% v/v biodiesel on the in vitro oxidative capacity and inflammatory potential of diesel engine
exhaust PM. Two vehicles (Honda Accord 2.2 dCi and DPF equipped Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi) were selected to cover
the most prominent engine and exhaust aftertreatment technologies currently present in the European diesel
passenger car fleet. In addition two different fuels were used; pure fossil diesel (B0; EN590:2004) and biodiesel
(rapeseed methyl ester EN14214) blended into EN590 diesel fuel at 50% v/v concentration. Various driving cycles
were run to collect enough PM material and those different cycles could be divided into simulation of urban driving
conditions or rural driving conditions. PM was collected on high volume filters and extracted with methanol. A
dithiothreitol (DTT) assay was performed to assay the oxidative capacity of the PM samples on a per mass basis.
Besides, the inflammatory potential has been assessed by cytokine and cytotoxicity measurements in human
bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells and by whole blood assay. As has also been shown previously, DPF
significantly reduces the total amount of PM mass emitted. In addition, there is a trend that the exhaust from a
biodiesel car is less potent in terms of oxidative capacity. However, this result is on a per mass basis and it remains
to be seen what the outcome will be per kilometer which is more relevant for the risk of human health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.158
Impact of Mobile Sources on Near-Roadway Exposures and Respiratory Effects for Childhood Asthmatics.
ALAN VETTE (1), Stuart Batterman (2), Michael Breen (1), Vlad Isakov (1), Steven Perry (1), David Heist (1),
Gary Norris (1), Toby Lewis (3), Thomas Robins (2), Francois Dion (4), Bhramar Mukherjee (2), and the
Community Action Against Asthma Steering Committee (5), (1) U.S. EPA, National Exposure Research
Laboratory, RTP, NC; (2) University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, (3) University of
Michigan, Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, (4) University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute, Ann
Arbor, MI; and (5) Detroit, MI
This paper describes a planned study to examine the relationship between near-roadway exposures to air pollutants
and respiratory health in a cohort of asthmatic children who live close to major roadways in Detroit, MI. The study
will investigate the effects of traffic-associated exposures on exaggerated airway responses, biomolecular responses
of inflammatory and oxidative stress, and how these exposures affect the frequency and severity of adverse
respiratory outcomes. The study will also examine different near-road exposure assessment metrics, including
monitoring and modeling techniques.
The study cohort will involve up to 105 children, ages 6 to 13 years, with persistent asthma who are recruited based
on their residential proximity to different types of roadways. Participant groups will be drawn from homes located:
(1) within 150m of high traffic/high truck volume roads; (2) within 150m of high traffic/low truck volume roads; or
(3) more than 300m from moderate-to-high traffic roads. The study will evaluate three respiratory health effect
domains potentially associated with exposures to near-road air pollutants: asthma aggravation (lung function and
symptoms); inflammation and oxidative stress responses (exhaled nitric oxide and nasal cytokines); and respiratory
viral infections (frequency, severity and type). Seasonal health assessments will be performed in each season from
March 2010 through May 2011 to collect health measures and biomarkers relevant to pulmonary function,
medication and health care use, diary reports of upper respiratory infection symptoms, fraction of exhaled nitric
oxide and nasal lavage.
Exposure metrics of varying complexity will be developed to determine their utility in examining associations with
observed health effects. The tiered exposure assessment approach combines observational data of key exposure
determinants along with predictive models to estimate near-road outdoor air pollution and exposures. Concentrations
of traffic-related air pollutants (e.g. black carbon, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particle counts) will be
measured and modeled indoors and outdoors of the children’s homes. Measurements will be made in a subset of
homes each during fall 2010 and early spring 2011; both are peak seasons for asthma and viral infections in Detroit.
High-time resolution measurements will be made of the chemical composition of traffic-related pollutants in the gas
and particle phases adjacent to a roadway. These data will be used to quantify the impact of traffic on the observed
air quality data. Air pollutant dispersion and exposure models will be used in combination with measured data to
estimate indoor/outdoor concentrations and personal exposures. Near-road spatial concentration patterns will be
estimated at the children’s residences and schools across the study domain using dispersion modeling. These data
will be used as input for an individual-level exposure model to estimate personal exposures from meteorology and
questionnaire data on indoor sources, residential characteristics and operation, and time-location-activity patterns.
The combination of monitoring and modeling data will provide several tiers of exposure information to correlate
with observed respiratory outcomes. These approaches will be used to examine the relative importance of exposure
metrics with varying amounts of complexity and spatiotemporal resolution.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.159
Cellular Oxidative Response from Exposure to Size-Resolved Ambient Particulate Matter. RICHARD E
PELTIER (1), Ramona Lall (1), Lung Chi Chen (1), Robert Devlin (2), and Terry Gordon (1)., (1) NYU School of
Medicine, Tuxedo, NY (2) US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, RTP, NC
Recent studies suggest that particulate matter (PM) derived from different sources may differ in toxicity. The goal of
this study was to characterize the in vitro effects of ambient PM and PM components from eight different locations
in the U.S. and to investigate the effects of chemical composition on markers of oxidative stress. Airborne particles
in the ultrafine, fine, and coarse thoracic size ranges were collected in Manhattan and South Bronx, in New York
City, Tuxedo, NY, Seattle, WA, Phoenix, AZ, and Provo, UT, for a period of one month in 2003 and 2004 using
high-volume particle samplers. Chemical composition of these PM samples was determined using ICP-MS and the
composition data were modeled using factor analysis with Varimax orthogonal rotation to determine particle source
categories contributing to ambient PM size ranges at these locations. Chemical composition of sampled aerosol
was highly variable depending on location and size fraction and was consistent with different sources of aerosol at
each location.
A respiratory epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) stably transfected with a NF-kB-luciferase reporter plasmid was used to
report NF-kB and reactive oxygen intermediate formation upon exposure to extracted, size-specific particles from
each location. Intracellular pH was also evaluated for each size fraction from each location sampled. In-vitro
results also showed that the stress response was both size and location dependent. The coarse particle fraction
produced the greatest oxidative stress (by ROI production and NF-kB activation) at all locations, and in general,
oxidative stress was driven by oil combustion and traffic sources, but not a soil source, for all size categories. The
ROI and NF-kB changes produced by ultrafine particles appeared to be driven by different mechanisms, possibly
linked to elemental composition of the sample. It is interesting to note that responses were not always consistent
with dose, particle size, or sampling location of particles which suggests that toxicological responses are likely to
depend on other physicochemical factors. From the sampled locations, NF-kB and ROI responses to the fine and
coarse fractions were inversely correlated; no association was observed, however, for the extracted ultrafine fraction.
Thus, our results call into question whether NF-kB and ROI are equivalent measurements of cellular oxidative
stress. This paper will discuss the biomarker endpoints and the observed chemical composition for each size range
at each site.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.160
Effect of Kitchen Range Hood on Exposure to Ultrafine Particles from Gas and Electric Stoves.
DONGHYUN RIM (1), Lance Wallace (1), Andy Persily (1), The National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gas and electric stoves are present in most homes and are perhaps the most common indoor source of ultrafine
particles (UFP). UFPs have been observed to be associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular effects
among susceptible individuals in the population. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of
using a kitchen range hood on exposure to UFPs from gas and electric stoves.
The experimental measurements were conducted in a manufactured house (volume of 340 m^3). Using a Scanning
Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS; TSI, Inc. Shoreview, MN) consisting of an electrostatic classifier, nano-differential
mobility analyzer (nano-DMA) and water-based condensation particle counter (WCPC), UFPs ranging from 2 nm to
64 nm in size were monitored in a bedroom and kitchen. The average measured flow rate through the lower-quality
range hood was 65 cfm; a higher-quality range hood with higher flow rate will also be tested.,. The UFP size
distributions produced by the gas flame alone (no pots) and boiling water were characterized with the hood fan on
and off. Furthermore, the effect of gas burner position (front vs. back) on the efficiency of the range hood was
examined.
The following results were with the gas stove and lower quality range hood. Results with the electric stove and
higher quality range hood will also be reported. Peak concentrations ranged from 70,000 cm^(-3) to 26,000 cm^(-3)
with hood off, and from 40,000 cm^(-3) to 18,000 cm^(-3) with hood on for particles from 2 nm to 30 nm with 90 %
of particles below 20 nm. The range hood was only effective for the removal of UFP larger than 15 nm. With regard
to UFP smaller than 10 nm (which constituted 60% to 90% of the total), very small or no change in particle number
was observed with the kitchen hood operating. This may be explained by the strong particle or turbulent diffusion
for UFP smaller than 10 nm, which causes the particles to transport out of the thermal plume from the flame.
Regarding the impact of burner position, much larger particle reduction with the back burner was observed than with
the front burner, which was likely due to the more efficient entrapment of the particles from the back burner. The
tests with the gas flame alone produced more UFPs smaller than 10 nm compared to those with boiling water,
implying that the presence of the boiling pot contributes to particle coagulation and produces larger particles. A
scaling analysis between air flow rate and particle or turbulent diffusion force will be presented. Overall, the
research will contribute to the fundamental understanding of the escape mechanism of particles from the particleladen heat plume.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.161
Indoor Air Quality and Health Outcomes in Langui, Peru. LUPITA D. MONTOYA (1), Ursula Harman (2),
Robert A. Canales (3), (1) University of Colorado at Boulder (2) Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, Lima,
Peru (3) The New School University, New York City, NY USA
In approximately 50% of the world’s population (primarily in the developing world), biomass fuels (e.g., wood,
agricultural waste, dung) and coal are the primary source of energy in household cooking and heating systems
(Smith et al., 2004). Emissions from open fires or inefficient stoves contain substantial amounts of health damaging
pollutants including particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide (CO). In
addition, rural households have limited or no ventilation and exposures of women and young children to these
pollutants have been measured to be many times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines and
national standards (Smith, 1987). The magnitude of exposure to these pollutants may vary by the type of fuel, type
of stove, cooking habits, ventilation, and house structure, as well as individual characteristics such as age and
behavioral activities. Although several studies have explored indoor exposure in rural China, India, and Africa,
indoor air pollution in South America has received relatively little attention. Rural Andean areas of Peru are among
the many communities in the American continent using biomass fuels; however, they are one of the very few still
using dung, the “dirtiest” of the biofuels, for cooking and heating.
A pilot study was conducted to determine the levels of particulate matter (PM10) and black carbon in the small town
of Langui, in the Canas province within the Andean region of Peru. An additional study explored health outcomes
(respiratory disease) in this population. The majority of families in this region use their traditional stoves not only
for cooking but also for heating purposes. Because of their limited access to heating, 56% of the families in the
region use the kitchen as a sleeping area and in 70% of those households more than half of the members are exposed
to direct emissions from these stoves. In this study, 96% of the Langui sample reported respiratory illnesses such as
colds with cough and fever. This study also found that 25% of adults had colds 4 times a year, while 50% of teens
had colds from 3 to 4 times a year and children under five had colds every month. This study seeks to report levels
of indoor pollutants within homes in Langui, estimate levels of exposure to these pollutants, and explore
relationships between pollutant levels and reported health outcomes.
References:
Smith K.R., 1987. Biofuels, Air Pollution, and Health: A Global Review, New York, Plenum.
Smith K.R., Mehta S. and Maeusezahl-Feuz M., 2004. Indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use. In: L.A.
Ezzati M, Rodgers A, Murray C.J.L,. (Editor), Comparative Quantification of Health Risks: Global and Regional
Burden of Disease Attributable to Selected Major Risk Factors. World Health Organization, Geneva, pp. 1435-1493.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
11SQ1.T3.238
Granite´s influence on the radon level in Vila Pouca de Aguiar (Village in Portugal). ANA FERREIRA (1),
Helder Simões (1), Nelson Sá (1), Susana Paixão (1), Cristina Santos (1), João Almeida (1), Isabel Andrade (1),
João Figueiredo (1), Ana Dias (2), (1) College of Health Technologies, Coimbra (2) Researcher
Human beings spend between 60 to 80% of their time indoors, so, it’s necessary to alert society to the fact that
indoor air quality is a genuine problem and may represent a risk to public health. One of the contaminants of indoor
air is radon. This radioactive gas is odorless and colorless, so its presence and danger are not easily detected. When
inhaled, radon is a serious risk to public health because it contributes to the onset of lung cancer (it is estimated to
account for 10% of lung cancer fatalities.)
The region of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Portugal, is situated on the Penacova Régua-and-Verim fault line, within a
predominantly granite area. The main objective of the study was to assess the concentration of radon inside 19
homes, and relate these values to the presence of granite. The study was from type descriptive- correlational,
characteristic of the level II, with a kind of cross-cohort, with the population of the town houses of Vila Pouca de
Aguiar. The sample included 9 dwellings composed at least partially of granite (experimental group) and 10 houses
without any type of granite (control group), presenting a type of non-probability sampling as the type, with the
technique of sampling by convenience. In data collection, passive type detectors LR-115 were used and a check list
adapted from ITN. Analysis of the results showed that the average concentration of radon in the houses of Vila
Pouca de Aguiar is significantly higher than those recommended by English law and European standards. These
elevated values may be due to the fact that the soil of this region is mainly granite and it might suggest that the town
is actually situated on the fault line.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
12SQ1.2
Understanding Exposure to Sources. Michael Brauer, The University of British Columbia
Understanding the relationship between the emissions from specific pollutant sources and the resulting population
exposures is critical for effective air quality management. Specifically, the relative importance of different sources
can be approached by describing a “pyramid of concern” where those sources that are the main contributors to
health-relevant exposures are identified and targeted for management. Such an approach differs from typical
emissions-based controls, targeted towards specific pollutants or PM components.
To date, air quality management has led to demonstrated success in many of the developed countries of the world.
Pollutant concentrations have generally declined with evidence of resulting improvements in health metrics. Similar
trends are also becoming evident in urban areas of many developing countries. As ambient concentrations decline,
however, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify specific emission sources that are the main contributors to
population exposure. This challenge is compounded by a need for sustained exposure reduction in light of evidence
for health impacts at near-background concentrations, emerging understanding of a growing number of health
impacts that appear to be associated with air pollution and the potential for increases in the size of the population
vulnerable to air pollution impacts.
Historically, air quality management has focused on pollutant-based regulations that inevitably lead to pollutantbased air quality management. Given that individual sources typically emit multiple pollutants which are subject to
atmospheric transformation, disentangling the impact of specific sources on individual pollutants or particulate
matter components is a complex task. The source to exposure relationship is further complicated since individuals
are exposed to mixtures that result from their interaction with emissions from multiple sources.
In the context of declining ambient pollutant concentrations, given these complexities in source-pollutant
relationships and the continuing uncertainty regarding the health impact of specific particle components, novel
approaches have potential to lead to increased effectiveness of air quality management. Efforts focused on
understanding of the source to exposure to impact pathway for sources as opposed to components or individual
pollutants offer one possible approach.
This presentation will review the global variation in the magnitude of PM exposure and in PM sources that
contribute to exposure. While air quality management emphasizes the improvement in ambient concentrations, focus
on modifiers of exposure such as indoor infiltration, individual mobility and source proximity may in fact be more
effective in reducing exposure. Emerging approaches such as intake fraction, studies of spatial variation and source
proximity, and methods to attribute exposure between indoor and outdoor components offer insights into the impacts
of sources on exposure and suggest novel approaches to reduce exposures in the context of current ambient pollutant
concentrations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
13A.2
Cardiovascular Effects Associated with Daily and Hourly Personal Exposures to Fine Particulate in the
DEARS Participants. Ron Williams (1), Robert Brook (2), Robert Bard (2), Hwashin H. Shin (3), Richard Burnett
(3), Alan Vette (1), Carry Croghan (2), Jonathan Thornburg (4), 1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research
Triangle Park (2) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, (3) Health Canada, Ottawa, (4) RTI International, Research
Triangle Park
The Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS) performed by the US EPA, and the Detroit
Cardiovascular Health Study (DCHS) conducted simultaneously by the University of Michigan, was an integrated
exposure-epidemiological research effort. Researchers from Health Canada have contributed to the ongoing data
analyses. Integration of the two field studies was initiated in the winter of 2005 and completed in March 2007. The
DEARS collected more than 36,000 individual exposure measurements. More than 2000 total exposure survey and
environmental questionnaires were obtained for the study population. Personal, residential indoor, residential
outdoor, and community-based measures were collected for a variety of PM size fractions and select air toxics. The
majority of these measurements were 24-hr integrated samples using either active or passive samplers. The
remainder was continuous-based (one minute time domain) measurements for fine PM. Complimenting this effort,
the DCHS involved novel, home-based clinical measures of select cardiovascular (CV) functions. Collecting the
health observations in the home prevented the introduction of unwanted factors in the resulting analyses (exposure
to mobile source emissions if the participants had to travel to a central clinical site, driving stress factors, etc).
Health measures conducted involved various blood pressures (BP), brachial flow mediated dilation (FMD), and
brachial artery diameter (BAD) measurements among others. More than 350 participant-days of cardiovascular
health observations were obtained. Preliminary data findings from the studies indicated that matched daily
community-based mass concentrations were not associated with any CV effect. Conversely, a number of personal
exposure measurements were associated with significant (p<0.05) changes in CV functions. These included an
elevation of systolic BP (+1.4 mm Hg; lag day 1) as a result of a 10 µg/cubic meter increase in total personal fine
PM exposure. Personal exposure to PM2.5 of ambient origin was associated with decreased BAD (-0.15 mm; lag
day 2), as well as other health outcomes not summarized here. Continuous PM personal nephelometry data were
then used to further elucidate the observed relationships by examining associations between the various CV
functions and hourly (0-23 hr lags) changes in personal exposures. While some associations were observed with all
of the clinical measures for some lag functions, one of the most consistent associations with hourly exposure was
that related to increases in heart rate. It was observed from a linear mixed model that the heart rate was increased
responding to lag 0-12 hour fine PM, and that the risk coefficients ranging from 0.79 to 0.10 (per 10 µg/cubic meter)
decreased as the lagging hour increased when exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and monitoring compliance
were considered. This finding is consistent with a postulated rapid autonomic effect involving sympathetic nervous
system (SNS) activation or Para-SNS withdraw. Conversely, FMD response was shown to decrease consistently in
relation to hourly-based PM2.5 exposure events within a 23 hour period (risk coefficient = -0.26 per 10 µg/cubic
meter with p-value 0.05 for lag 2-hour) and apparently not impaired by total (daily) personal exposure variability.
Exposure and health effects associated with the daily and hourly data findings will be presented.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
2C.1
A Multi-pollutant Approach to Air Pollution Epidemiology: An Examination of the Associations between
Individual and Combined Source Categories and Cardiovascular Mortality. William E. Wilson (1), (1) US
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park
Various types of source apportionment models identify groups of individual pollutants that are well correlated with
one another, but poorly correlated with other groups of pollutants. These groups of pollutants, in some cases
representing specific source categories (e.g., traffic, vegetative burning), may subsequently be associated with
mortality. In this study, we extend the earlier work on such associations in Central Phoenix to longer lag times, 0-10
lag days rather than just 0-5 lag days. In addition, we conducted analyses using unconstrained distributed lag
models. Along with the four source categories used in the previous analyses (regional sulfate, vegetative burning,
vehicular traffic, and soil), this analysis also includes two pollutants, thoracic coarse PM ( PM10-PM2.5) and
particulate mercury, that represent two additional, but not well identified, source categories that we will name PMC
and Hg. In the earlier studies, vehicular traffic and soil were not significantly associated with mortality. In this
extended analysis, all sources yield statistically significant excess risks with cardiovascular mortality, either at an
individual lag day or over a distributed lag. The techniques used for selecting the optimum number of lag days for
the distributed lag analysis will be discussed. The excess risk [ER] and the t-statistic, for an interquartile increase in
the pollution from each source category, is given for the individual lag day with the maximum beta and the
distributed lag days in the selected model: Regional Sulfate: ER=9.4% (t-statistic: 2.46, lag 0); ER=12.1% (tstatistic: 2.66, 0-3 distributed lag [DL]). Vegetative Burning: ER=5.7% (t-statistic: 2.63, lag 9); ER=14.3% (tstatistic: 2.50, 0-8 DL). Vehicular Traffic: ER=4.8% (t-statistic: 1.66, lag 1); ER=14.8% (t-statistic: 2.13, 1-8 DL).
Soil: ER=7.1% (t-statistic: 2.35, lag 10); ER=8.7% (t-statistic:2.67, 10-11 DL). Hg: ER=9.6% (t-statistic: 3.99, lag
0); ER=13.7% (t-statistic: 3.21, 0-2 DL). PMC: ER=3.3% (t-statistic: 2.46, lag 0); ER=4.1% (t-statistic: 2.66, 0-1
DL).
The total effect of air pollution from several source categories may be estimated by including those source
categories in the same statistical model. We report results from models with several different groupings of source
categories. For the combined effect on cardiovascular mortality of an interquartile increase in the pollution from all
six source categories, the results depend on the specific lag days included in the model. Including lag days 0 through
10 for each source category (66 variables in the multiple pollutant model), ER=65.7%, t=2.24. Using only 9
significant or nearly significant lag days, ER=57.3%, t=4.79. With only the 7 statistically significant lag days (traffic
left out), ER=58.8%, t=6.30; These results indicate that in order to estimate the total effect of a given source
category on cardiovascular mortality, it is necessary to consider lags out to at least 10 days and to use a distributed
lag model. These results also indicate that the combined effect on cardiovascular mortality of several air pollution
source categories may be much greater than that for any one pollutant considered individually. The process for
selecting the best set of lag days to represent the total effect of air pollution on mortality will also be discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
2C.2
PM2.5 –Induced Changes in Heart Rate Variability in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats are Associated with
Specific Sources in Detroit, MI. JAMES G. WAGNER (1), Ali S. Kamal (2), Masako Morishita (2), Bhramar
Mukherjee (2), Gerald J. Keeler (2), Jack R. Harkema (1), Annette C. Rohr (3), (1) Michigan State University,
(2)University of Michigan, (3) Electric Power Research Institute
Acute increases in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution are linked to increased morbidity and mortality due
to cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, myocardial infarction and heart failure. The components of PM2.5
responsible for these adverse responses have not been identified. We exposed spontaneously hypertensive rats to
concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) in Detroit, MI and measured changes in heart rate (HR) and its variability
(HRV) as physiological markers of cardiovascular stress. Eight male rats were exposed to either filtered air or fine
CAPs, 7:00AM- 3:00PM for 13 consecutive days in the summer (July) and winter (February), and ECG recordings
were used to derive HR and HRV. Both 8-hour integrated, and 30-minute high-resolution data streams of HRV and
PM metrics were analyzed in a mixed models design, and positive matrix factorization (PMF) was conducted to
identify major emissions source factors. Overall, the associations between HRV and PM2.5 in winter showed
similar trends using 8h or 30min means, with more and stronger associations found with the higher resolution 30min
dataset. During the winter HR was reduced and ln(r-MSSD) increased in CAP-exposed rats. Trace elements
associated with both these responses included barium, arsenic, rubidium, zinc and elemental carbon, among others.
In summer, there were no associations using 8h PM and HRV datasets. Using 30 min means, however, CAPsexposed rats had decreased HRV (SDNN) that was associated with CAPs mass, elemental carbon, and 14 elements.
Using source factor data with 30 min resolution of trace elements, decreased HRV during the summer was
associated with Motor/Diesel, Sludge Incinerator/Cement, Iron/Steel, and Metal Processing factors. These data
demonstrate seasonal differences in the same urban airshed for PM2.5 –mediated cardiac regulation, and identify
source-specific contributions of PM2.5 associated with decreased HRV. Furthermore, these data illustrate the
advantages of matching higher resolution PM elemental and source factor data with continuous cardiotelemetric
parameters to determine exposure-health effects relationships in animal toxicology studies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
2C.3
Comparative Dose-Response Assessment of Various Combustion Source Particles to Induce Acute Lung
Injury and Exacerbate Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice. Kevin Dreher (1), Ryan Snyder (1), Najwa Haykal
Coates (1), Heather Floyd (1), (1) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US EPA,
Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711 USA
Exposure to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) has been shown to increase arterial plaque area and size in
atherosclerosis susceptible mice. CAPs respresents a complex aerosol mixture consisting of wind-blown dust,
emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, and secondary transformation products. Research has yet to
determine the contribution of specific sources and specific particle physicochemical properties to CAPs–induced
exacerbation of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Experiments were initiated to assess the effect of specific
combustion source particles on CVD in comparison with their ability to induced acute lung inflammation and
inherent reactivity. Studies examined the ability of equivalent amounts of diesel exhaust particles (DEP), coal fly
ash (CFA), residual oil fly ash (ROFA), and Mt. St. Helen’s (MSH) volcanic ash to affect plaque area following
pulmonary exposure by pharyngeal aspiration (5, 10, 23 ug/mouse/week) of ApoE-/- mice fed high fat or normal
chow diets (23 ug/mouse/week) for 3 months. Acute pulmonary inflammation of each particle was assessed by
bronchoalveolar lavage 24 hr following ApoE exposure to 10 or 23 ug/mouse. Inherent particle reactivity was
assessed by the thiobarbituric acid substance assay (TBARS). Quantitative analysis of plaques demonstrated a
significant increase in plaque area within all exposure\dose groups fed normal chow compared to saline exposed
controls. No difference versus controls was observed in any of the exposure\dose groups fed the high fat chow. No
hierarchy in the ability to increase plaque area was observed among the different combustion particles. ROFA, DEP,
and MSH particles displayed differential TBARS activity and acute pulmonary inflammation at 24h post-exposure,
which did not correlate with their ability to increase plaque size. These results indicate that exposure to combustion
source particles exacerbates atherosclerosis in the ApoE-/- model in a manner independent of both their ability to
induce pulmonary inflammation, inherent particle reactivity and dietary fat intake. (This abstract does not
necessarily reflect EPA policy)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
2C.5
Particulate Matter Source Types Associated with Cardiovascular Hospitalizations and Mortality.
KAZUHIKO ITO (1), Robert Mathes (2), Zev Ross (3), George Thurston (1), and Thomas Matte (2), (1) New York
University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY; (2) New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New
York, NY; (3) ZevRoss Spatial Analysis, Ithaca, NY.
Background:
Recent multi-city time-series studies have indicated that both mortality and hospitalizations were associated with
particulate matter (PM). While the PM associations were reported to be strongest in the Northeastern cities for both
mortality and hospitalizations, the associations for mortality were different: stronger in summer for non-accidental
mortality and in winter for the elderly hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and respiratory illness.
The interpretation of the apparent difference in the seasonal pattern of associations between the two outcomes is
complicated by the fact that these outcomes were not evaluated for consistent disease categories or age groups. We
investigated this issue in New York City (NYC), where PM originates from both regional and local combustion
sources.
Methods:
Daily counts of deaths and emergency hospitalizations available at the NYC Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene were aggregated for cardiovascular diseases for age 39 years and older during the years 2000-2006. Data
for PM10, PM2.5 and its chemical components, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), and
sulfur dioxide (SO2) were retrieved from US Environmental Protection Agency. To examine the relative importance
of PM size, we also estimated thoracic coarse particles (PM10-2.5) mass concentrations by subtracting the daily cityaverage PM2.5 from city-average PM10 (for days when the former was equal to or smaller than the latter), for years
2000-2003 on days when both PM10 and PM2.5 data were available. We estimated excess risks for these multiple
pollutants using Poisson time-series model adjusting for temporal trends/seasonal cycles, immediate and delayed
temperature effects, and day-of-week. Risks were estimated for inter-quartile-range increases at lag 0 through 3
days, and for warm (April through September) and cold (October through March) seasons.
Results
The CVD mortality series exhibit strong seasonal trends, while the CVD hospitalization series show a stronger
influence of day-of-week pattern. In the analysis of PM2.5 and gaseous pollutants for years 2000-2006, PM2.5 was
most strongly associated with CVD mortality, particularly in the warm season, whereas for CVD hospitalizations,
NO2 was most strongly associated in both seasons. In the analysis of size-fractionated PM, PM10, PM2.5, and
computed PM10-2.5, all showed significant positive associations with CVD mortality, especially in the warm season,
in the range of 1 to 2 percent excess risk per 10 micro-gram/m3 increase, while the associations with CVD
hospitalizations were stronger in the cold season. Among the PM2.5 chemical components, the species originated
from both regional secondary aerosols (e.g., sulfate) and local combustion (e.g., elemental carbon) were associated
with CVD mortality in the warm season, whereas for CVD hospitalizations, those originated from local sources
(e.g., elemental carbon, Zn, Si) showed associations in the cold season.
Discussion
The associations between PM and CVD mortality and hospitalizations showed different seasonal patterns and source
types. Apparent modification by season and source type of the relations of PM to CVD mortality and
hospitalizations merits further study to examine potential differences in at-risk subpopulations, relationship of
ambient measurements to population exposures, and interactions of PM with seasonal factors such as weather and
communicable disease.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
2C.6
Fine Particulate Matter Chemical Speciation and Hospital Admissions in Denver: The Denver Aerosol
Sources and Health Study (DASH). JENNIFER L. PEEL (1), Sun-Young Kim (2), Michael P. Hannigan (3),
Steven J. Dutton (3, 4), Maggie L. Clark (1), Sverre Vedal (2), (1) Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, (2)
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, (3) University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, COJ, (4) U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC
Background: Relatively few studies evaluating the health effects of particulate matter (PM) have incorporated daily
PM chemical speciation data. Examining associations of PM species with health outcomes may provide insight
regarding pollution sources and mechanisms.
Methods: We conducted a five-year time-series study examining the association of fine PM mass and chemical
speciation with hospital admissions for all ages in Denver, Colorado. Daily counts of cardiovascular and respiratory
hospital admissions in the Denver five-county metropolitan area were collected for 2003 – 2007. Daily 24-hour
concentrations of fine PM mass, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), sulfate, and nitrate were measured at
a centrally-located monitoring site for the same time period. The association between fine PM mass and components
and hospital admissions was evaluated using Poisson generalized additive models adjusting for long term time
trends, day of week, temperature, and humidity. Daily PM source apportionment is being conducted.
Results: Mean levels of fine PM mass were relatively low (mean 8.0 micrograms/m3; standard deviation 5.1
micrograms/m3). We collected information on a total of 431,605 hospital admissions during the study period (mean
daily admissions: 44/day for cardiovascular disease and 37/day for respiratory disease). Increases in same-day PM
concentrations were associated with an increase in cardiovascular admissions; the associations were strongest for EC
(relative risk [RR per interquartile range] = 1.019; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.010 – 1.028 per 0.33
micrograms/m3 increase) and OC (RR=1.017; 95% CI 1.006 – 1.028 per 1.7 micrograms/m3 increase), but weaker
associations were also observed for sulfate (RR=1.007; 95% CI 1.000 – 1.013 per 0.76 micrograms/m3 increase) and
nitrate (RR=1.003; 95% 0.999 – 1.008 per 0.86 micrograms/m3 increase). The elevated associations for
cardiovascular disease were primarily driven by admissions for ischemic heart disease; no evidence of increases was
observed for congestive heart failure or for ischemic stroke. Little or no consistent evidence of increased
associations was observed for respiratory admissions, including for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, and bronchiolitis (for pollution concentrations lagged 0-3 days).
Conclusion: Consistent with previous studies, we observed increases in hospital admissions for cardiovascular
disease, particularly for ischemic heart disease, in relation to increases in same-day fine PM mass, EC, and OC
concentrations. These associations were observed at low ambient PM levels.
This is an abstract for a proposed presentation/poster and does not necessarily reflect the policies of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
2C.7
Health Effects of Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions: The TERESA Study. ANNETTE C. ROHR (1), Petros
Koutrakis (2), and John G. Godleski (2), (1) Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, (2) Harvard School of
Public Health, Boston
Overview: In 2002, a multi-site field study was launched to investigate the potential toxicity of emissions from coalfired power plants. The TERESA (Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols) Study
involved the use of a mobile laboratory at three different power plants in the US, each utilizing a different coal type
and different emissions control configurations, and subsequent exposure of rats to stack emissions. This paper will
present the key findings of the study, which has now been completed.
Rationale: Coal-fired power plants produce only small quantities of primary particulate matter (PM), and much of
the concern over the health impacts of power plant emissions focuses on the secondary particles formed via
atmospheric oxidation of emitted SO2. However, toxicological studies of these secondary particles are difficult to
carry out in a realistic manner.
Methods: Stack emissions were transported to a photochemical chamber within the mobile laboratory in which
different atmospheric processes were simulated, including oxidation to form acidic sulfate and subsequent
neutralization with ammonia. Alpha-pinene was also added to simulate the formation of secondary organic aerosol
(SOA) via oxidation of biogenic emissions. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to the resultant exposure scenarios
and a number of toxicological endpoints were evaluated, including breathing pattern, in situ chemiluminescence
(CL) in heart and lung tissue, and bronchoalveolar lavage and blood cytological and biochemical analyses. In
addition, heart rate variability (HRV) and arrhythmia incidence were evaluated in a subset of exposures, at two
plants, in a compromised rat model.
Results: We observed some plant- and scenario-specific effects. Changes in breathing pattern parameters were
generally mild and were not consistent with a specific physiological effect such as airflow limitation or sensory
irritation. There was a consistent increase in lung chemiluminescence for a scenario comprised of primary particles
plus unneutralized oxidized (acidic) aerosol and SOA. There were no significant changes in BAL or blood
parameters at any of the three plants. We observed a significant increase in premature ventricular beats in exposed
animals at one plant, but findings were inconclusive at the other plant. There were no consistent changes in HRV.
Conclusions: Overall, effects were subtle and appeared to be more highly associated with complex scenarios
containing other atmospheric constituents.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
5B.1
Review of the Health Effects of Traffic Pollution. MARIA COSTANTINI (1), Ira Tager (2), and Nino Künzli (3),
(1) Health Effects Institute, Boston (2) University of California, Berkeley (3) Public Health University of Basel,
Basel
This presentation will cover aspects of the Health Effects Institute Special Reports on Traffic-Related Air Pollution:
A critical Review of the Literature on Emissions, Exposure and Health Effects to be officially released in January
2010. The Report was developed by a Panel of experts with support from the HEI staff. Specifically issues related to
the associations between exposure to traffic-related pollutants and health outcomes will be discussed.
Traffic-related emissions contribute to primary and secondary local, urban, and regional (background) pollutant
concentrations against a background of similar contaminants from other sources. Studies that have examined
gradients in pollutants as a function of distance from busy roadways have indicated a range of up to 500 m from a
highway or a major road as the area most highly affected by traffic emissions.
The range depends on the variable influence of background pollution concentrations, meteorology, and season.
Thus, exposure assessment in epidemiology studies needs to capture the spatial variability of the pollutants as well
as demonstrate that the pollutants are related to a traffic source. The most commonly used pollutants used in
epidemiologic studies as surrogates of an individual’s exposure to traffic-related pollution are CO, NO2, PM mass
and number, PM-associated elemental carbon, and benzene. Models that provide direct measures of traffic, such as
distance to major roadways or traffic volume, or estimate individual’s pollutant exposure concentrations using a
variety of parameters (such as meteorology, land-use, pollutant measurements or emission data) are also frequently
used. The presentation will discuss the exposure data available and provide a summary of whether the reported
associations between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and various health outcomes are causal or not (in the
context of the predetermined inference criteria). The outcomes evaluated include all-cause mortality, cardiovascular
mortality and morbidity, asthma incidence and exacerbation, lung function, non asthmatic allergies, birth outcomes,
and cancer. The Panel concluded that the evidence was sufficient to support a causal association between exposure
to traffic-related air pollution and exacerbation of asthma. The Panel also found suggestive evidence of a causal
association with onset of childhood asthma, non-asthma respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function, total and
cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular morbidity, although the data were not sufficient to support causality.
For a number of other health outcomes, there was limited evidence of associations with primary traffic-generated air
pollution, although the data were either inadequate or insufficient at this time to draw firmer conclusions.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
5B.3
Combustion Exhaust and Children's Respiratory Health. ED AVOL (1), Robert Urman (1), Fred Lurmann (2),
Jim Gauderman (1), (1) University of Southern California, (2) Sonoma Technology, Incorporated
To assess potential health associations between traffic-related air pollutants and living or attending school near busy
roadways, 2687 schoolchildren (age 5 to 11 years) were recruited from communities near the Ports of Los Angeles
and Long Beach. Parent-completed questionnaires provided historical and current subject health information. A
separate study provided air pollution data from which estimates of combustion exhaust exposure (using elemental
carbon [EC], ultrafine particle number [UPC], and nitrogen dioxide [NO2) were developed. Dispersion model
estimates of local traffic emissions from neighborhood streets and community roadways were used to investigate the
influence of proximal roadway traffic on symptoms and airway disease. Observed asthma rates among study
subjects averaged about 17%. Exposure to 24-hr average EC was associated with increased respiratory symptoms
(bronchitis, cough, and phlegm), with effects more apparent in older children. Health effects were associated with
exposures at homes and schools. No consistent response was associated with road type or road proximity. Children
living close to or attending schools near busy roadways did not have higher rates of asthma or more respiratory
symptoms. However, respiratory symptoms were associated with higher regional levels of EC. We conclude that
combustion exhaust (from a wider range of sources than on-road traffic alone) is affecting the respiratory health of
children in port communities.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
5B.4
Impact of Pollution Exposures on Respiratory Health While Commuting to School. B. K. Padhi (1), P.K.
Padhy (2), A Konar (3), S Mondal (3), A Prakash (1), V.K. Jain (1), R Ghosh (4), (1) School of Environmental
Sciences, Jawaharlal Neheru University, New Delhi-110067, India, (2) Centre for Environmental Studies, Visva
Bharati University, Santiniketan-731235, India, (3) Department Of Physical Education, Visva Bharati University,
Santiniketan – 731235, India, (4) DTCD (Kol.), MD (Chest), Paschim Pally, Santiniketan-731235, India
Road transport is globally recognized as a significant and increasing source of air pollution. Research on the impact
of pollution exposures during commuting to school on respiratory health of children is scarce. This study was
designed to evaluate the relationship of in-vehicle air pollutants exposures and its impact on respiratory health of
school going children. We followed three hundred fifty five subjects who were 8–15 years of age and commuting
daily to school in public vehicles in Durgapur an industrial city in India. The concentration of in-vehicle pollutants
monitored are suspended particulate matter (SPM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxide
(NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) including temperature and relative humidity.
A questionnaire developed on the pattern of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)
and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) with some modifications were used
for evaluation of respiratory health. The lung function parameters, namely, PEF, FVC, FEV1, FEF, and SVC were
examined on an electronic Spiro meter. An adjusted odds ratio was used to estimate the risk of developing
respiratory health symptoms for children’s exposed to multiple air pollutants while commuting to school after
controlling for confounding factors. The study revealed that the children commuting more than two hours in public
vehicle to school exposed a higher concentration of air pollutants and had an adjusted odds ratio of lower respiratory
infections (OR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.35-2.43) than the children commuting less than half an hour to school (OR = 1.33;
95% CI: 0.97-1.68). It is hoped that this study will provide crucial information to decision makers in understanding
the policy implications for air quality regulation and urban transportation policy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
5B.5
Air Pollution and Survival within the Washington University - EPRI Veterans Cohort: Risks Based on
Modeled Estimates of Ambient Levels of Hazardous and Criteria Air Pollutants. F.W. Lipfert (1), R.E. Wyzga
(2), Jack D. Baty(3), J. Philip Miller (4), (1)Consultant, Northport, NY (2)Sr. Technical Executive, Electric Power
Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (3)& (4) Division of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Washington University, St.
Louis Mo
We consider relationships between mortality, vehicular traffic density, and ambient levels of twelve hazardous air
pollutants, elemental carbon, NOx, SO2, and SO42-. These pollutant species were selected as markers for specific
types of emission sources, including vehicular traffic, coal combustion, smelters, and metal-working industries.
Pollutant exposures were estimated using emissions inventories and atmospheric dispersion models. We analyzed
associations between county ambient levels of these pollutants and survival patterns among ~70,000 US male
veterans, by mortality period (1976-2001 and subsets), type of exposure model, and traffic density level. We found
significant associations between all-cause mortality and traffic-related air quality indicators and with traffic density
per se, with stronger associations for benzene, formaldehyde, diesel particulate, oxides of nitrogen, and elemental
carbon. The maximum effect on mortality for all cohort subjects during the 26-y follow-up period is about 10%, but
most of the pollution-related deaths in this cohort occurred in the higher-traffic counties, where excess risks
approach 20%. However, mortality associations with diesel particulates are similar in high- and low-traffic
counties. Sensitivity analyses show risks decreasing slightly over time and minor differences between linear and
logarithmic exposure models. Two-pollutant models show stronger risks associated with specific traffic-related
pollutants than with traffic density per se, although traffic density retains statistical significance in most cases. We
conclude that tailpipe emissions of both gases and particles are among the most significant and robust predictors of
mortality in this cohort and that most of those associations have weakened over time. However, we have not
evaluated possible contributions from road dust or traffic noise. Stratification by traffic density level suggests the
presence of response thresholds, especially for gaseous pollutants. Because of their wider distributions of estimated
exposures, risk estimates based on emissions and atmospheric dispersion models tend to be more precise than those
based on local ambient measurements.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9B.1
Determining Which Types of Fne Particles in Ambient Air Harm Human Health. THOMAS GRAHAME (1)
George Hidy (2), (1) U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (2) Envair/Aerochem, Placitas, New Mexico
Determining which types of fine particles in ambient air harm human health
Researchers began to find consistent associations with adverse health risks of elevated PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5
micrometers or less in diameter), measured as mass concentration, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Initially these
studies were limited by lack of adequate monitoring data for different PM2.5 species, which was then available
mainly for inorganic PM2.5 components. With recommendations of advisory bodies such as the Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee (1996) and the National Research Council (NRC) of the U.S. National Academies of
Sciences (1998 through 2004), improved and systematic monitoring later provided data for additional PM2.5
constituents including organic carbon, elemental carbon, and various elements (mostly metals). The portfolio of PM
chemical observations provided important opportunities to better understand which PM2.5 constituents are most or
least harmful, and thus potentially to enable targeted control strategies. In the last several years, these advances
have enabled researchers to better address the question, how can we best distinguish risks of harm from different
PM2.5 constituents in complex mixtures of primary and secondary particles?
Methodological issues play a primary role in addressing this question. Important principles of methodology include:
(1) need for accurate exposure information in epidemiological studies to develop reliable and credible associations,
and (2) using epidemiological studies which compare effects of a wide range of health-relevant pollutants against
the same health endpoints in the same studies. In addition, evidentiary pathways for differentiating toxicological
risk among PM2.5 components are strengthened by (3) recognizing that some common pollutants have multiple
sources, but with different (possibly toxic) co-pollutants, thus creating the possibility that statistical associations
with one pollutant could be attributable to co-emitted pollutant(s), perhaps unmeasured, and (4) accounting for
products of atmospheric chemical processes in some manner. Finally, an assessment of harm, for each PM2.5
species of interest, should include results from both toxicology studies (in vitro and in vivo) and from
epidemiological studies (both population based and human panel) inclusive of first four principles.
This presentation primarily addresses the first two issues, discussing (1) ambiguities and implications of exposure
and its misclassification and (2) merits of broad based contemporary studies which compare up to 20 different
pollutants in the same study against the same health endpoints. Examples are given showing how strength of
association for a given PM2.5 species weakens as exposure misclassification worsens, while also suggesting that
associations might be transferred from less well measured to better measured emissions. These findings are
augmented by a discussion of recent multi-county, multi-city, and single city studies which monitor for many
specific PM2.5 species. Preliminary conclusions are discussed with regard to the improved consistency of
associations with particular chemical species of PM2.5, but not with others, including brief discussion of
toxicological support.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.1
Comparison of Health Effects and Composition of Toluene Derived Secondary Organic Aerosols Formed
With and Without Sulfur Dioxide. Jacob D. McDonald1, John Seinfeld2, Eladio Knipping3, Matt Campen1,
Melanie Doyle-Eisele1 and Annette Rohr3, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute1, California Institute of
Technology2, Electric Power Research Institute3
We present initial findings from the Secondary Particulate Health Effects Research (SPHERES) program, whose
main objective is to define the composition and resulting relative health hazard of secondary organic aerosol (SOA)
synthesized under varying reaction conditions. These findings will focus on the comparisons among atmospheres
generated with an Toluene hydrocarbon precursor. Reactions were conducted in a 11 m3 continuous flow stir
reactor (“irradiation chamber”), which permitted constant production of SOA for the conduct of inhalation
exposures in laboratory rodents. We will report on the comparison of results of SOA atmospheres produced with
Toluene:nitrogen oxides and Toluene:nitrogen oxides:sulfur dioxide. With both sets of precursors, SOA
atmospheres were produced to yield 300 µg/m3 particulate material. Direct comparisons of composition and
toxicity were conducted with normalization of atmospheres to either total particulate matter or total organic
particulate matter. Exposures were conducted for 7 days (6 hr/day) to ApoE mice (male, 8-10 weeks) down-stream
of honeycomb denuders employed to remove ozone. Measurements of pulmonary inflammation (lavage white blood
cells), indicators of vascular injury and remodeling, and immune suppression (spleen plaque assay) were assessed.
No increased pulmonary inflammation was observed. Immune function (only conducted on Toluene-+ SO2) was
suppressed after SOA exposure. Vascular injury was observed in the Toluene – SO2 exposure, with upregulation
of heme oxygenase-1 and endothelin-1. Work supported by the Electric Power Research Institute.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.2
Systemic and Airway Inflammation are differently Associated with Primary and Secondary Organic Aerosols
in a Susceptible Population of Elderly. RALPH J. DELFINO (1), Norbert Staimer (1), Thomas Tjoa (1),
Mohammad Arhami (2), Andrea Polidori (2), Steven C. George (3) James J. Schauer (4) Constantinos Sioutas (2).,
(1) Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; (2)
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; (3) Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine,
Irvine, CA, USA; (4) University of Wisconsin-Madison, Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, 660
North Park Street, Madison, WI, USA.
Background: The carbonaceous fraction of PM2.5 can be divided into two main sources: primary organic aerosols
(POA), which are predominately emitted directly from combustion sources and closely associated with elemental
carbon (EC), and secondary organic aerosols (SOA), which consist of products of photochemical reactions involving
anthropogenic and biogenic organic gases. However, little is know about differences in human health effects from
POA vs. SOA.
Methods: Sixty elderly subjects with coronary artery disease were monitored with 12 weekly measurements of
offline fractional exhaled NO (FENO), a biomarker of airway inflammation, and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), a
biomarker of systemic inflammation. Exposure metrics of primary carbonaceous aerosol in their outdoor home
environment included PM2.5 EC, PM2.5 primary organic carbon (OCpri) estimated using the EC tracer method, and
PM0.25 (<0.25 micrometers) organic components from 5-day Teflon filter composites analyzed by GC/MS
[polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and hopanes]. Exposures representing SOA included PM2.5 secondary
organic carbon (SOC) estimated by subtracting OCpri from total OC, and PM0.25 organic components including
water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and selected n-alkanoic acids from the GC/MS analysis of 5-day filter
composites. Gaseous pollutants included CO and NOx (fossil-fuel emission markers), and O3 (photochemistry
marker). PM2.5 mass exposures were also characterized for PM0.25 and PM0.25-2.5 (0.25-2.5 micrometers).
Associations were evaluated with mixed linear effects models adjusted for temperature, season, and community, and
excluding measurements following infections.
Results: We found IL-6 was associated only with PM0.25, markers of POA (PAH, EC, OCpri, but not hopanes),
CO, and NOx. IL-6 increased by 0.42 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.15, 0.69) per interquartile increase of 7.00 micrograms/m3
3-day average PM0.25. Low (2-3 ring), medium (4 ring), and high (>4 ring) molecular weight PAH were all
significantly associated with IL-6, but not with FENO. IL-6 increased by 0.27 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.10, 0.44) per
interquartile increase of 0.56 ng/m3 total PAH. In contrast, FENO was only associated with PM0.25-2.5, markers of
SOA (SOC, n-alkanoic acids, and WSOC), and O3. FENO increased by 1.16 ppb (95% CI: 0.43, 1.88) per
interquartile increase of 10.6 micrograms/m3 5-day average PM0.25-2.5. FENO increased by 1.50 ppb (95% CI:
0.76, 2.23) per interquartile increase of 0.29 micrograms/m3 selected n-alkanoic acids.
Conclusions: We found evidence that effects on airway vs. systemic inflammation differ by particle composition
(POA vs. SOA markers) and by size fraction (PM0.25 vs. PM0.25-2.5). Outdoor SOA components estimated by
WSOC and n-alkanoic acids are highly oxygenated and likely dissolve after deposition on airway epithelium lining
fluid, and then quickly oxidize extracellular and cellular constituents. Hydrophobic PAH may become bioavailable
after deposition followed by distribution of unmetabolized PAH to the circulation and to extrapulmonary target sites
where they are metabolized. A long-held view is that activation of leukocytes in the lungs, followed by cytokine
and chemokine release is a major pathway to the systemic inflammatory effects of PM air pollution. We did not find
any evidence for this. Different chemical reactions, solubility, and interstitial transport of secondary and primary
aerosol components may determine effects on pulmonary vs. extra-pulmonary target sites.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.3
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure and Increased Wheeze in a Cohort of Children with Asthma in
Fresno, CA. Sara Gale (1), Elizabeth M. Noth (1), Jennifer Mann(1), Katharine Hammond(1), Ira Tager (1), (1)
The University of California, Berkeley
Background:
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found widely in the ambient air and result from combustion of
various fuels (gasoline, diesel, biomass) and industrial processes. PAHs have been associated with adverse human
health effects, particularly the skewing of immune responses toward the Th-2 phenotype that characterizes atopic
diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema). In utero exposure has been associated with epigenetic modification of
genes that control inflammatory responses.
Objective:
We hypothesized that estimated individual exposures to PAHs would be associated with increased occurrence of
daily wheezing in a cohort of 315 children with asthma in Fresno, CA (Fresno Asthmatic Children’s Environment
Study -- FACES). Fresno County has some of the highest levels of air pollution and twice the rate of asthma for
children and teenagers in the United States. Traffic emissions, wood smoke and agricultural burning are the main
sources of PAHs.
Methods:
FACES enrolled 315 children ages 6-11 years in Fresno/Clovis, CA and followed the cohort from November 2000
through September 2008. Subjects were evaluated semi-annually with health questionnaires, prick skin tests and
spirometry and up to three 14-day panels per year (twice daily symptoms and spirometry). Data from these panels
was used for this analysis. Detailed ambient and indoor pollutant concentrations were obtained from a central site,
mobile trailers and sampling of indoor/outdoor pollutants at 83 homes. Concentrations of PAHs were measured in
497 filter samples collected at 83 homes over the course of one year. Using these data, land use regression models
for phenanthrene (PHE) and the sum of PAHs with 4-, 5- or 6-rings (PAH456) were built using mixed modeling
regression. These models were combined with data collected at the US EPA Supersite to estimate daily PAH
concentrations from PAH456 outside of the homes of 315 asthmatic children from 2000 to 2007 (532,135
individual daily exposure estimates); 19,616 observations from 276 children were available for the epidemiologic
analyses. We used a cross-validation DSA (Deletion Substitution Addition) algorithm to select the best predictive
model of morning wheeze (an indicator of asthma severity), PAHs, and 40 candidate variables. Based on DSAselected determinants of wheeze, we used a generalized estimated equation approach (GEE) to account for repeated
measures.
Results:
The GEE analyses among the cohort (n= 276) showed a 1.22 [95% CI 0.99, 1.50] higher odds of wheeze among
asthmatics exposed to lag 0 PAH456 measurements. This result persisted but decreased with longer lags. Moving
averages from 2-14 days showed increased odds that ranged from 1.26 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.60) to 1.29 (95% CI: 0.93,
1.80). Results were similar for phenanthrene.
Conclusions:
We have demonstrated a consistent association between increased estimated individual-level concentrations of
PAH456 and phenanthrene and the daily occurrence of morning wheeze in a cohort of children with asthma in
Fresno, CA. These data provide further evidence that PAHs are an important contributor to adverse respiratory
outcomes.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.4
Do Brain Cancer Rates Correlate with Ambient PM-Levels or with Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP)
Concentrations ? PETER A. VALBERG (1), Chris M. Long (1), (1) Gradient LLC, Cambridge, MA
The factors causing age-adjusted brain cancer mortality rates to vary considerably across the United States are
unknown. No obvious patterns in demography, diet, health care, or occupation seem adequate to explain a four-fold
variation. No specific lifestyle factors are known to play a part in brain cancer risk. We thus investigated
geographical patterns of brain cancer mortality and their correlation with patterns of ambient-air pollution, either
hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) or particulate matter (PM).
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) maintains brain-cancer mortality statistics on a nationwide basis, and for the
2001-2005 period, there were 16,080 brain cancer deaths nationwide. The nationwide average mortality rate was
4.4 per 100,000 per year, but numerous county-specific rates showed statistically significant differences, varying
from more than twice this rate to about half this rate. Aside from spontaneously occurring DNA damage, the only
established risk factors for brain cancer are high-dose ionizing radiation (e.g., therapeutic radiation) and inherited
cancer-susceptibility genes. Numerous hypothetical risk factors have been suggested, including several chemicals,
but no consistent effects have been found in analyses of risk for glioma in people exposed to chemicals via dietary
intake or inhalation. Consistent with these study findings, none of the HAPs are IARC Group 1 or Group 2
carcinogens on the basis of brain cancer risk. Animal studies have suggested that nanoparticles in ambient air might
reach the brain via direct translocation along olfactory nerve tracts (Elder et al, 2006), but a connection to brain
cancer risk is unclear. Another hypothesis suggests viruses (e.g., SV-40, Epstein-Barr, Miller, 2009) may be risk
factors for brain cancer; viruses have been found in human brain tumors, and elevated risk is seen in people with
significant human-to-human contact (doctors, teachers) or human-to-animal contact (butchers, dairy farmers,
livestock managers).
We analyzed patterns of brain cancer mortality against patterns of PM, or individual HAP, concentrations. For our
analyses, we relied upon the PM measurement data from the USEPA nationwide database on PM air pollution
(Aerometric Information Retrieval System) and, for HAPs, projections of local, ambient-air concentrations made as
part of the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) studies. In the NATA, USEPA models air concentrations of
HAPs based on known emissions from a national-scale air toxics database. Even though these concentrations are for
time periods more recent than might be desired for studying etiology of brain cancer, they may be reasonable
surrogates predictive of longer-term exposures. We investigated several Group 1 chemical carcinogens present in
ambient air (e.g., benzene, vinyl chloride), and, because viruses are a Group 1 carcinogen, we also examined
correlations between dairy-cow populations and brain cancer mortality. We report the strength of evidence
regarding the correlation with null, elevated, or reduced brain-cancer mortality rates.
Elder et al. 2006. Translocation of inhaled ultrafine manganese oxide particles to the central nervous system. EHP
114:1172.
Miller G. 2009. Brain cancer. A viral link to glioblastoma? Science 323:30.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.5
Structural and Functional Changes in Rat Lungs due to Post-natal Exposure to Ozone with and without
Particles. Lee D (1), Schelegle E (1), Wallis C (1), Fanucchi MV (2), Van Winkle L (1), Plopper CG (1) , Wexler
AS (1), (1)University of California, Davis (2)University of Alabama, Birmingham
Inhaled pollutants are associated with various lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, but chronic effects of gas
and particle pollutants and their combined effects are not nearly as well explored as the acute effects. We measured
alterations in airway architecture and lung function due to ozone only or ozone plus particle exposure during
development. We analyzed alteration of all conducting airways using a computer technique that can extract
geometric information of each airway such as diameter and length from CT-imaged lung airways. Male Sprague
Dawley rats were exposed to 0.5 ppm ozone or ozone plus premixed flame particles from 7 days to 26 days
postnatal, 8 hrs/day, 5 days/week. Mass concentration and particle diameter were 23.62 micro-g/m3 and 71.9 nm.
Lung function tests and lung casting for CT-scan were conducted 56 days post-exposure. While there was no
significant difference in lung architecture between control and ozone exposed groups, TLC and dynamic compliance
changed. Contrary to previous acute studies, these chronic co-exposures of ozone with PFP did not enhance the lung
architecture alterations implying that lungs chronically exposed to ozone may become more resistant to oxidative
stress and consequently mitigate the toxic effects of PM.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.6
Emergency Admissions for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases and the Chemical Composition of Fine
Particle Air Pollution. FRANCESCA DOMINICI (1) Roger Peng (2) Michelle Bell (3), (1) Harvard University,
Boston (2) Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (3) Yale University, New Heaven
Background: Population-based studies have estimated health risks of short-term exposure to fine particles using
mass of PM2.5 (particulate matter < 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter) as the indicator. Evidence regarding
the toxicity of the chemical components of the PM2.5 mixture is limited.
Objective: To investigate the association between hospital admission for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and
the chemical components of fine particles in the United States.
Methods: We used a national database comprising daily data for 2000—2006 on hospital admissions for
cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes, ambient levels of major PM2.5 chemical components (sulfate, nitrate,
silicon, elemental carbon, organic carbon matter, sodium and ammonium ions), and weather. We estimated the
associations between daily levels of PM2.5 components and risk of hospital admissions in 119 US urban
communities for 12 million Medicare enrollees (aged 65 years or older) using Bayesian hierarchical statistical
models.
Results: In multiple-pollutant models where associations are adjusted for the levels of other pollutants, an
interquartile range (IQR) increase in elemental carbon was associated with a 0.80 (95% posterior interval [PI]: 0.34,
1.27) percent increase in risk of same-day cardiovascular admissions, and an IQR increase in organic carbon matter
was associated with a 1.01 (95% PI: 0.04, 1.98) percent increase in risk of respiratory admissions on the same day.
Other components were not associated with cardiovascular or respiratory hospital admissions in multiple-pollutant
models.
Conclusions: Ambient levels of elemental carbon and organic carbon matter, which are generated primarily from
vehicle emissions, diesel, and wood burning, were associated with the largest risks of emergency hospitalization
across the major chemical constituents of fine particles.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9C.7
Cardiac Mortality and Long-Term Exposure to PM2.5 Components. G. Thurston (1), R.T. Burnett (2), D.
Krewski (3), M. Turner (3), Y. Shi (3), K. Ito (1), R. Lall (1), M. Jerrett (4), E.E. Calle (5), M.J. Thun (5), CA Pope
III (6)., (1) New York University School of Medicine; (2) Health Canada; (3) University of Ottawa; (4) University of
California, Berkeley; (5) American Cancer Society; (6) Brigham Young University.
Background: Multiple epidemiological studies have now documented that long-term exposure to fine particulate
matter air pollution mass (PM2.5) is associated with an increased risk of cardiac mortality. Pope and collaborators
have noted elevated risks in deaths, especially due to cardiac causes in the U.S. nationwide American Cancer
Society CP-II cohort (Pope et al., 2004). However, the types of particles that are most responsible for these
associations are not yet known, and this research seeks to address this knowledge gap.
Methods: Using the ACS cohort (extended through 2004), and the U.S. EPA PM2.5 Speciation data, we evaluated
associations between various composition and source components of PM2.5 in 100 U.S. metropolitan areas. Source
apportionments were conducted using methods by Thurston and Spengler (1982). Individual elements were also
considered as exposure indices. Mortality analyses employed Cox Proportional Hazards modeling. The focus of
this new research was to determine which components of PM2.5 were most explanatory of the previously reported
PM2.5 association with Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) mortality.
Results: The major U.S. PM2.5 sources identified and their key tracer elements were: Metals (Pb, Zn); Soil (Ca, Si);
Traffic (OC, EC, NO2) ; Steel (Fe, Mn) ; Coal Combustion (As, Se); Oil Combustion (V, Ni) ; Salt (Na, Cl) ;
Biomass burning; Other Sulfates (S) ; Other Nitrates (NO3-) ; and, Other Organic Carbon (OC). While multiple
industrial and fossil fuel combustion categories had relative risk (RR) estimates above 1.0 for IHD deaths, coal
combustion and traffic emission-related particles were among the largest PM2.5-mortality associations, and most
robust to consideration of random effects and addition of contextual socio-economic variables.
Conclusion: Particles resulting from industrial and fossil fuel combustion sources are most associated with
increased risk of Ischemic mortality from long-term PM2.5 exposure.
Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Health Effects Institute’s National Particle Component
Toxicity Initiative.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.59
Health Burden of Regional Ozone Transport in the United States. DANIEL Q. TONG (1), (1) Science and
Technology Corporation, Silver Spring, MD 20910
According to US EPA, approximately half of the U.S. population lives in areas that have not attained the healthbased ozone air quality standards. The health burden from human exposure to ozone could be substantial, given the
increasing evidence on the association between ozone and mortality effects. Surface ozone originates from both
local emissions and regional transport. Previous studies estimate that interstate transport is more important than local
sources to ozone concentrations in 80% of U.S. states (Tong and Mauzerall, 2008). The mortality effect of regional
ozone transport has not been studied before. This study combines air quality modeling, census data, and
epidemiological concentration-response function to quantify the relative contribution of local emissions and
interstate transport to ozone-caused premature mortality in 48 U.S. states. We found that inter-state transport
accounts for 658 (75%) of the ozone-caused 880 premature deaths due to nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions during
July 1996. The source receptor relationships also reveal that the average ozone mortality effect per unit of NOx
emissions varies considerably among states, and there is a directionality in the inter-state transport of ozone
mortality effect.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.162
Effect of Phthalates in Male Infertility. RASHMI TOMAR, Arun K Jain, Banajit Bastia, Nayan K Mohanty*
Institute of Pathology (ICMR) Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi-110029.India *Deptt of Urology, Safdarjung
Hospital, New Delhi-110029. India, (1) Institute of Pathology (ICMR) Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi110029.India. (2) *Deptt of Urology, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi-110029. India
The use of phthalates has increased many folds worldwide. Phthalate compounds have been identified in all the
environmental compartments such as in air, water, sediment and biota. According to studies done by the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control, the majority of the U.S. population is routinely exposed to different phthalates. The
EPA has identified 1,397 sites on its National Priority list (NPL), out of which in 248 of these sites DEP (phthalate
esters) was found to be released to the environment as a chemical emission. There are various other means which are
potential cause of environmental exposure to phthalate, such as, breathing dust in rooms with vinyl flooring and
miniblinds that contains phthalates. Occupationally, printers and painters, etc are exposed to phthalate by inhaling
these toxic compounds during the manufacturing process as well as their use.
Phthalate esters which are used as plasticizers for the manufacture of plastics show potential to leach into the
surrounding medium and pose an environmental threat globally including developing countries such as India.
Untimely exposure to natural or synthetic estrogens (chemicals which “mimic” our natural estrogens) such as
phthalates can adversely affect human health, particularly with regards to the reproductive cycle and reproductive
function. However, reports are suggestive of the fact that environmental estrogens are creating male infertility
problems by confusing the body's estrogen receptors to bind with them and inhibit the activity of natural hormone or
elicit hormone like effects by themselves.
While several investigators have recorded the effects of phthalates on reproductive parameters of laboratory animals,
there have been conflicting reports about effects of phthalates on human reproductive system. Detailed studies on
the effects of phthalate compounds on reproductive system and estrogen receptors of human beings as well as on
mammals are scanty.
These situation poses great concern to all of us as some of the phthalate esters reported to have estrogenic potential
and some of them may also have anti androgenic activity. Therefore, it is essential to study the effects of phthalate
compounds on the reproductive system. Hence, the objective of present study was to assess the ultra structural
features of sperm in infertile and fertile males and to study the changes in different parts of sperm.
The collection and routine sperm analysis (physical, clinical & functional) was carried out as prescribed in WHO
manual. Other information regarding patient condition was recorded in patient proforma for future evaluation of
results. The occupation in which they would be environmentally exposed to phthalate that cause decrease in semen
volume, motility and sperm count were noted. A total of 50 infertile male, environmentally exposed to phthalates
and 30 age matched controls were selected for this study showed the usual structural defects observed by TEM in
infertile men. The semen samples were collected as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this study.
The ultra structural studies revealed the altered neck and tubular arrangement in the tail of the sperms. Furthermore,
the abnormalities in head and attachments of cytoplasmic body on sperm in case of the infertile patients are some of
the changes at the ultrastructural level which may be responsible for the altered physical and clinical parameters.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.163
PPM2.5 Components Most Closely Associated with Health Effects. MORTON LIPPMANN, Lung-Chi Chen,
New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY
There is emerging evidence that some components of ambient air PM are associated with adverse health effects
when PM2.5 mass concentrations are at or near the current NAAQS. These components include EC, Ni, V, and Pb,
with suggestive evidence for others, such as Al, Zn, and OC. There is also literature implicating motor vehiclerelated pollution, as indexed by proximity to major roadways, and by measured concentrations of OC, NO2, and
UFP. However, there are also metals in motor vehicle exhaust and in resuspended road dust that may cause trafficrelated health effects at contemporary ambient air concentrations, with a suggestion that the metals in resuspended
road dust may be important. Furthermore, there is some evidence that adverse health effects are significantly
associated with aerosol acidity originating from fossil fuel combustion, which could be due to its irritancy, or to its
role in solubilizing metals within the particles.
ROFA, which is a mixture that is similar in composition to the fly ash emitted by power plants burning residual oil,
and which is notably high in the content of Ni and V, as compared to other metals, and Utah Valley dust, which is a
mixture enriched in steel mill emissions, were more toxic than other source-related mixtures that have been tested in
laboratory animals in vivo, or in cells in vitro. For acute pulmonary system responses, it appears, from such tests,
that V and Zn may play prominent roles, and that the effects may depend on interactions among the metals. For
acute cardiovascular effects, Ni appears to play a more important role. By contrast, other source-related mixtures,
such as coal combustion effluents, that are notable for their content of Se, Fe, and Mn, and re-suspended soil, that
contains more refractory metals, have been found to be less acutely toxic.
Aside from metals, there has been a considerable focus on motor vehicle exhaust as a source category that could
account for the adverse health effects associated with PM2.5, and especially the soot in the exhaust from diesel
engines.
In recent NYU studies, the cumulative effects associated with subchronic inhalation exposures to ambient air PM2.5
CAPs were directly compared in the same animal models and exposure durations to those of diluted whole diesel
engine exhaust (WDE) and sidestream cigarette smoke (SS). The eastern US regional CAPs was considerably more
potent, in terms of aortic plaque progression, than either WDE or SS on the basis of PM mass inhaled, even without
consideration of the gaseous toxicants associated with the SS and WDE.
In summary, tailpipe emissions, while likely to play some role in causing cardiovascular and pulmonary effects
associated with ambient air PM2.5, may require especially high concentrations, and may not play a dominant role in
the effects in the population as a whole, where toxic metals from power plants, space heating, and possibly from
resuspended road dust, are worthy of increased concern.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.164
A County-Level Assessment of PM2.5 Levels and Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality. LISA C. VINIKOOR
(1), J. Allen Davis (1), Thomas J. Luben (1), (1) National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research
and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park
*DISCLAIMER: This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.
Recent studies have reported an association between lung cancer mortality and PM2.5 exposure. However, few
studies have been conducted to examine the association between PM2.5 exposure and lung cancer incidence. Using
an ecologic study design, we explored the association between PM2.5 and lung cancer incidence and mortality rates
in the one hundred counties of North Carolina. Age-adjusted lung cancer incidence and mortality rates for each
county in North Carolina from 2002-2006 were obtained from the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry and the
State Center for Health Statistics. County-wide lung cancer incidence and mortality rates ranged from 48.2-114.0
per 100,000 and 40.9-86.1 per 100,000, respectively. Information on the concentration of PM 2.5 was obtained for
the years 2002 through 2005 from the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. CMAQ data
contained estimated hourly PM2.5 concentrations, which were reported as a grid consisting of 12x12 km cells
spanning the spatial extent of North Carolina. We calculated the 24-hour average PM2.5 values for each grid cell
during the 2002 to 2005 time period. The average across this time period was then calculated for each county using
spatial weighting to account for counties that spanned multiple grid cells. The four year average of 24-hour PM2.5
concentrations ranged from 5.32 µg/m3 for the county with the lowest concentration to 13.85 µg/m3 for the county
with the highest concentration. We observed high variability between county-averaged PM2.5 concentrations and
both lung cancer incidence and mortality rates. The preliminary R2 values were 0.043 for the association between
PM2.5 and lung cancer incidence rates and 0.039 for the association between PM2.5 and lung cancer mortality rates.
Although there was high variability among the counties, a trend was observed, with counties that had higher levels
of PM2.5 also having higher lung cancer incidence and mortality rates (unadjusted p-values of 0.039 and 0.048 for
incidence and mortality rates, respectively). These associations provide preliminary evidence that PM2.5 exposure
potentially contributes to lung cancer incidence and are consistent with previous studies that have reported an
association between PM2.5 exposure and lung cancer mortality. The high variability represents the multifaceted
components that contribute to lung cancer incidence and mortality; just like many exposures, PM2.5 is not likely to
be the sole etiologic agent responsible for increased lung cancer rates or deaths. This study is limited by its ecologic
nature; assessment was performed at the county-level and the time periods utilized do not account for the latency
period associated with lung cancer. In addition, this analysis did not adjust for potential confounding variables;
however, further analyses will account for these variables. Regardless, this research has shown a trend between
PM2.5 exposure and lung cancer incidence and mortality rates at the county-level. In conclusion, this ecologic
study provides evidence to support the suggestion that PM2.5 is one of many factors contributing to lung cancer
incidence and mortality.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.165
Urban Air Pollution and Its Impacton Human Health: A Case Study of Tiruchirappalli of India.
SIRAJUDDIN M. HORAGINAMANI and M. Ravichandran, Department of Environmental Management, School of
Environmental Sciences Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-620 024, Tamil Nadu , India.
Air pollution has significant effects on living beings including we human beings. Ambient air quality was monitored
along with micrometeorological data and the results are discussed. The status of air pollution in the area has been
evaluated and a questionnaire survey was conducted to estimate the allergic symptoms and exposure to assess the
respiratory disorders. The data are analysed to evaluate the critical situation arising out of the emission of air
pollutants and the impact on human health due to respirable diseases (RDs).The present paper deals with the
possible human health impacts of air pollution in Tiruchirappalli city of India.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.166
An Evaluation of Health Effects Attributed to Apportioned PM Constituents or Sources. LINDSAY
WICHERS STANEK (1), Jason D. Sacks (1), Steven J. Dutton (1), Jean-Jacques Dubois (1), (1) U.S. EPA, National
Center for Environmental Assessment, RTP
From a mechanistic perspective, it is plausible that the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) is a better
predictor of health effects than other characteristics, such as PM mass or size. Regional heterogeneity in both the
composition of PM and the epidemiological associations between PM and health outcomes provides additional
motivation for examining the relationships between health effects and PM constituents and sources. To investigate
the role of PM composition and sources in the causation of health effects, recent epidemiologic, controlled human
exposure, and toxicological studies have begun to use source apportionment analyses. We reviewed this body of
literature to determine whether certain chemical constituents or sources can be identified as being responsible for
PM-induced health outcomes or endpoints. The studies included in this review consisted of those that systematically
and explicitly investigated relationships between large sets of ambient PM constituents and health effects. Most
studies, regardless of discipline, were based on data from between 7 and 20 ambient PM constituents. To reduce the
number of ambient PM constituents examined, the majority of studies first grouped constituents using various
factorization or source apportionment techniques, before using a separate analysis to examine the relationship
between the grouped PM constituents and various health effects. One important potential limitation in interpreting
the results from these studies together is the wide range of statistical methods and analytical approaches used.
However, a few epidemiologic studies have compared source apportionment approaches, and found that the
associations were robust to the method used. Together, these studies suggest that cardiovascular effects may be
associated with PM2.5 from motor vehicle emissions, wood or biomass burning, and PM (both PM2.5 and PM10-2.5)
from crustal or road dust sources. Many studies also reported associations between other sources (i.e., salt,
secondary sulfate/long-range transport, other metals) and cardiovascular effects, but at this time, no consistent trend
or pattern of effects has emerged. There is even less consistency in the associations observed between PM sources
and respiratory health effects, which may be partially due to the fact that fewer studies have evaluated the effect of
PM constituents on respiratory-related outcomes and measures. However, there is some evidence that respiratory
effects (i.e., emergency department visits, respiratory symptoms, lung function changes, and pulmonary
inflammation) may be attributable to secondary sulfate, crustal/soil/road dust and traffic sources of PM2.5. Overall,
the results of this review indicate that at present, apportionment methods can link a variety of health effects to many
constituents or sources of PM. The collective evidence from source-apportionment and PM constituent studies is not
yet sufficient to allow for a clear differentiation of those constituents or sources that are more closely related to
specific health outcomes.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.167
Indoor Air Quality in Austrian School Buildings: Influence on Respiratory Health of School Children.
HANS-PETER HUTTER (1), Livia Borsoi (1), Kathrin Piegler (1), Peter Wallner (2), Philipp Hohenblum (3),
Maria Uhl (39, Sigrid Scharf (3), Bernhard Damberger (4), Peter Tappler (5), Michael Kundi (1), (1) Institute of
Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, (2) Medicine and Environmental
Protection, Vienna, Austria [mus], (3) Federal Environmental Agency, Vienna, Austria, (4) Austrian Institute for
Healthy and Ecological Building, Vienna, Austria, (5) Center for Architecture, Construction and Environment,
Danube University Krems, Austria
Background: Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) of WHO focuses (inter alia) on
improving indoor environments where children spend most of their time. At present, only little is known about air
pollution and in particular about semi-volatile compounds in schools.
Our project (“LuKi” study: Air and Children) was set up as an Austrian contribution to CEHAPE. It was designed to
quantify indoor pollution in elementary schools. In a cross-sectional approach differences in indoor pollution were
related to respiratory health problems.
Material and methods: Indoor air pollutants were monitored in nine elementary schools selected at random in
different regions of Austria. Additionally, house dust and air samples of particulates were investigated. The
screening covered semivolatile compounds in particulate matter and household dust (combustion products e.g.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, flame retardants such as Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers [PBDEs] and
trisphospates plasticizers (i.e. phthalates). Moreover, volatile organic compounds were measured in air samples.
Carbondioxide, nitrogen dioxide, indoor humidity and temperature were monitored as well.
Respiratory health was determined by parents’ questionnaires and lung function was assessed by spirometry.
Results: Overall 596 children (6 to 10 years of age) were eligible for the study. Spirometry was performed in 433
children.
In almost all school dust samples trisphosphates, PBDE and phthalates were found in concentrations above the
average found in indoor household dust samples.
Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP) in PM10, PM2.5 showed moderate but significant correlation with
flow volumes. Formaldehyde, PBDE (congener 196) and phthalates (benzyl-butyl-phthalat) in household dust
showed a significant correlation to flow volumes (MEF75, MEF50).
Visible moulds and passive smoking at home decreased lung function, in particular endexpiratory flow volumes
(MEF50, MEF25).
Discussion: Except for a few substances that are ubiquitously found in indoor air or house dust samples,
environmental quality in these schools was better than in average households. Despite the long time spent at school
the quality of home environment still plays a major role in children’s respiratory health. Nevertheless, some air
pollutants in schools had significant correlations with lung function, even though they were found in low
concentrations.
Conclusions: Despite improvements in the quality of school environments some concerns still persist, especially in
terms of flame retardants and plasticizers.
The focus of attention should be on control and management of the indoor environmental quality concerning
construction, building maintenance and acquisition of teaching materials (e.g. computer) and school supplies
A diverse strategy is needed that not only helps to improve the school environment (with the participation of school
authorities) but also home environments by including parents in the process.
Interventions in schools have the advantage that many children are affected , involvement of the parents broadens
the spectrum and takes the issue of indoor environmental quality control to the general public.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.168
Monitoring mice health responses caused by intra-tracheal instillation of vehicle exhaust particles by means
of BronchoAlveolar Lavage. LEONIDAS NTZIACHRISTOS (1), Tobias Stoeger (2), Theodoros Tzamkiozis (1),
Constantinos Sioutas (3), Zissis Samaras (1), (1) Aristotle University Thessaloniki, (2) Helmholtz Center Munich, (3)
University of Southern California
Numerous epidemiological and toxicological studies have demonstrated associations between elevated PM levels
and morbidity or mortality. However, there is not a single mechanism which would explain their health effects. In
order to identify such mechanisms, one needs to establish a clear link between representative sampling and
collection, administration of samples to live specimens and health responses identification methods. This study
demonstrates the results of an initial effort to link these different research fields. Particle exhaust samples were
collected by a novel sampling device called versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES). This
sampling method retains the original physicochemical characteristics of particles by collecting them in liquid
suspensions.
Three different vehicles were employed for testing. One Diesel vehicle was tested in two configurations. First, the
vehicle is equipped with a pre-catalyst and a main catalyst (Euro 4). In the second configuration its main oxidation
catalyst was replaced by a Diesel Particle Filter (Euro 4 DPF). The second Diesel vehicle was also tested in two
alternative configurations. In the first the vehicle is equipped with an oxidation catalyst and is fed with 100% soybean biodiesel (Euro 2 Bio). In the second one, the catalyst was removed and the vehicle is tested with regular lowsulfur fuel (Euro 1). Finally, a gasoline Euro 3 car equipped with a three-way has been added in the vehicle sample.
A suite of various driving cycles was run and five liquid suspensions of PM were collected, one for each vehicle
configuration. The estimated particulate mass concentration of the liquid samples was approximately 0.1 microgram/ micro-liter for the gasoline vehicle and 0.2 micro-gram/ micro-liter for the rest vehicles. For each sample, five
mice were intra-tracheal instilled with 50 micro-liter of the sample and five with a dose of 100 micro-liters resulting
in 10 mice per sample. Twenty-four hours later, the 60 PM exposed mice were analyzed by bronchoalveolar lavage
(BAL) for acute lung inflammation and also for hematological changes, and compared to control mice (5 mice as
negative control and 5 as sham control).
This original effort shows that PM samples collected in liquid suspensions can induce a moderate but still significant
inflammatory response, depending on vehicle configuration (ranking of inflammatory response: Gasoline Euro 3>
Diesel Euro 1 > Diesel Euro 2 Bio > Diesel Euro 4 DPF > Diesel Euro 4). Only the high (100 micro-l) dose of the
Gasoline Euro 3 and the Diesel Euro 1 PM resulted in significant (p<0.05) elevated BAL neutrophil counts, raising
from 25.3±1.8 ×10E3 cells in sham controls to 73.1±14.0 and 46.9±6.4 ×10E3 cells respectively. Exposure to PM
emission samples from Diesel Euro 4 DPF caused 50.2±9.1 ×10E3 BAL PMNs but this change failed to be
statistically significant, while levels remained unchanged for the Diesel Euro 4 samples. Interestingly, microscopic
investigations of BAL recovered alveolar macrophages revealed visible incorporated carbon black aggregates only
for the Diesel Euro 4 samples.
Follow-up steps are the increase in the dose and the concentration of the samples administered.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.169
Association of Acute Respiratory Infections with Suspended Particle Concentration Increase in an Industrial
Region of Mexico. EVA M. MELGAR-PANIAGUA (1); Elizabeth Vega (2); Luz M. Del Razo (1); Carlos A.
Lucho-Constantino(3); Stephen J. Rothenberg (1,4), Andrea De Vizcaya-Ruiz*(1)., (1) Toxicology, Centro de
Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, MX (2) Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo,
MX (3) Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca, MX (4) Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, MX.
Background: Tula de Allende is a municipality located in the central region of Mexico in the southern region of
Hidalgo State. This region contains 10 municipalities, of which four are notable for their major industrial activities
and it is considered as a critical polluted region. They are Tula de Allende, Tepeji del Río, Atotonilco de Tula and
Atitalaquia. These municipalities contain major industrial sectors of central Mexico, including petroleum and
petrochemical, power generation and cement and lime industries Their emissions account for more than 90 percent
of the total emissions released to the atmosphere in that region. The most important air pollutants are suspended
particles, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Air quality is poor and pollution levels exceed Mexican Air Quality
Standards several weeks in the year. There is evidence that respiratory illness incidence (acute respiratory infections,
asthma, bronchopneumonia, and pneumonias) is higher in the region than in the rest of Hidalgo and there is also
evidence that adverse health effects are associated with air pollution. Objectives: This study evaluates the
associations between changes in airborne particulate matter concentration and changes in weekly cases of acute
respiratory infections over the period 2004-2008. Materials and Methods: We developed auto-regressive time series
models to evaluate the role of particulate matter concentration and weather (maximum and minimum temperature)
on acute respiratory infection incidence over the period 2004-2008 in the region. Results: Acute respiratory infection
incidence increased by 5.71% (95% CI: 2.25, 9.17) in the same week for every 1% increase in total suspended
particulate concentration, and increased 2.62% (95% CI: 0.106, 5.14) in the same week for every 1% increase in
particulate matter less than 10 micrometer of diameter. The quantitative relationship between respiratory infections
and maximum and minimum temperatures was not statistically significant, nor were there significant interactions
between temperature and both total suspended particulate and particulate matter less than 10 micrometer of
diameter. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that increase of acute respiratory infections in the region of
Tula de Allende is associated with particulate matter air pollution even though particulate matter levels are lower
than Mexican Air Quality Standards maximum permitted levels. A reduction in pollutant release to the air from the
industrial sources established in the region, especially considering that the petroleum industry will be expanded in
that region, should be considered by governmental authorities considering it would benefit the health of the
population resident in the region. Acknowledgments and grant information: Consejo Estatal de Ecología del Estado
de Hidalgo and Centro Nacional de Investigación y Capacitación Ambiental for air pollution data; Secretaria de
Salud del Estado de Hidalgo and Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios for acute respiratory
infection data and, Comisión Federal de Electricidad for meteorological data. Project financed by: CONACyT FOMIX- HIDALGO # 95508 Project.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.170
Size Resolved Number Concentration of Aerosol and Cardiorespiratory Hospital Admissions and Mortality
in Prague, Czech Republic. MARTIN BRANIS (1), Jana Vyskovska (1), Marek Maly (2), Jan Hovorka (1), 1
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Czech Republic 2) National Institute of Public Health. Prague,
Czech Republic
A number of epidemiological time series studies conducted so far in cities around the world have reported
significant adverse health effects of air pollution, namely of particulate matter.
In the present study, we analyzed whether daily changes in size resolved number concentration of submicron
ambient particles or daily changes in PM2.5 mass concentration are associated with mortality and cardio-respiratory
hospital admissions in Prague, Czech Republic.
Daily number-size concentrations of submicron particles in the range between 14.6 and 487 nm were measured
continuously by a TSI SMPS 3936L25 at a single site in the central part of Prague. Before the data analysis the
particle size-bin number concentrations were integrated into three groups with the median diameters of 31 (N31),
128 (N128) and 346 nm (N346). A particulate matter variable including the total number concentration of
submicron particles 14.6-487 nm (Ntot) was also constructed. The daily means of PM2.5 from four fixed site
monitors of the National Monitoring Network measuring this PM size fraction in Prague were retrieved from the
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute database and averaged. The year 2006 was selected because of sufficient data
availability
The studied health outcomes were the daily counts of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory
diseases and daily counts of cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and the total mortality (ICD-10 I00-I99 and
ICD-10 J00-J99).
To examine the association between the air pollution and the health outcomes the Poisson regression allowing for
overdispersion and adjusted for temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, day of the week, public holidays and
influenza was used
Significant association between the short-term changes in number concentration of submicron particles and
cardiovascular and respiratory admissions for all the particle sizes except N31 was found. The strongest and most
consistent association was found for the accumulation mode particles (N346) (RR: 16.36%, 95% confidence interval
5.20-28.69 for cardiovascular and 33.38% , 95% confidence interval 12.64-57.89 for respiratory admission at 7-day
moving average of the same day and six previous days for 1000 particles per 1cm3 increase). Reasonable association
between both the cardiovascular and respiratory admissions and N346 was also found for lag 0, lag 1, lag 2 (not for
respiratory admission) and 4-day moving average counts. Regarding N128 and Ntot the association was also
significant for both the cardiovascular and respiratory admissions at lag 0, lag 1, lag 2 (not for respiratory
admission), the 4-day and 7-day moving average counts.
The association between the mass concentration of PM2.5 and daily counts of cardiovascular hospital admission was
significant at 2-day lag and for a 4-day average. Positive association with respiratory admissions was significant
only for a 7-day average of the same day and six previous days. No association was found between the studied air
pollution variables and daily mortality.
Our results showed that that increases in number-size concentration of submicron particles and mass concentration
of PM2,5 had adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health effect among the Prague residents in 2006.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.171
Association between levels of PM2.5 and cardiovascular diseases in a developing megacity. HAIDER
KHWAJA (1), Zafar Fatmi (2), Zafar Aminov (3), David Carpenter (3), (1) Wadsworth Center, New York State
Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201 (2) Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan (3) Institute for Health and
the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144
Particulate air pollution is an important public health issue. Population-based studies have documented health risks
resulting from short-term exposure to particulate matter. Research using large-scale data sets has shown a
relationship between total suspended particulate matter (TSP) and various size fractions with pulmonary and
cardiovascular diseases in a variety of communities in the industrialized world. We have previously shown that
particulate levels in Karachi, Pakistan are among the highest TSP loading of any megacity in the world. There have,
however, not been major studies of the health effects of particulate pollution in the major developing megacity. We
have investigated the short-term effects of fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micron
(PM2.5) on hospital admissions and emergency room (ER) visits among adults and children living in one of the
largest cities in the developing world, Karachi, Pakistan. Daily records of hospitalizations and ER visits for
cardiovascular and respiratory diseases at the three major hospitals serving the city were collected. In addition 24 h
concentrations of PM2.5 were collected at two different residential and industrial/residential sites. Daily counts of
hospital data along with daily levels of meteorological variables and PM2.5 were analyzed using Poisson regression.
Final models were adjusted for the effects of time trends, weekdays, holidays, meteorological factors, seasonal
patterns, serial correlation, age and gender. Averaged mass concentration of PM2.5 concentrations at two different
sites in the city ranged from 45 to 256 microgram/m3. Both sites showed peaks at similar times.
Poisson regression was performed using 0, 1, 2 and 3 day lags. There was a positive association between PM2.5
particulate levels with hospitalization and ER visits for cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, cardiac
failure, ischemic heart disease), but it was statistically significant only with 0 and 1 day lag. The association was
positive for all ages, but strongest among men ages 40-60 years. The relation was stronger in the fall than the
winter, and lowest on Sunday and Monday. Preliminary analysis of the relationship between PM2.5 and respiratory
disease with a one-day lag showed a weak and marginally significant association, but further data collection is
needed in order to provide further insight into this association.
Our study is one of the first to investigate the relationship between particulate air pollution and cardiovascular and
respiratory disease in a developing megacity where particulate levels are extraordinarily high. There is a significant
adverse health impact, particularly among the working age population.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.172
Mortality Effects of Particulate Matter Smaller than 10 &#956;m (PM10) in Bogotá, Colombia. Luis C.
Blanco (1) , Víctor Miranda Soberanis (1), Leticia Hernández Cadena (1), Albino Barraza Villarreal (1), Isabelle
Romieu (1), (1) National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Mortality Effects of particulate matter smaller than 10 micro-m (PM10) in Bogota, Colombia
Background: Air pollution in Latin American cities has increased in recent years. Studies linking particulate matter
smaller than 10 micro-m (PM10) and mortality in the region have been performed in countries such as Brazil, Chile
and Mexico, excluding those located in the Andes and closer to the equatorial axis, such as Colombia, which
represents a different and relevant place to assess this relationship.
Objective: To analyze the association between daily exposure to PM10 and daily mortality for respiratory,
cardiovascular and all causes in the group of all ages and older than 65 years in Bogotá, Colombia.
Material and Methods: We conducted an ecological time-series study (April 1998 to December 2006). The daily
mortality was obtained from death certificates provided by the District Ministry of Health, the daily concentrations
of PM10 were obtained from the Air Quality Monitoring Network. The relationship between daily deaths and levels
of PM10 was modeled using Generalized Additive Models with Poisson response. The association between death
risk and exposure was modeled adjusting single lag models, distributed lag models and moving averages. We
adjusted for temperature and relative humidity. This research was conducted using the methodology applied in the
project “Multi-City Study of Air Pollution and Health Effects in Latin America”, which studies the effect of ozone
(O3) and PM10 on mortality in cities located in Brazil, Chile and México, when Bogotá was an additional city in the
study.
Results: we observed an increased risk of acute mortality for all ages, for an increase of 10 µg/m3 of 0.62%
(95%CI=0.28-0.97) for all causes and 1.08% (95%CI=0.30-1.88) for respiratory causes, on the day of the event,
respectively. The cumulative risk for cardiovascular causes increased 0.46% (95%CI=0.22-0.71) during the 15 days
previous to death.
Conclusions: Results suggest association between increasing concentrations of PM10 and acute mortality for all and
respiratory causes, while cardiovascular mortality showed chronic effect.
Keywords: air pollution, Bogotá, mortality, PM10, time series
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.173
Chemical composition in ultrafine particles emitted from diesel engines induce vascular inflammatory
responses via NF-kB signaling. Rongsong Li (1), Zhi Ning (2) Constantinos Sioutas (2), Tzung Hsiai (1), (1)
Biomedical Engineering and Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Southern California (2) Civil and
Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California
Epidemiological studies have associated the exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) with cardiovascular
disease. Chronic exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP, with particle diameter less than 150 nm) promoted
atherosclerosis in ApoE knockout mice. In the present study, we investigated inflammatory responses of human
aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) exposed to UFP emitted from the diesel truck under an idling mode (UFP1) and an
urban dynamometer driving schedule (UFP2). UFP2 contained a higher level of redox active organic compounds
and metals on a per PM mass basis than UFP1. While both UFP1 and UFP2 induced superoxide production and upregulated stress response genes such as heme oxygenease-1 (HO-1), OKL38, and tissue factor (TF), UFP1 was a
stronger inducer compared to UFP2. Only UFP2 induced inflammatory genes such as IL-8 (2.8+/-0.3-fold), MCP-1
(3.9±0.4-fold), and VCAM (6.5+/-1.1-fold) (n=3, P <0.01). UFP2-exposed HAEC also bound to a higher number of
monocytes (Control=70±7.5, UFP1=106.7±12.5, UFP2=137.0±8.0, n=3, P<0.02). Adenovirus NF-kB Luciferase
reporter assays revealed that UFP2, but not UFP1, significantly induced NF-kB activities. NF-kB inhibitor,
CAY10512, significantly abrogated UFP2-induced inflammatory gene expression and monocyte binding. Hence,
different levels of chemical composition in UFP1 and UFP2 from the same truck contribute to the differential levels
of oxidative stress, and selected inflammatory responses via NF-kB signaling.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.174
The Effects Indoor Air Pollutants on Eye and Respiratory Symptoms. Dr. Amna Rehana Siddiqui (1), Ms.
NAHIDA KHUDADAD (3), Dr. Kiyoung Lee (2), Dr. Shaheena Bashir (1), Mr. Salman Karim (1), Ms. Samreen
Ali (1), Mr. Qayyum A. Shah (3), Mr. Faisal Khan (3), Mr. Asif Merchant (3)., (1) Aga Khan University, Karachi,
Pakistan;(2) Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; (3) Aga Khan Planning and Building Services,
Pakistan
BACIP (Building and Construction Improvement Program) of Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan
(AKPBSP) promotes and markets brand smoke free stoves in the northern areas of Pakistan. BACIP stoves reduce
indoor smoke emissions by moving smoke outside of the home with chimney stovepipes and improving the
efficiency of combustion. The effect of the use of smoke free stoves on health related symptoms were studied. For
this, the indoor air concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter less
than microns (PM2.5) were measured in homes which use wood as cooking and heating fuel in BACIP stoves versus
in open fire or non-BACIP stoves.
The study was conducted in rural areas in Ishkoman valley. A total sample size of 438 houses was initially
calculated on the basis of two fold difference in reporting of acute respiratory symptoms in houses using BACIP
smoke free stoves compared to houses using traditional open fire cooking methods or non-BACIP stoves. Air
sampling data were collected in 86 houses in winter 2009. The target participant in the study was a woman
responsible for cooking food in the home who had at least one child less than five years of age. Study participants
were questioned regarding their demographic and socioeconomic status, their fuel use and cooking methods, and
whether they had experienced any eye and respiratory symptoms over the past four weeks. Indoor air pollutants (CO
and PM2.5) were measured in every eighth house by electrochemical air monitors (Langhans High Resolution CO
measurer and TSI DUSTRAK Model 8520). These monitors took an average level of CO and PM2.5 measurements
per minute. The sampling period varied from eight to 24 hours. Statistical tests of significance were used to study
the relationships between eye and respiratory symptoms with socio-demographic, and environmental characteristics
at the alpha level of 5%. Multivariable modeling was performed too.
The study shows a statistically significant relationship between respiratory symptoms in women and increased
duration of fuel burning, having a mud floor, kacha (mud and straw houses) type house, and emptying of manure.
Cough symptoms in children were correlated with mothers emptying of manure, increased duration of cooking.
Reported eye symptoms in children were associated with maternal illiteracy, the cattle shed being near the living
area, whether the mother swept, and whether the child was taken to doctor in the past month. The participants
reported beneficial effects of BACIP stoves for using less time in cooking, lesser smoke, and less number of eye and
respiratory symptoms. Multivariable analysis was done to explore the relationship between health symptoms and
stove types in use in the houses.
In consistent with the studies conducted in south parts of Pakistan in terms of eye and respiratory symptoms with
biomass fuels (Khushk, 2005; Siddiqui, 2005) and concentrations of CO and PM2.5 significantly high in biomass
users (Siddiqui, 2009), the study also concludes that use of improved smoke free stoves show a reduction in
respiratory symptoms and lung function decline when compared with the use of an open fire.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.176
Sources, Composition, and Health Effects of Coarse Particulate Matter. SHERRI W. HUNT (1), Barbara S.
Glenn (1), (1) US Environmental Protection Agency
Background
Published studies investigating the associations of mortality and morbidity with coarse thoracic particulate matter
(CPM) (PM10-2.5) are limited in number and restricted to a small number of locations. The findings are inconsistent
and they do not address effects of different components or sources of CPM particles. However, the composition and
toxicity of CPM likely vary significantly across locations with large differences between urban and rural regions
because of a variety of different sources (e.g., pollen, endotoxin, road dust, agriculture, mining).
One of the major difficulties in interpreting the findings of epidemiology studies of CPM and estimating risks is the
measurement error in exposure estimates. Since the lifetime of CPM in the atmosphere ranges from hours to days,
large variations exist in the spatial distribution of particles in the atmosphere. This means that in contrast to fine PM
(PM2.5), ozone, and other regional air pollutants, ambient monitors may not represent the CPM concentrations to
which the nearby populations are exposed. Instead, monitors may only be indicative of CPM concentrations within a
fairly short distance. Improving understanding of how CPM concentrations relate to ambient monitors will help
determine their applicability for estimating exposure in health studies and significantly increase our ability to
determine how this pollutant affects health and the environment.
In 2006, EPA considered changing the standard for CPM to focus on the mass of particles with a diameter between
10 and 2.5 micrometers, but concluded that although the published evidence raised a concern about the toxicity of
CPM, particularly in urban and industrial areas, the level of uncertainty was too great to allow changing the
indicator. Therefore, the 24-hour standard for PM10 was retained. The annual standard was revoked because studies
published at that time did not provide sufficient evidence that CPM presents a risk for long-term health effects.
Methods
In 2007, the National Center for Environmental Research awarded five grants for research studies to improve
understanding of the composition, sources, and health effects of urban and rural coarse particulate matter (CPM),
which includes particles in the size range from 2.5 to 10 micrometer in diameter.
Results
The research conducted by these grants is contributing to exposure estimation in population studies, and associations
of short-term and long-term exposure to CPM with sophisticated analyses of cardiovascular disease and mortality in
U.S. locations with a variety of PM sources. Specifically, these studies will advance understanding of spatial and
temporal variation and health effects of CPM among populations residing in several metropolitan areas with distinct
atmospheric composition: urban Denver and nearby rural Greely, Chicago, St. Paul and Winston-Salem. In addition,
characterization of particle components and toxicity in laboratory and controlled human exposure studies will be
assessed for the Los Angeles metropolitan area and several other locations in the U.S.
Conclusion
This presentation will briefly describe the five funded research studies and highlight the science questions that are
the focus of these ongoing investigations. Some data analyses have been conducted and any early conclusions will
be discussed where appropriate.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.178
Association of PM Components With Asthma: The Children's Air Pollution Asthma Study. Rima Habre (1),
ANNETTE ROHR (2), Avi Grunin (3), William Castro (3), Amit Nath (3), Erin Moshier (3), Mike Wolfson (1),
Matt Perzanowski (4), Jim Godbold (3), Petros Koutrakis (1), Meyer Kattan (4), E. Neil Schachter (3), (1) Harvard
School of Public Health, Boston, (2) Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, (3) Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, New York, (4) Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York
BACKGROUND: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with exacerbations of asthma symptoms;
however, the specific PM components and sources associated with these effects are unclear. In the Children’s Air
Pollution Asthma Study, children aged 6-14 with moderate-to-severe asthma were recruited from East Harlem and
the South Bronx. A total of 32 children completed the study. Subjects were studied for a two-week period during
each of two seasons (summer/winter). Baseline included a physical exam, spirometry, and allergy skin testing.
Participants completed administered diaries of activities, symptoms, and twice-daily lung function measurements.
Ambient air quality data, including PM10, PM2.5, elements, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and criteria
gases (NO2, SO2 and O3) were collected from two rooftop sites in the area. Indoor residential exposure to these
pollutants (except OC) was measured using a Multi-Pollutant Sampler (MPS).
RESULTS: We report preliminary findings for the first year (Feb – April and June – Sep 2008). Ten subjects were
studied in the first season, and 18 were studied in the second. We present preliminary data for PM mass, EC, OC,
and trace element concentrations and their relationship with asthma symptoms. One-week integrated indoor samples
showed median concentrations of 24.7 micrograms/m3 PM10 and 15.1 micrograms/m3 PM2.5 in the winter, compared
to 25.9 micrograms/m3 PM10 and 21.2 micrograms/m3 PM2.5 in the summer. Daily outdoor median PM2.5 mass was
11.0 micrograms/m3 in the winter and 13.5 micrograms/m3 in the summer. Mean EC concentrations were similar
outdoors and indoors in the winter (1.27 and 1.52 micrograms/m3 respectively) and in the summer (1.45 and 1.17
micrograms/m3). Outdoor OC was higher in the summer (2.23 micrograms/m3) than winter (0.86 micrograms/m3).
In general, elements were higher indoors in the winter, especially Na, and crustal elements such as Ca and Si,
highlighting the importance of indoor sources such as particle resuspension, vacuuming, and dusting. Trace elements
were low in both seasons and both indoors and outdoors; the highest concentrations were observed for Fe and Zn.
Using mixed modeling approaches, we have previously shown that PM2.5 concentrations are associated with
increased symptoms in summer but not in winter (OR=1.59, 95%CI 1.07-2.36; p=0.02). Component-specific health
outcome modeling is underway and will be presented as part of this paper.
CONCLUSIONS: Exposure results from the first study season indicate season-specific differences in EC, OC, and
elements both indoors and outdoors. Health outcome analyses to be presented will provide insight into which
components of PM2.5 are most strongly associated with increased symptoms.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.179
A Population-Dynamic Model of Daily Mortality and Air Pollution in Philadelphia Incorporating Precedent
Frailty. C. Murray (1), F. W. Lipfert (2), R. E. Wyzga (3), (1) U. of Houston, Houston, TX (2) Consultant,
Northport, NY (3) Sr. Technical Executive, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA
Numerous time-series studies have found associations between ambient air pollution and daily mortality and various
indicators of morbidity. While these studies have been able to identify very small effects by using large samples,
they have been less successful in identifying the specific pollutants involved or in providing a rational basis for
effective public health policies. This paper is directed to the public health context of air pollution effects on daily
mortality, specifically to the question of life expectancy and the degree of prematurity of deaths associated with
transient increases in air pollution, an issue referred to as mortality displacement or “harvesting.” State-space
modeling is used to build on a previous analysis of elderly (ages 65+) daily mortality in Philadelphia from 1974-88,
by estimating the effects of environmental factors associated with entry into the pool of frail individuals who are at
high risk of imminent death. The size of this pool cannot be observed but is estimated using Kalman filtering. The
environmental factors considered are ozone, various functions of ambient temperature, and total suspended
particulate matter (TSP), which is considered here as an index of all types of airborne particles.
The new results show that this population at extreme risk fluctuates with season and other factors but averages less
than 0.1% of the elderly in Philadelphia. TSP, ozone and temperature are among the factors associated with
transition from a (presumably) healthy state to entry into this small high-risk pool. By considering successively
longer moving averages of TSP, we show that cumulative short-term effects on entry to the at-risk pool tend to level
off and decrease as periods of exposure longer than a few days are considered. This trend is consistent with the
hypothesis that only acute mechanisms are relevant to entry to the at-risk pool. The magnitudes of environmental
effects on elderly mortality are consistent with previous Philadelphia analyses based on conventional time-series
methods. Relationships of the environment with entry to the at-risk pool have not previously been considered,
although studies of daily hospital admissions might be considered relevant. This model suggests that the deaths of
about half of the subjects who enter the at-risk pool due to environmental factors are associated with such factors.
We also show that the daily life expectancy of subjects in the at-risk pool is relatively robust to alternative models
and environmental fluctuations.
This analysis is believed to be the first to explicitly link environmental effects on morbidity and mortality in a
common model; it also indicates that different agents may be involved in each process. The average life expectancy
of persons in the at-risk pool is estimated to be 5-8 days, which may be reduced by less than one day by
environmental effects. This model suggests that the processes leading up to severe frailty and high risk of imminent
death may be more important from a public health perspective
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.180
Disparate Effects of Fine Concentrated Air Particulates (CAPs) on Allergic Airway Responses: PM Derived
From Coal and Industrial Sources Enhance, While PM From Traffic Sources Inhibit Inflammatory and
Epithelial Responses in Allergic Rats. JAMES G WAGNER (1), Masako Morishita (2), Jack R. Harkema (1),
Gerald J. Keeler (2), (1)Michigan State University, (2) University of Michigan
Increased concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) have been associated with increases in emergency room
visits and hospitalizations of asthmatic patients. Eosinophilic inflammation, excessive amounts of airway mucus
and associated mucous cell metaplasia/hyperplasia (MCM) are common histopathologic features of asthmatic
airways. We tested the hypothesis that exposure to concentrated fine airborne particles (CAPs) from two urban
areas of qualitatively distinct PM atmospheres will exacerbate allergen-induced MCM and inflammation in the
pulmonary airways of Brown Norway (BN) rats. Male BN rats were exposed in whole-body exposure chambers,
located within a mobile laboratory located in either urban southwest Detroit, MI (DTW) with impact from local and
transported PM sources, and Grand Rapids, MI (GRR), with transported and mobile PM sources. Ovalbumin
(OVA)-sensitized BN rats were exposed to either CAPs or filtered air (FA) for 1 day (7:00 am to 3:00 pm). A
Harvard/EPA ambient fine particle concentrator was used to generate the CAPs from the urban air in DTW (542
mg/m3) and GRR (519 mg/m3). One hour after exposure, rats were intranasally challenged with a 0.5% OVA in
saline or with saline alone (SA). Rats were sacrificed 24h after challenge and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)
was collected from the right lung lobes. Left lung lobes were processed for light microscopy and morphometric
analysis of intraepithelial mucosubstances (IM; quantitative measure of MCM) in pulmonary axial airways. In both
DTW and GRR, SA/CAPs rats (controls) had no airway inflammation or MCM. In contrast, OVA/FA rats had more
neutrophils (25-30-fold), eosinophils (8-10x), and total protein (3-4x) in BALF than controls. DTW CAPs enhanced
all allergic endpoints by 30-100%, whereas GRR CAPs suppressed all allergic responses by 50%. DTW CAP was
characterized by high sulfate, smaller sized particles and both coal and local combustion sources. Conversely GRR
CAP s was derived primarily from motor vehicle sources. These data clearly demonstrate that alterations in airway
immune and inflammatory responses are dependent on the specific composition of PM 2.5 for which we have
identified source contributiuons (Supported HEI and MEDC)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.181
North Carolina Wildfire Health Effects Study: Adverse health effects of PM exposure in biomass smoke.
MOHAMMED FAROOQUI (1), Robert Devlin (2), Martha Sue Carraway (2), Ana Rappold (2), M. Ian Gilmour
(3), Ronald Williams (3), John Meredith (1), William Cleve (4), Kim McDonald (5), Dianne Marshburn(4), Susan
Stone (2), Vasu Kilaru (2), Wayne Cascio(1), (1) East carolina University, (2) USEPA, NHEERL, (3)USEPA,
NERL, (4) Pitt County Memorial Hospital, (5) Pitt County Government
On June 1st 2008 a lightning strike in the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife refuge in Eastern North Carolina (Hyde
County), initiated a fast burning wildfire (Evans Road fire). It burned for two months destroying over 40,000 acres
of southeast shrub bog. The Pocosin Wildfire is believed to have had a significant public health impact in this region
resulting in challenges to health care facilities, allocation of resources, as well as probable increases in cardiac and
pulmonary morbidity, and possibly mortality rates. On June 9th 2008, a contractor’s logging equipment caught fire
and started another fire (South One Wildfire) in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife refuge. This fire burned
for nearly 120 days and burned over 4,800 acres. Both fires affected some overlapping geographic areas. Particulate
matter (PM) they produced significantly exceeded levels normally experienced in the area. This project, entitled
“North Carolina Wildfire Health Effects Study”, is a retrospective observational study. We hypothesize that
exposure to PM in biomass smoke is associated with increased hospital encounters (emergency department visits
and admissions) for respiratory and cardiovascular complaints. To test this hypothesis, we will implement case
crossover designs using conditional logistics regression, as well as Poisson regression of cases to exposure variables.
Subject specific outdoor exposure levels will be defined by geocoding addresses to the spatial maps of ambient air
PM levels for hospital admissions and at the county level for emergency department visits. Emergency department
encounters will be obtained from the North Carolina Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool (NC
DETECT). Hospitalization data will be obtained from health data records of the University Health Systems of
Eastern Carolina and the Veterans Administration. Environmental modeling of smoke pattern will be determined via
environmental data from the US and State EPA agencies. The study is ongoing and its results may advance the
understanding of health impacts resulting from exposure to PM from biomass burning. It may also inform future
regional emergency response to events in which coordination among multiple hospitals is necessary. It will have
important health implications for the population of eastern North Carolina, as well as help US EPA develop
recommendations for the public and for susceptible populations in similar situations.
This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.182
Fine Particulate Matter and Mortality and Diesel Regulations in California. James E. Enstrom (1), (1)
University of California, Los Angeles
The relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and mortality in California is a very important issue,
because this relationship has been used to justify extremely costly diesel regulations that have been recently
approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). These regulations are designed to reduce the diesel
particulate matter (PM) emitted by vehicles and equipment powered by diesel engines. Based on the 2008 CARB
staff analysis, PM2.5 exposure contributes to 18,000 annual deaths in California and diesel PM exposure contributes
to 3,500 annual deaths in California. These numbers of deaths are primarily based on the small positive relationship
between PM2.5 and mortality found in national cohort studies dating back to the 1980s. However, there is
substantial epidemiologic evidence from five independent sources that there is no current relationship between
PM2.5 and mortality in California. First, the 2000 Health Effects Institute Reanalysis Report by Krewski et al.
found no significant relationship between PM2.5 and mortality in California based on an analysis of 1982-1989
deaths in the 1982 American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Prevention Study (CPS II) cohort. These findings have
been discussed in the March 2001 US EPA Second External Review Draft Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter
and in the July 23, 2001 US EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) presentation by Lester D.
Grant. Second, my December 15, 2005 Inhalation Toxicology paper showed no relationship between PM2.5 and
deaths in 11 California counties in the 1959 California Cancer Prevention Study (CA CPS I) cohort during 19832002. Third, the December 2008 Environmental Health Perspectives paper by Zeger et al. found no evidence of a
relationship between PM2.5 and 2000-2005 death rates in the western region of the US (California, Oregon, and
Washington) among 13.2 million enrollees in the Medicare Cohort Air Pollution Study (MCAPS). Fourth, the 2009
Health Effects Institute Follow-up Report by Krewski et al. found no significant relationship between PM2.5 and
mortality in the entire US during 1999-2000 based on an extended analysis of 1982-2000 deaths in the CPS II
cohort. Fifth, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) WONDER data base for U.S. mortality shows that,
compared with the 2000-2005 United States total age-adjusted death rate, the California rate is 9% lower and fourth
lowest among all 50 states. The low California death rate is consistent with the findings in the 2005 IT and 2008
EHP papers and does not support the analysis by CARB that PM2.5 and diesel PM causes premature deaths in
California. It is very important that the current relationship between PM2.5 and mortality in California and the US
be independently reanalyzed and objectively evaluated before extremely expensive CARB diesel regulations are
implemented in California. This subject is directly relevant to the issue of the health benefits that can be linked to
controlling a pollutant such as diesel PM. Since this subject is currently evolving, the most recent developments
will be discussed, in addition to the results above.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.183
Associations between Speciated Particulate Pollution and Cardiorespiratory Emergency Department Visits in
St. Louis, MO. STEFANIE EBELT SARNAT (1), Andrea Winquist (1), Mitch Klein (1), Jeremy Sarnat (1), Jay
Turner (2), Paige Tolbert (1), (1) Emory University, Atlanta, (2) Washington University, St. Louis
INTRODUCTION: Substantial evidence supports an association of particulate matter (PM) with cardiorespiratory
illnesses, but less is known regarding characteristics of PM that contribute to this association. Here, we present
results from a time-series investigation of emergency department (ED) visits in St. Louis, MO. METHODS:
Individual-level data were obtained from the Missouri Hospital Association for all ED visits to acute-care hospitals
in the St. Louis Metropolitan area during 1/1/2001-6/30/2007. The data set included data for 37 hospitals and
>5,600,000 ED visits. Daily ambient air monitoring data for 8-hr maximum ozone, 1-hr maximum carbon
monoxide (CO), 1-hr maximum nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 1-hr maximum sulfur dioxide (SO2), and 24-hr average
fine particulate matter (PM) were obtained from the USEPA Air Quality System for representative sites within the
St. Louis study area. Daily speciated data were also obtained from the St. Louis Supersite for a 2-year period. We
used Poisson generalized linear models, controlling for long-term temporal trends and meteorological variables, to
examine associations between three-day moving average (of lags 0, 1, and 2) air quality measures and daily counts
of respiratory and cardiovascular ED visits. The respiratory outcome group included visits for upper respiratory
infections, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma [principal International
Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9) codes: 460-465, 466.0, 466.1, 466.11, 466.19, 477, 480-486, 491,
492, 493, 496, 786.07)]. The cardiovascular outcome group included visits for ischemic heart disease, dysrhythmia,
congestive heart failure, ischemic stroke, and peripheral vascular disease (principal ICD-9 codes: 410-414, 427, 428,
433-437, 440, 443-445, 451-453). RESULTS: Over the study period, we observed mean ED visit counts of 282/day
for respiratory outcomes and 100/day for cardiovascular outcomes. In preliminary epidemiologic analyses, positive
associations were observed between respiratory ED visits and ambient levels of ozone, CO, NO2, and fine PM; and
between cardiovascular ED visits and ambient levels of CO, NO2, SO2, and fine PM. Planned analyses will consider
associations between these outcomes and fine PM components, including sulfate, elemental carbon, organic carbon,
and metals. DISCUSSION. Preliminary results indicate impacts of both primary (e.g., CO, NO2, SO2) and
secondary (e.g., ozone) pollutants on acute cardiorespiratory morbidity in St. Louis, and are comparable with results
of previous similar studies in other cities. Inclusion of speciated PM data in these analyses will provide a more
detailed examination of the impacts of the pollutant mix.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.185
Traffic Induced PM Exposure and Self Reported Respiratory Health and Cardiac Diseases in The RHINE
Tartu Cohort. HANS ORRU (1, 2), Rain Jõgi (3), Marko Kaasik (1), Bertil Forsberg (2), (1) University of Tartu,
Tartu, (2) Umea University, Umea, (3) Tartu University Hospital, Tartu
Background
The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) is a follow-up study of adults from seven Northern European
centers incl. Tartu, who participated in European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) first stage 8-10
years earlier. The eligible subjects in the cities were sent a follow-up postal questionnaire in 2000-2001. Tartu has
100,000 inhabitants, which makes it the second largest city in Estonia. The cohort in Tartu consist 2412 persons.
The questionnaire included questions on respiratory symptoms, heart disease, lifestyle as smoking, indoor
environment, occupation, early life exposure, and sleep disorders.
Methods
The exposure assessment to local traffic induced PM in Tartu was based on dispersion modeling with AEROPOL
model; previously used and validated in Tartu. Home addresses were linked with the concentrations in 40x40 m
grids via GIS. The relationship between exposure and self-reported health problems in questionnaire were analyzed
with a multiple logistic regression model.
Results
The mean exposure to local traffic induced exhaust particles (PMexhaust) was 0.10 micrograms/m3 and to any kind
of local traffic induced particles incl. brake wear, tire wear, road surface abrasion and re-suspension (PM10) 0.76
micrograms/m3. Most of the streets in Tartu have low traffic flows, but some of the streets are quite busy, with
elevated vehicle induced pollution levels (max of PMexhaust 0.83 micrograms/m3 and PM10 7.40 micrograms/m3).
We found a significant relation between fine particulate matter and cardiac diseases, OR = 1.64 (95% CI = 1.122.43) for increase in corresponding to the fifth to the 95th percentile the range is. The association was significant
also with traffic induced PM10, OR = 1.62 (95% CI = 1.10-2.38). We found no statistically significant association
between traffic induced particulate air pollution and cough, chronic bronchitis, non-allergic rhinitis, wheezing, chest
tightness, and shortness of breath in Tartu.
Conclusions
Even the exposure to traffic induced particles is relatively small; it showed a significant effect on cardiac disease
prevalence, but not on respiratory disease in this study. Traffic noise may also be involved in this association as
confounding factor.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.245
Characterisation of Carcinogenic PAH Exposure in Wintertime Wood-fired Heating in Residential Areas.
MD. AYNUL BARI (1), Guenter Baumbach (1), Johannes Brodbeck (1), Michael Struschka (1), Bertram Kuch (2),
Guenter Scheffknecht (1), (1) Institute of Combustion and Power Plant Technology, Department of Air Quality
Control, Universitaet Stuttgart, Germany, (2) Institute of Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste
Management, Universitaet Stuttgart, Germany
Wood as renewable and worldwide available fuel is used for residential heating in small-scale firings during winter.
This wood combustion can cause very high emissions of inhalable particles resulting in short and long-term health
effects. The target of this study was to characterise particle-phase carcinogenic PAHs and their exposure in woodfired heating in residential areas. Emission samples were collected from pellet stove and log wood boiler under
different combustion conditions. Ambient PM10 sampling was performed during two winter seasons at two rural
residential areas near Stuttgart in Germany. Samples were extracted using toluene with ultrasonic bath and analysed
by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-one PAH compounds including 9 carcinogenic ones
were detected and quantified. It was found that emission factors of carcinogenic PAH were higher during incomplete
combustion compared to complete combustion. Significant amounts of ambient PAH were found in the residential
villages, where the contribution of carcinogenic PAH was 44% of total PAH in the ambient air during winter 2009.
Based on the carcinogenic potency relative to benzo[a]pyrene, the exposure risk to carcinogenic PAH in residential
villages was evaluated using toxic equivalent factors. The findings indicate a rising concern to reduce emissions
from wood-fired heating during winter in residential areas and underline the importance of using good wood
combustion technologies to improve the air quality.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.310
Aerosol Exposure at Schools during Morning Hours: Air Pollution Generated by School Buses. SERGEY A.
GRINSHPUN, Chunlei Li, Michael Yermakov, Patrick H. Ryan, Grace K. LeMasters, Henry Spitz, Megan
Lobaugh, Samuel Glover, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Aproximately 24 million American students use school bus transportation. It is provided by about 600,000 buses,
the majority of which is diesel fueled, potentially representing a significant source of exposure to traffic-related
particles. Particles arising from traffic sources have been linked to various health effects, including asthma.
However, very few studies attempted to address the effect of school bus emission on the ambient air quality at
schools, and no safe levels of relevant exposures have been established for children. In this case study, performed in
Cincinnati, Ohio, we determined the ambient particle number concentration and elemental composition at a large
school during intense bus traffic. Identical measurements were simultaneously conducted at a control site. The
ambient aerosol was characterized using a real-time Wide Range Particle Spectrometer (WPS) and then
continuously monitored at each site with a P-Trak, which non-size-selectively detected particles of 20 nm to >1000
nm in real-time and through air sampling with PM2.5 Harvard Impactors. The latter generated filters, which were
subjected to elemental analysis by the X-ray fluorescence technique as well as to the elemental and organic carbon
analysis by thermal-optical transmittance. The measurements were performed during the winter and spring seasons.
The ambient aerosol was found to be greatly affected by the school bus traffic with respect to the number
concentration and the PM2.5 elemental composition. The particle count at the school site exceeded that at the
control site almost by 5-fold in winter when buses were continuously idling and over 2-fold in spring when there
was less idling. On some days, a 15 min-averaged particle number concentration exhibited significant correlation
with the number of school bus arrivals and departures during these time intervals. On other days, the correlation
was not statistically significant, which pointed at an increased influence of mobile and stationary PM sources
unrelated to school buses. At the test site, the 3-h-averaged particle concentration was more than 2-fold higher (on
average) on days when the school buses operated as compared to bus-free days. Overall, the data indicated that
there was an association between the number of detected aerosol particles and school bus traffic intensity. No
statistically significant association was found between the particle concentration and the commuter traffic intensity
at the school site, which suggested a dominant contribution of the school bus emission. The levels of elemental
carbon in the PM2.5 samples collected at the school site exceeded those at the control site: 2.8-fold in winter and
3.1-fold in spring. The PM2.5 mass concentrations of other relevant chemical elements were also higher. We
concluded that particulate emission from school bus exhaust (including ultrafine diesel particles) significantly
contributes to the children’s short-term exposure at schools.
This study has been supported in parts through the Pilot Grant Program of University of Cincinnati Center for
Sustainable Urban Engineering (2007 and 2008) and Grant No. R01 ES11170 from the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.318
Outdoor Air Particulate Burden and Lung Function Status of Residents of Selected Communities in Ibadan,
Nigeria. Godson Ana(1), Tolulope Odeshi(1), M. Ige(3) and Mynepalli Sridhar(1,2), (1) University of Ibadan,
Ibadan,Nigeria (2) Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria (3) University College
Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
Exposure to multiple air pollution sources accentuates related public health risks in urban communities. In our study
we measured the outdoor air particulate mater(PM) and examined the pulmonary function status(PFS) of residents in
four communities in Ibadan namely Ojoo park-OJ (High traffic);Bodija Market-BM (Commercial); Oluyole EstateOL (Industrial) and the University of Ibadan-UI (academic community) serving as the control area.
A calibrated high volume sampler was used to collect suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the morning (6-8a.m)
and afternoon (12-2p.m) for one week each at the four study sites with varying anthropogenic activities. A calibrated
digital spirometer was used to assess the lung function status (FeV1) of 140 consented respondents resident at BM,
OJ, OL and UI. Results of the particulate concentration were compared with National guideline limits (NGL). Data
analysis was done using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Chi-square and Spearman-rank correlation tests.
The highest mean particulate concentrations for morning and afternoon periods amongst the three exposure
communities was 342.39±122.45µg/m3 and 502.0 ±39.9µg/m3 in BM compared with 220.6±69.9µg/m3 and
294.1±38.4µg/m3 in UI; and all values were higher than the NGL of 250µg/m3 (p<0.05). The observed FeV1 in
litres at the exposure and control groups were 1.6±0.6 and 2.0±0.6 respectively. The observed FeV1 at the
experimental areas were significantly lower than the control (p<0.05), indicating higher vulnerability. There was a
significant negative correlation between particulate burden and lung function status of residents (r=-0.31, p<0.05).
A high outdoor air particulate burden and decline in lung function status of greater than 50 % of residents indicate
increased vulnerability of populations exposed to multiple urban-driven air pollution sources.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.343
Comparison of In Vitro Results of PM Incubation with Cell-Lines with Clinical Effects in Children Exposed
to the Same Particles from the Same Urban Area. The Milan Prolife Project. FRANCESCO CETTA (1,2),
Marco Sala(3), Valentina Guercio (1), Rosalia Zangari (1), Anna Maria Azzarà (1), Filomena Cisternino (1),
Maurizio Gualtieri (4), Paride Mantecca (4), Marina Camatini(4), Ezio Bolzacchini (4), (1)University of Siena,
Siena, Italy (2)Geriatric Institute “Pio Albergo Trivulzio” (PAT), Milan, Italy (3)University of Milan, Milan, Italy
(4)University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
One issue of major concern in the evaluation of adverse health effects from environment pollution is to compare
data from in vitro studies and experimental models in animals to clinically evident effects in humans.
In the present study, hospital admissions to the main pediatric service of Milan were compared with daily and
seasonal variations in PM10 and PM2,5 concentration, during 4 consecutive periods: winter 2007-summer 2007winter 2008-summer 2008. There were 390 acute pediatric admissions in 2008. Respiratory diseases were classified
as follows: asthma or asthma like disorders; upper respiratory diseases and lower respiratory diseases.
During 2007-2008, there were in total 440 pediatric admissions for respiratory diseases; 226 (132 males and 94
females) during the winter semester, and 214 (100 males and 114 females) during the summer semester.
There were 12.7% asthma or asthma related admissions; 55.8% due to lower respiratory illness, and 31.5 % due to
upper respiratory disease. The daily average of PM10 concentration during the 1st semester 2007 was 48.3 +/- 17.9
micro-grams/m3 median 47. There were 107 (59.1%) days with at least hospital admission. The mean daily
concentration of PM was higher in days with (n=107) than without (n=74) hospital admissions (p=0.032 or <0.05).
In addition, the human bronchial epithelial cell-line BEAS-2B and the human alveolar epithelial cell A549 were
seeded at a concentration of 80.000 cell/well and treated after 48 hrs with both summer and winter PM 10 and PM
2.5 sampled in the main Milan urban area.
It was found that, whereas A549 cell viability was not significantly reduced after summer and winter PM exposure,
and summer PM had no significant effects on BEAS-2B viability, winter PM treatment induced a decrease in cell
viability, both at the dose of 25 and 50 micro-grams/cm2. In addition, whereas both winter and summer PM2.5
produced only a slight increase in IL 8 release, winter PM10 induced a 5-fold increase in IL 8 release in treated
cells, and summer PM10 induced a 20-fold increase (p<0,05) in IL 8 expression.
In particular, BEAS-2B resulted more responsive to PM treatment than A549. Winter PMs were more cytotoxic than
summer PMs; Summer PM10 had a higher proinflammatory potential, which could be partly due to biological
components (LPS).
Accordingly, children acute admissions were significantly affected by pollution data, with increased admission
during winter time, namely for upper air tract infections, whereas lower tract inflammation and acute admission for
asthma were more frequent during the spring-summer season.
In conclusion, in vitro studies using PM10 and PM2,5 sampling from different seasonal samples seem to correlate
with clinical data in children exposed to the same type and concentration of PM during winter and summer season.
In vitro functional results seem to be related to clinical effects determined by of the same urban particles in different
seasons of the year.
This work was supported by a CARIPLO Grant to POLARIS and by the PROLIFE-Project, City of Milan, Italy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.344
Traffic Related Respiratory Alterations in Schoolchildren in Milan, Italy. MARCO SALA (1), Francesco
Cetta (2,3), Sabrina Argirò (1), Patrizia Ballista (1), Luca Ferrero (4), Rosalia Zangari (2), Valentina Guercio (2),
Ezio Bolzacchini (4), Marcello Giovannini (1), (1) University of Milan, Italy (2) University of Siena, Italy (3)
Geriatric Institute “Pio Albergo Trivulzio” (PAT), Milan, Italy (4) University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Recent studies outlined the possibility of important adverse effects on children health due to air pollutants. In
particular, traffic related pollution adversely affects lung function development.
228 children, mean age 8 years, were enrolled from 2 primary schools, located in different sites, for studying
pollution related respiratory symptoms and/or diseases in different places of Milan with a different traffic-related
exposure. The former (School 1) was located near a large park, the latter was located downtown, close to main
crossroads (School 2). Daily levels of PM10 and PM2,5 (diameter <10micro-meters and 2,5micro-meters) were
measured both outdoor and indoor outside the schools (in the school garden) and within common places (corridors),
for 7 consecutive days during 2 different campaigns (winter and spring-summer). Children underwent skin prick
testing for inhaled allergens, analysis of exhaled nitric oxid (FeNO) and spirometry.
The distribution of FeNO values was significantly different (p=0,02) between the two schools. In particular, the
percentage of children with FeNO values <5ppb in school 1 was higher (almost double) than in school 2. In 73% of
children attending the school located downtown FeNO concentration was between 5 and 20ppb. This difference,
even if within normal values, could reflect a major bronchial eosinophilic inflammation in children exposed to
higher concentration of pollutants.
The percentage of asthma exacerbations in the previous 12 months was higher in children from school 2 (p=0.05).
On the contrary, the prevalence of persistent allergic rhinitis in children allergic to grass pollen was higher in school
1 (p=0.03). In particular, the latter children also had a greater activity limitation, due to rhinitis and concomitant
conjunctivitis (p=0.03).
Interestingly, the highest recorded peak for PM10 occurred between 8:15 and 9:00 a.m., for 3 consecutive days, and
was related to children arrival. This peak (>1000micro-grams/m3) didn’t seem to produce specific health effects,
likely because of the usual PM10 composition in a park site, with a lower content of toxic or reactive components.
Hospital admissions, because of lower respiratory tract diseases (bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia) were more
frequent during the winter campaign and in school 2, whereas otitis and allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, together
with asthma, were more severe during the spring-summer period and in school 1, (p<0,05).
Present continuous on field monitoring of the various types of PM shows that:
- short durations pollution peaks, even reaching concentrations 20 folds above the fixed limits, have no
consequences on children health and are induced by children’s arrival or movement.
- there is an enormous daily variability in PM10 concentration, among the daily mean value results, from the
average of values, with a very high standard deviation (+30,+1000micro-grams/m3) and with various peaks.
Present findings show that, on the basis of the distribution of FeNO values, different degrees of respiratory function
and bronchial inflammation were found in the 2 groups.
Traffic could be responsible at least in part for the different air quality, but individual susceptibility and seasonal
changes are also major determinants of clinical outcomes.
This work was supported by the PROLIFE Project, City of Milan, Italy
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.348
The Role of “Individual Susceptibility” in Pollution Related Diseases and the Impact of PM Concentration on
the Occurrence of “Acquired Susceptibility”. FRANCESCO CETTA (1,2), Rosalia Zangari (1), Valentina
Guercio(1), Anna Maria Azzarà (1), Simona Benoni (1), Filomena Cisternino (1), Armando Dhamo (1), Massimo
Monti (2), Orazio Caratozzolo (2), (1)University of Siena, Italy (2)Geriatric Institute “Pio Albergo Trivulzio”
(PAT), Milan, Italy
Recent epidemiological and experimental studies have shown that in the occurrence of pollution related health
effects, in addition to intrinsic toxicity of pollutants, a major role is played by individual susceptibility, i.e. host
predisposition to generate- because of host-particle interaction- pathological outcomes, which are partly independent
of the triggering event. Individual susceptibility includes inherited and acquired susceptibility. The former is
inherited and mainly depends on genetic polymorphisms, which globally account for the diverse immunologic and
metabolic response that is typical of each individual. The latter depends on environmental stimuli and on the
capability of activating immunologic or epigenetic pathways because of external factors.
Typically the main “susceptibility window” occurs during the first months or weeks of life, starting from the
intrauterine life of the foetus.
Using a 360° approach to health effects of air pollution, thanks to a multidisciplinary and multiinstitutional
cooperation in Milan, Italy, a coordinated research project has been performed. The project aimed at the comparison
of PM concentration with human health effects and included cross sectional and longitudinal studies, panel studies,
experimental and in vitro studies, involving the general population, or subgroups, such as children attending primary
schools and old people living in nursing homes, functional analysis concerning the respiratory and cardiovascular
system and related diseases, but also in vitro studies concerning distant tissues or functions such as sperm cells and
male fertility or synoviocytes and rheumatoid arthritis.
In particular, using a semiquantitative method, we could asses that:
1) Not only alterations of respiratory or cardiovascular districts, either in children or in old people, but also
alterations of sperm cell function or osteoarticular function, in people with similar exposure to pollutants, greatly
depended on the individual susceptibility of the host, also including previous patient history, i.e. more severe
alterations were observed in subjects with previous altered function (infection, diabetes, previous COPD), as well as
in subjects with varicocele or rheumatoid arthritis for sperm cell and synoviocyte function.
2) Individual susceptibility of the host was responsible for more than 50% of the final outcome as compared with
intrinsic toxicity of the pollutant.
In addition, most of these diseases (asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis, male infertility) were more
prevalent in the present study when compared with historical series of 2 decades ago.
Conclusion: it is suggested that, from one hand, individual susceptibility plays a role greater than expected vs
intrinsic toxicity of pollutants in the occurrence of pollution related diseases; on the other hand, the list of PM
related diseases is going to expand, also including diseases affecting districts distant from the site of pollutant
entrance. Finally, even if host factors, namely individual susceptibility, are of major importance, exposure of
newborns to high PM concentration is able to dramatically affect “acquired susceptibility” during the first months of
life, determining an increased prevalence of “susceptible individuals” in the general population of future
generations. This susceptibility to future damage, measurable only decades after exposure, should always be added
to the burden of diseases concomitantly detected.
Work supported by PROLIFE-Project, City of Milan, Italy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.358
Time-series analysis of mortality effects of particulate matter (PM) components in Detroit, MI and Seattle,
WA. Jiang Zhou (1); Kazuhiko Ito (1); Ramona Lall (1); Morton Lippmann (1); George Thurston (1), (1) New York
University, New York, NY
Background:
Recent toxicological and epidemiological studies have shown associations between PM and adverse health effects,
but responsible PM chemical component(s) are not known. Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) data from U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) have provided an opportunity to examine the role of PM chemical
constituents, however CSN’s every 3rd- or 6th-day sampling schedule limits the multi-day effects analysis and
yields relatively small sample sizes. This project addresses these issues by conducting a time-series analysis of daily
PM components and mortality in Seattle, WA and Detroit, MI, which have different air pollution mixtures.
Methods:
Daily FRM PM2.5 filters for Seattle and Detroit for the years 2002-2004 were obtained, and analyzed for trace
elements using X-Ray Fluorescence technique (XRF) and elemental carbon (EC) by light reflectance. Data for
gaseous pollutants were retrieved from U.S. EPA. A Poisson time-series model was used to estimate percent excess
deaths for cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases adjusting for seasonal cycles, immediate and delayed
temperature effects, and day-of-week, and accommodating over-dispersion. Risks were estimated for inter-quartilerange (IQR) increases of PM2.5 components and gaseous pollutants at lag 0 through 3 days, and for warm (April
through September) and cold (October through March) seasons. Distributed lag models were also considered.
Results:
In Detroit, PM2.5 and its components’ associations with mortality outcomes were limited to warm season, whereas
in Seattle, the associations were generally stronger in cold season. In Detroit, EC, Br, carbon monoxide (CO) and
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality; and PM2.5, S, Ti, Ca, and Ni,
and CO were significantly associated with respiratory mortality in warm season. In Seattle, PM2.5, S, V, EC, Al, Cu,
K, Ni, Si, Zn, CO, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and NO2 were significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality in cold
season, while in warm season, As, Fe, Mn, and K showed significant associations. For respiratory mortality, Ti, Al,
Pb, Si, and SO2 showed significant associations in cold season, while only Cl and Na showed significant
associations in warm season.
Discussion:
The cardiovascular and respiratory mortality series exhibit different seasonal patterns in these two cities. The PM
components and gaseous pollutants associated with cardiovascular mortality in Detroit appear to be associated with
traffic-related, whereas in Seattle, the species and gases associated with cardiovascular mortality also include other
combustion sources such as residual oil burning and wood smoke. Further analysis will evaluate source-apportioned
PM2.5 mass concentrations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.360
Comparative in vitro Toxicity of Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) Collected During and After the 2008
Olympics in Beijing and Tianjin. Gordon T (1), Hickey CA (1), Bai Z (2), Wang J (2), Guo X (2), Zhu T (3), Tian
F (3), Chen C (3), Shang Y (3), Zhang J (4), Chen LC (1)., (1) NYU, (2) Nankai University, Tianjin, (3) Peking
University, Beijing, (4) UMDNJ, Piscataway
Health effects associated with PM show differences depending on particle size, season, and location. We
hypothesized that the differences in the PM composition account for these varied effects and our previous work has
demonstrated this to be true for ambient PM collected in the U.S. In this study, size-fractioned PM samples were
collected from two Chinese cities during and after the 2008 Olympics. Beijing hosted the majority of sporting
events whereas Tianjin (120 km from Beijing) hosted soccer games for the 2008 Olympics. A high volume cascade
impactor was used to collect samples. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC-ST1.6R) and
bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were exposed to PM for up to 24 hr. As measured by LDH release,
cytotoxicity was generally less than 10% for most samples at 10 and 50 µg doses in either cell line, although LDH
release as high as 30% was found in cells treated with 100 µg PM, particularly in the samples collected in Tianjin
after the Olympics. Results showed a significant inter-city effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation (as
measured by oxidation of a fluorescent dye). On an equal mass basis, Tianjin PM, collected after the 2008
Olympics, caused a greater production of ROS than Tianjin PM collected during the Olympics. This suggests that,
from a toxicology stand point, source control measures instituted before and during the Olympics reduced particle
effects. Particle size, interestingly, also had a significant effect on the in vitro response with the fine and ultrafine
size fractions generally eliciting the greatest production of ROS. Our results support the hypothesis that the
elemental composition of PM drives PM-induced health effects. Future studies aim to correlate in vitro findings
with individual elemental data and source apportionment.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
11SQ1.T5.366
Association Between Particulate Matter (PM) Chemical Components and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in
New York City. Rebecca Gluskin (1), Ramona Lall (1), George Thurston (1), Brad Kaufman (2), David Prezant
(2), John Freese (2), Robert Silverman (3), and Kazuhiko Ito (1)., (1) NYU School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY, (2).
New York City Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, Brooklyn, NY, (3). Long Island Jewish Medical
Center, New Hyde Park, NY.
Background:
Although short-term associations are reported between ambient particulate matter (PM) and cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality, inconsistent data is available on the association between ambient air pollutants and sudden
death from a cardiac arrest. Understanding this relationship could be important, since fewer than 5% of out-ofhospital cardiac arrest victims survive the event. Apparent heterogeneity in the estimated acute mortality risks across
U.S. cities reported in observational multi-city studies suggest that PM toxicity may vary depending on the source
types and/or its chemical components. Thus, a greater knowledge of the impact of air pollution on out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest could be gained by identifying the specific PM components associated with these events. The U.S.
EPA’s Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) data have provided an opportunity to examine the role of PM chemical
constituents. This study examined associations between out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in subjects aged 70+ and fine
particles (PM2.5) components in New York City.
Methods:
Ambulance call records dated 2002-2006 from the NYC Fire Department/Emergency Medical Services were
reviewed and 8,216 out of hospital cardiac arrest cases of primary cardiac etiology were extracted for this study. To
focus on the most vulnerable population, we analyzed those aged 70 and older; this narrowed the cases to 1,826.
The EPA’s PM2.5 chemical speciation data for New York City for the years 2002-2006 were obtained. PM2.5 and
21 key chemical constituents were analyzed. A Poisson time-series model was used to estimate percent excess risk
of cardiac arrest per inter-quartile-range (IQR) of PM2.5 components and gaseous pollutants at lag 0 through 3 days,
adjusting for seasonal cycles, immediate and delayed temperature effects, day-of-week, and accommodating overdispersion. Data were analyzed for all year, warm (April through September), and cold (October through March)
seasons.
Results:
PM2.5, copper (Cu), and elemental carbon (EC) with a one-day lag were significantly associated with warm season
sudden cardiac arrest. Only arsenic (As), with a three-day lag, was significantly associated with cold season sudden
cardiac arrest. The estimated percent excess risks at one-day lag were 12.3% (95% confidence interval: 2.0, 23.7),
15.0%(3.3, 28.1) and 12.9%(3.6, 23.0) per IQR increase in PM2.5, EC and Cu, respectively. The estimated percent
excess risks for As was 10.8% (0.4, 22.4).
Discussion:
Past source-apportionment studies in New York City identified several PM sources including traffic, transported
secondary aerosols (from coal fired power plants), residual oil burning, and soil. The two PM constituents
associated with cardiac arrest in this analysis, EC and Cu, are both associated with traffic air pollution. Thus, the
PM2.5-cardiac arrest associations in this city may be in part related to traffic air pollution. We plan to include
source-apportioned PM2.5 in our future analysis.
Acknowledgment: This research was supported by the NIEHS grant R01 ES 014387
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
12SQ1.3
Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects: What Have We Learned From Experimental
Exposures? JOE L. MAUDERLY, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque
Experimental exposures of humans and studies using animals, tissues, or cells, and have largely played indirect roles
in the setting of ambient concentration standards for pollutants. Such studies have helped to interpret and place into
context epidemiological results by exploring exposure-dose-response relationships, causal mechanisms, the relative
potency of different pollutant species and combinations, and biomarkers of exposure and effects. Although ambient
standards for some pollutants (e.g., ozone) are based on experimental results, such studies have more directly
impacted emission standards for hazardous air contaminants demonstrated in the laboratory to have carcinogenic,
neurotoxic, or other effects, but lacking adequate epidemiological data.
Laboratory studies have focused largely on reductionist, hypothesis-testing experimental strategies, and have not
often involved direct comparisons of the effects or potencies of different source emissions or their transformation
products. Source emissions are challenging to create realistically in the laboratory, and it is equally challenging to
take experimental exposure models and measurements into the field. Both have been accomplished, but not at the
low cost and rapid pace typical of laboratory studies.
Despite the challenges, experimental exposures have been, and can be, very informative about the relative impacts
of different sources. There have been a modest number of direct comparisons of the effects of different source
emissions, and some studies have involved atmospheric transformation products. We have information for a very
limited range of biological effects for differences in effects among PM and CAPs whose variations in composition
can be linked to sources. Even studies of single pollutants can be interpreted in the context of sources that dominate
environmental exposures, to the extent that source-to-exposure links are understood.
Certain elements of experimental design require greater emphasis if experimental exposures are to contribute more
strongly to our knowledge of source-to-health linkages. Most important is a greater emphasis on direct comparisons
among the effects of source emissions, their components, and their transformation and reaction products using
consistent outcome models and measures. Knowing that a pollutant or source emission can cause an effect at some
concentration is a starting point, but we need to know the relative potencies of emissions from different source
types, different cases of emissions from a single source type, and different components of emissions or downwind
products. We need greater emphasis on exposure- and dose-response relationships. Demonstrating an effect at a
high dose is interesting, but knowing whether the effect is likely to occur under realistic exposure conditions is at
least equally important. We need more emphasis on comparisons of relative potency across a spectrum of health
outcomes. We know that relative potency for one biological effect or health outcome may not hold for other effects
or outcomes. An accurate attribution of health impacts among pollutants and sources requires greater attention to
combinations of pollutants. We know that synergies among pollutants occur, but have little knowledge of the scope
of important interactions among components within or among different source emissions. We need more emphasis
on relationships between measurable biological effects and health outcomes meriting prevention.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
12SQ1.4
Pollutants and sources associated with health effects: What have we learned from epidemiological studies?
Jonathan M. Samet, University of Southern California
Epidemiological studies have provided much of the pivotal evidence for regulation and control of major air
pollutants, documenting the public health threat that they pose and providing information on exposure-risk
relationships that is needed to set concentration standards. Using epidemiological approaches, linking particular
sources of pollutants to population-level risks for particular health effects has long been challenging. However, in
many high-income countries, including the United States, as pollution levels have declined sharply in recent
decades, the lack of evidence on the overall public health risk posed by urban air pollution mixtures and the relative
contributions of various sources to this risk has become widely viewed as a key gap, if source-oriented control
strategies are to be broadened. This presentation covers “lessons learned” to date from epidemiological research on
mixtures and their sources, and considers research strategies that may prove more informative than those already
used.
The barriers to disentangling possibly independent effects of mixture components and linking effects to sources have
been long and frequently discussed; these discussions point towards a conclusion that these barriers may be
insurmountable using observational study designs. Support for this conclusion is found in the correlated
concentrations of many pollutants in urban environments and the generation of secondary pollutants from multiple
sources, and in the methodological problems that bias epidemiological studies—particularly the inherent error of
exposure estimates, the nonspecificity of health outcomes, confounding, and limited statistical power. There are
notable successes, such as exposure of children to lead in gasoline; in this example, the availability of a highly
specific biomarker, blood or tooth lead concentration, and the limited number of sources contributed to the strength
of the evidence gained from epidemiological studies.
For the future, two informative lines of epidemiological research can be anticipated: 1) studies that track changes in
exposure and health risks following major changes to sources (sometimes referred to as accountability research); and
2) large studies using administrative data bases or combining populations that are designed to achieve heterogeneity
in exposures related to spatial/temporal variation in sources. For either of these designs to be informative, there will
need to be a substantial range in source-related exposures, whether in temporal or spatial domains. Biomarkers of
exposure and response have been touted as potential solutions to exposure misclassification and the generality of
health responses; however, biomarkers evaluated over the last two decades have not proved to be solutions to these
problems and the potential for “omics” remains to be established. Epidemiological findings need interpretation
within a broad framework of understanding of underlying biological processes; biomarkers are an anticipated link
from mechanistic/toxicological inquiry to population-level and clinical observations. Bayesian methods offer one
approach for merging different lines of evidence to gain the deepest insights possible.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ1 - Pollutants and Sources Associated With Health Effects
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
13B.1
Interaction Effects Between Ozone And Other Air Pollutants On Respiratory And Cardiovascular
Emergency Hospital Admissions in The Netherlands. GUDINA TEREFE TUCHO (1), Judith M.Vonk (2),
Marike Boezen (3), Ton Schoot Uiterkamp(3), (1) University of Jimma, Ethiopia, (2 & 3) University of Groningen,
The Netherlands
Several epidemiological studies have reported on the association between ambient ozone (O3) and acute health
problems such as mortality or respiratory and cardiovascular emergency hospital admissions. However, the
interaction effects between O3 and other air pollutants on acute health problems remain unclear. Given the fact that,
in real life, people are not exposed to single pollutants but to a mixture of pollutants, studying the interaction effects
between pollutants on health is very relevant. Animal and human experimental studies show the presence of
interaction effects between O3 and other air pollutants especially on pulmonary toxicological responses. Therefore,
this study aims to investigate the epidemiologic interaction effects between O3 and other air pollutants on
respiratory and cardiovascular emergency hospital admissions. The investigation was carried out on 152,180
respiratory and 311,067 cardiovascular emergency hospital admissions during the summer seasons of 1992-1999 in
The Netherlands. We used a case-crossover study design. Conditional logistic regression was used for multipollutant modelling. The results showed both synergistic and antagonistic interaction effects. Antagonistic
interaction effects were observed between O3 and PM10 on respiratory (RR of O3 comparing days with above
median concentration of PM10 to days with below median PM10 concentration was 0.973 (95% CI: 0.967-0.980))
and cardiovascular admissions (RR=0.949 (0.944-0.954). The synergistic interaction effects were seen between O3
and SO2 on respiratory admissions (RR=1.026(1.020-1.031) and on cardiovascular admissions (RR=1.010 (1.0061.014). The reported interaction effects between O3 and other pollutants may lead to a reconsideration of air
pollution regulation.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.1
New Developments in Air Pollution Control Technology. Andy DuPont, To be determined upon exceptance of
this abstract. Possibly U.S. EPA
The science of air pollution has greatly evolved over the last few years. We can expect that recent innovations in
science could provide for the combustion of fossil fuels without airborne pollutants. Although the applications of
Bioreactor Technology along with Flue Gas Desulfurization are not yet commercially available, we should review
the credibility of the new technology that could significantly reduce emissions.
The development of Bioreactor Technology along with Flue Gas Desulfurization is at our doorsteps and we should
review this combination of technology to prevent emissions from going up a smokestack and reduce asthma in our
local communities.
The stakeholders of our science community need to understand the application of Bioreactor Technology that can
significantly reduce emissions and make the tall smokestack a dinosaur of the past. This new technology is based on
the principles readily found in nature and it can quickly accelerate the removal of carbon emissions. The key aspect
of this new technology is to understand the basic constraints of cost where it could be quickly applied.
Significant past contributions have been made in the development of this technology by various Federal Agencies
including NASA and the Department of Energy, but the technology was consider too costly and experimental .
However, because of the recent increase in the price of fuel and the possible implementation of a carbon tax, the use
of bioreactor technology could take use much further on the path to achieving a fossil power plant without a
smokestack. The basics ingredients of this technology could be even more beneficial in the long term if we take the
time to understand how nature cures our environmental problems.
Finally, the author presents basic cost assumptions and an overview of what will be needed to reduce emissions in
the long term at fossil fuel power generators.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.2
Chemical Speciation of Platinum and Vanadium in Mobile Source Emissions and Urban Atmospheres.
MARTIN SHAFER (1), Brandy Toner (2), Joel Overdier (1), James Schauer (1), (1) University of WisconsinMadison, Madison, (2) University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Controlling emissions from mobile sources are critical for continued reduction in health impacts of air pollution, and
for addressing regional and global climate impacts. Reduction of regulated pollutants in vehicle exhausts relies on
the use of catalytically active metals, e.g. Pt in three-way catalysts (TWC) in gasoline vehicles. Current and
proposed strategies for diesel engines also employ metal catalysts to reduce tailpipe emissions of regulated species.
The use of Pt in fuel-borne catalysts (FBC) and Pt-catalyzed diesel particulate filters, and the use of V in selectivecatalytic reactors are key examples. However, the use of these metals raises concerns about potential environmental
contamination and health implications of widespread trace metal dissemination.
The toxicological responses of many metals (e.g. Cr, Mn, Ni, Pt, and V) are determined by the specific
chemical/physical speciation in the emissions. For Pt, the primary focus is on soluble and halogenated species,
where the threshold exposure limits are 500 times lower than metallic species. For V, the pentoxide species is
considerably more toxic than the lower oxidation state species. Unfortunately extant methodologies provide little
relevant speciation information, and most analytical tools that are speciation capable lack the required sensitivity,
particularly in the context of the lower emissions from vehicles operated with modern control devices.
We have been developing and applying novel tools for the chemical speciation of these trace metals in mobile
source PM emissions and urban aerosols, employing a strategy of parallel development of species selective wetchemical approaches and direct solids speciation using synchrotron x-ray absorption (XAS) techniques. The wetchemical extraction approaches for Pt and V address the regulatory construct of “solubility”, and further advance our
understanding by providing information on specific chemical species (e.g. soluble halogenated Pt and soluble V+5
species). The synchrotron tools complement the wet-chemistry techniques in that they can provide information on
the total pool of a specific species directly from the PM solids.
The method developed for speciation of soluble V is based upon oxidation state selective retention of V-species on
an immobilized ligand (Chelex). The method exhibits good selectivity for the target redox species (V(IV) and
V(V)), and we demonstrated robust performance at exceptionally low total vanadium masses (50-100 pg).
Significant V(V) fractions were observed in engine PM, with higher V(V) fractions measured in PM from an engine
fitted with a vanadium-based SCR. Relatively small V(V) fractions were measured in extracts of roadway dusts and
ambient aerosols. Applying a suite of speciation tools (e.g. ultrafiltration, ion chromatography) to extracts of PM
from diesel engines burning a Pt-FBC, revealed small, but potentially relevant levels of soluble anionic Pt species.
High spatial resolution synchrotron-XRF mapping, coupled with XANES/EXAFS spectroscopy has enabled us to
identify several of the species of concern in samples of engine PM. Particles mapped as enriched in total V were
shown to be primarily V2O5. Significant fractions of oxidized Pt were determined in samples of used TWCs and in
PM from engines running with a Pt-FBC.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.3
Three-tier Approach for Estimation of Impact of Coal Power Stations on PM and Air Quality. Carmela
Tortorella (1), ALDO GIOVE (1), Giulio Belz (1), (1) ENEL Engineering and Innovation, Brindisi (Italy)
Air quality is a topic of strong interest for its social and economic implications related to most industrial
installations, including power stations. Enel is Italy’s largest power company, and Europe’s second listed utility by
installed capacity. During last years, Enel IIN Research Technical Area developed an integrated approach using a
number of analytical and numerical techniques for the evaluation of coal power stations contribution to the amount
and quality of airborne particulate matter (PM). These techniques are grouped in three independent tiers:
1. Estimation of amount of PM emitted by the power station stack and reaching the receptors of interest, by means
of a numerical dispersion model (CALPUFF).
2. Estimation of contribution of all existing sources over a certain area including the power station on the amount
and composition of the particulate matter, by means of sampling and complete analysis of PM, and subsequent
application of receptor modeling. Analysis of PM is carried out for the determination of about 30 elements by EDXRF and ICP-MS, major ions by Ionic Chromatography and the different forms of carbon (OC, EC, CC) by TOT.
The receptor model used is Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) 8.2, developed by US-EPA; emission profiles of a
number of sources have been determined by direct sampling and analysis, when possible; for other cases literature
profiles are used.
3. Estimation of amount of particles coming by coal power stations collected at receptor sites, by means of sampling
and subsequent morpho-chemical recognition performed by application of SEM-EDX analysis and specific
algorithms for the particle-by-particle identification of coal ash PM. This kind of approach is based on the specific
characteristics of the coal ash particles, i.e. shape, size and elemental composition, that can be used to discriminate
and quantify the PM from coal combustion from other particles with similar composition like for example crustal
dust. This way it's possible to get rid of some critical limitations of CMB modeling based only on chemical
composition.
During campaigns, samples of airborne particulate matter are collected simultaneously in a number of points
(receptors) surrounding the coal power station; the combined application of the independent techniques described
above on these samples gives the possibility to draw conclusions about the actual “weight” of the coal power station
on the quality and quantity of particulate matter over the surrounding area.
In order to keep the analytical and modeling work load within acceptable limits without compromising the quality of
results, a number of measurements related with meteorological conditions is continuously performed during
campaigns; then, a selection of a limited number of samples representing most important conditions is performed
prior to submission to analyses and modeling. This multiple-side approach, even if more complex and sophisticated,
appears extremely valuable in terms of reliability of its conclusions. It has been already successfully applied to some
Italian sites and is being continuously refined. Some case studies campaigns are presented as part of this work.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.4
A Predictive Model to Study the Impact of CNG in Transport Sector on the Urban Ambient Noise. Deepak
Singh (1), Amit Prakash (1), B K Padhi (1), V K Jain (1), (1) School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, New Delhi-67, INDIA
Exposure of noise from traffic and its effect on health in urban areas has commensurate the interest to improve the
quality of urban environments by reducing noise levels. Trees and plants in general can attenuate the sound by
reflecting, refracting and absorbing energy. The study was designed to investigate the effects of implementation of
CNG in transport sector on the ambient noise and noise attenuation by vegetation in Delhi India. A multiple
regression model was used to observe the effects of different variables on ambient noise. Based on findings a
predictive model for five distinct zones, namely, residential, commercial, mixed, industrial and silence zones were
developed. Further an integrated model for entire Delhi has also been developed. The results indicate that at all the
sites the background noise exceeds the prescribed permissible limit for various categories of areas. The coefficient
values which indicates the average background noise for residential, commercial, industrial, mixed, silence zone are
72.2, 78.3, 79.8, 74.9, 68.6 respectively. For entire Delhi, it is found to be 74.6. The coefficient value of vegetation,
obtained in the zonal models was found to be negative which reveals that vegetation helps in attenuating the ambient
noise level but high vegetation density will be required for any substantial noise reduction in Delhi. It is inferred
from the results that the conversion of vehicles from petrol/diesel driven to CNG driven modes have a positive effect
on noise scenario of Delhi. In the present scenario with rapidly increasing population of Delhi, and in the run up to
the 2010 commonwealth games more buses, taxis, three-wheelers and other modes of transport is being inducted in
Delhi. In such a condition, CNG vehicles can be beneficial for noise pollution control in Delhi. Further,
enhancement of vegetation cover in between the roads as well as at the pavements would go a long in protecting the
people of Delhi from the adverse impacts of noise.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.5
Impact of Source Collinearity in Simulated PM2.5 Data on the PMF Receptor Model Solution. RIMA
HABRE (1), Brent Coull (1), Petros Koutrakis (1), (1) Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
BACKGROUND
Multivariate factor analytical methods are used in air pollution source apportionment studies to identify sources and
to estimate their contributions to pollutant concentrations measured at receptor sites.
The EPA Positive Matrix Factorization model (PMF) is an individually weighted factor analytic model with nonnegativity constraints that is being used extensively in air pollution health effects studies. Daily health outcomes are
typically regressed on predicted daily source contributions to investigate source-specific associations.
This study simulated collinearity among source contributions to examine one of several factors of uncertainty in the
PMF solution. Collinearity results from local meteorological conditions that govern the dispersion and
transformation of emissions from different sources within the same airshed.
METHODS
Twenty-seven datasets of speciated PM2.5 concentrations and uncertainties were simulated in R and input to EPA
PMF v3.0.
Each simulated concentration dataset consisted of 340 days of PM2.5 mass and 18 elemental concentrations,
representing “Motor Vehicle” (MV), “Sodium Chloride” (NaCl), and “Sulfur” (S) sources.
The correlation structure between the three normally-distributed positive source contributions was varied so that
each pairwise correlation was set to 0, 30 or 60%, resulting in 27 collinearity scenarios. Factor loading profiles with
18 elements were adapted from a previous source apportionment study on New Haven, CT, PM2.5 data in 2003.
The percent below method detection limit (% < MDL) and the average signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios were calculated
for all species in the simulated datasets and compared to New Haven data.
For each scenario, input contributions were regressed on PMF predicted contributions. Measures of error in daily
and average predicted source contributions were calculated as the Average Absolute Daily Error (AADE, %) and the
Absolute Factor Average Error (AFAE, %) respectively.
RESULTS
In the simulated datasets, Pb, Se, Si, Al, Ba, Ti, and Ni had the highest % < MDL and a S/N ratio < 2.
All 27 scenarios converged in PMF. The scenario with 30% correlation among all 3 factors had the highest robust Q
value.
With mean input masses of 16, 6, and 20 micrograms/m3 for MV, NaCl, and S respectively, the average predicted
factor means were 14, 10, and 17.7 micrograms/m3 (AFAE: 12.5%, 66.7%, and 11.5% ) respectively.
The AADE ranged from 13.3 to 45.6% for MV, 25.1 to 153.6% for NaCl, and 13.6 to 48.2% for S.
Scenarios with a single low pairwise correlation resulted in the highest regression R2’s (maximum 0.96), while two
or more moderate to high pairwise correlations resulted in the lowest regression R2’s (minimum 0.43).
CONCLUSION
Our results showed greater error in predicting daily contributions versus average contributions. The largest errors in
daily contributions occurred in scenarios where at least two of the 3 simulated factors contributions were moderately
to highly correlated.
This finding is relevant since similar source correlations occur naturally and may lead to errors in predicting average
and daily contributions in source apportionment studies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.6
Characterization of Water-Soluble Ferrous Iron and Temporal Variability in Atlanta, GA. Michelle Oakes
(1), Neeraj Rastogi (2), Brian Majestic (3), James J. Schauer (4), Martin Shafer (4), Rodney J. Weber(1), (1)
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, (2) University of Toronto, Toronto, (3) Northern Arizona Univerisity,
Flagstaff, (4) University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fine particulates have been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes mainly
caused by oxidative stress. Redox reactions of transition metals, such as water-soluble ferrous iron (WS_Fe(II)) are
known to produce ROS. Filter-based methods have been used to measure WS_Fe(II); however, the long sample
integration times (12-24 hrs) inherent with these methods can lead to several drawbacks. Although they may
provide adequate measurement of daily concentrations, they cannot address acute exposure or identify
source/atmospheric processes with high temporal variability. In this study, a new method using a Particle-intoLiquid Sampler coupled to a liquid waveguide capillary cell (LWCC) and spectrophotometer (PILS-LWCC) was
used to characterize WS_Fe(II) in 12 minute integrals at two sites in Atlanta, GA. During our sampling period,
WS_Fe(II) was predominately at background levels (~10 ng m-3) with periodic transient events, typically lasting 1-2
hours. In the most dramatic transient events, WS_Fe(II) concentrations increased from background concentrations
to 400 ng m-3. These transient events were predominately associated with local combustion-related industrial
activity and atmospheric processing of industrial emissions. A poor correlation between WS_Fe(II) and light
absorbing aerosol (R2 < 0.34) during our studies suggested that mobile sources were not directly associated with
enhanced WS_Fe(II) concentrations. For some periods in which the transient events were recorded, concurrent
measurements were made of WS_Fe(II) collected on integrated filters. During this period, filter-WS_Fe(II) was
consistently lower than the online measurement. In contrast, filter and online measurements were in better
agreement during filter sampling periods lacking transient events (Slope = 0.99 (zero intercept) and R2 = 0.90).
Overall, online measurements during our study captured unique WS_Fe(II) transient events associated with
industrial activity and atmospheric processing that could not be inferred from the filter data. This suggests that
filter-based measurements may not provide a reliable method to gauge the potential health risks associated with
WS_Fe(II)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.7
Refinement of the Aethalometer Dual Wavelength Technique for Real-time Measurement of Woodsmoke
PM: Saturation Compensation and Potential Contributions of Organic PM from Cooking Sources. GEORGE
ALLEN (1) Jay Turner (2) Pete Babich (3), (1) NESCAUM (2) Washington University in St. Louis (3) CT Dept. of
Environmental Protection
Woodsmoke-related PM has been identified over the years using various methods, ranging from fine-mode non-soil
potassium to levoglucosan and molecular markers. All these techniques are integrated samples, and some are either
not specific or not stable over time. The two-wavelength Aethalometer (TM) has been used recently to provide
semi-quantitative real-time ambient woodsmoke PM measurements. The difference between the 880 and 370nm
channels, UVC minus BC (“Delta-C”), is specific to biomass combustion and in cold winter climates is nearly all
driven by woodsmoke PM. The Delta-C response is reasonably stable for homogeneous woodsmoke that has not
undergone substantial photochemical processing, but can vary substantially across plumes from individual sources.
Results from a recent study in CT show a consistent relationship across six sites across the state between
woodsmoke PM as identified using Unmix and the Aethalometer Delta-C signal. The high time resolution of these
data show temporal patterns that are consistent with wood heat activity patterns, and provide indications of shortterm peak exposure concentrations. Winter woodsmoke has been observed with this technique in substantial
amounts in many northern urban areas, and can contribute 20 to 25% of the winter urban PM2.5 during the coldest
months of the year even in non-valley cities.
It has recently been shown that sample-spot loading (shadowing) effects can generate substantial and different errors
in both Aethalometer channel measurements, but predominantly in the UV-C channel. This results in a substantial
negative DC artifact from non-woodsmoke BC sources such as diesel engines, as well as a variable woodsmoke
response across different sample-spot loadings. Data processing techniques have recently been developed and
implemented in post-processing programs to remove the majority of these saturation artifacts, improving the quality
of the Delta-C method for woodsmoke. Techniques for optimizing the hardware and software parameters for
saturation compensation are presented. Work characterizing PM emissions from meat cooking and hot oil smoke
(frying) show that these aerosols can have enhanced optical absorption at shorter wavelengths, but the cooking
signal is weaker compared to woodsmoke.
Nearly all delta-C woodsmoke measurements to date have been made using the AE21 series of Aethalometer. The
present model (AE22) has not been carefully evaluated for this use, and there are limited and preliminary indications
that some aspects of the current Aethalometer may not provide a similar Delta-C woodsmoke-specific signal.
Collocated comparisons across Aethalometer models and at different measurement timebases are presented to
investigate this possible change in performance.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
3SQ2.T1.8
Air monitoring of particulate matter PM2.5 with real-time aerosol monitors during agricultural burn events
in Imperial Valley, CA. Christopher Michael Carey (1), Penelope, J.E. Quintana (1), Kinnery Naik (2), Stephen
Wall (2), Jeff Wagner (2), Diamon Pon (2), Martha Harnly (2), (1) San Diego State University Graduate School of
Public Health, San Diego, CA (2) California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA
Burning of agricultural fields to remove stubble and waste occurs throughout the world. However, few air
monitoring studies have been conducted near agricultural fields. About 35,000 acres of agricultural fields, primarily
Bermuda grass and wheat, are burned annually in Imperial County., CA. During January-March of 2009 , we
monitored the air for particulate matter (PM) and aerosol black carbon during and following four burn events at
locations of public access in the community at a distance of 0.1 miles to 3.5 miles from the burn. In addition, one
burn event was monitored at two locations very close to the burn (50 to 5000 feet). The burning of each field lasted
30-60 minutes and occurred between 10 am and 3 pm. Except for the aforementioned burn event, winds were calm,
and the ground-level plumes was observed to go up to the inversion layer (3000’ feet or higher), and then to spread
out for miles at the inversion layer. Sampling began before or during each burn and continued for a minimum of 24
hours and a maximum of 72 hours following each burn. PM was sampled with active-flow pDRs (MIE pDR-1200;
Thermo Electron Corp., Franklin, MA) aethalometers (Model AE42; Magee Scientific Company, Berkeley, CA)
which provided minute by minute readings. Data from the pDR were adjusted using previously published correction
factors when relative humidity exceeded 60%, and co-located EBAM data was used to correct pDR readings to mass
equivalents. For the one burn where the monitors were located very close to the burn, the levels of PM10 rose as
high as 40,000 ug/m3 for a 5 minute averaging time and 6,500 ug/m3 for an hourly concentration during the burn.
For the four other burns where monitoring locations were more distant, hourly PM2.5 levels ranged from 3 to 35
ug/m3 during the hour of the burn. For all burn events, PM2.5 levels on the night (8 pm – 4 am) of a burn event
were significantly higher than daytime values. For three burns air monitoring included 48 hour and for two of these
monitored burns, nighttime levels were significantly higher (p<0.001) on the first night following the burn as
compared to the second night following the burn. On both of these following days, other fields were burned, albeit
the monitors were more distant from these other burns than the monitored burn. For the third burn, the PM2.5
values rose the night following the burn and remained at concentrations of 11-30 ug/m3 throughout the following
day. These findings, if replicated, imply that the effect of agricultural burning on community health would be
influenced by exposures experienced the night following the burn. In Imperial County, nighttime lowering of the
inversion layer may increase exposures during the winter. Temporal patterns of community exposure to PM from
agricultural burning deserve further study.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
9A.5
Optimization of Source Apportionment Using Hourly Average Data from the SOAR Study. DELBERT J.
EATOUGH (1) and William F. Christensen (2), (1) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young
University, Provo UT (2) Department of Statistics, Brigham Young University, Provo UT
Source apportionment, coupled with health effects data, is a valuable tool in bridging the gap between air pollution
and health. The ability to apportion sources with tools such as Positive Matrix Factorization should be greatly aided
using data which is short enough in time sequence to capture emission and atmospheric changes in the atmosphere.
We have previously published a source apportionment using PMF for hourly data obtained in Riverside CA during
the SOAR study which included a total of 572 data points with 34 species in which 16 factors were identified.
However, there are two statistical challenges with respect to accounting for the increased temporal dependence that
exists in hourly observations as compared to daily or weekly averages that were not explored in that analysis. First,
approaches for optimally exploiting the temporal correlations needed to be developed. Because most multivariate
receptor modeling approaches implicitly or explicitly assume that ambient air quality measurements are
independent, standard methods such as PMF do not account for the fact that successive observations tend to be more
similar than observations that are distantly separated in time. The second challenge involves the calculation of
uncertainties associated with source profile and source contribution estimates, which are crucial to decision making
in policy formation and evaluation. Most receptor modeling studies of correlated ambient observations have ignored
the temporal correlation and consequently, any associated uncertainties have questionable validity. We will
compare the relative strengths of PMF and recently developed Bayesian source apportionment methodology for
apportioning PM2.5 material. The effects of analyzing time separated (identified by atmospheric relevant emission
and photochemistry) portions of the data will be explored. Strategies for identifying sources, and obtaining
physically meaningful source contribution estimates and uncertainties will be recommended. The influence of
temporal correlation in hourly average data will be evaluated, and approaches for incorporating partial source profile
information, temporal dependence, diurnal patterns, and other information in a source apportionment will be
discussed. Exploiting such information in model fitting will lead to approaches that make the best use of both the
correlations in the data and the scientific knowledge of the researcher. Additionally, using all this auxiliary
information will yield source contribution uncertainties that are of practical value for evaluation and decision
making.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
9A.6
Time-Series PM2.5 Source Apportionment – Value of the Measurements. Josh Hemann (1), Ricardo Piedrahita
(2), Steve Dutton (3), Sverre Vedal (4), Shelly Miller (2), Jana Milford (2), MIKE HANNIGAN (2), (1) Visual
Numerics, Boulder, (2) University of Colorado, Boulder, (3) EPA, NCEA, RTP, (4) University of Washington,
Seattle
The overall objective of the Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study has been to identify emission
sources and constituents of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that cause adverse health effects. Sources of air pollution
were apportioned using a combination of detailed chemical analyses on PM2.5 filters and factor analysis modeling
including positive matrix factorization (PMF). This work will be used to determine whether short-term changes in
the contributions of specific emission sources to ambient PM2.5 were associated with an array of adverse health
effects, including: (1) increased daily mortality, (2) increased daily hospitalizations for cardio-respiratory illnesses,
and (3) worsening of asthma control in a panel of moderately severe asthmatic children. The detailed chemical
analysis of the filters included gravimetric analysis for total PM2.5 mass concentration, ion chromatography for
sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium concentrations, inductively coupled plasma-mass
spectrometry for 45 water-soluble metal species concentrations, thermal optical transmission for elemental carbon,
total organic carbon, and carbon fraction concentrations, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for 72 organic
molecular marker concentrations. This effort resulted in a time-series of PM2.5 speciation concentrations consisting
of 350+ days of water-soluble metals, 1000+ days of organic molecular markers, and 2100+ days for the bulk
species (mass, ions and carbon).
In the past, researchers have used either metals, bulk species (including carbon fractions), or organic molecular
markers as input to factor analysis models to determine source contributions to the ambient PM2.5 mass
concentration (or some portion of the PM2.5 mass concentration). The DASH speciation time-series has allowed us
to explore the utility, or value, of these suites of species in combination and in smaller subsets. An increase in data’s
utility is seen here as an increase in the number of factors resolved, or a reduction in the uncertainty of resolved
factors. We will present the results of this comparison with specific focus on the value that each suite of species
added to the source apportionment and the limitations we ran into using various combinations of species. This will
provide valuable guidance on study design for future PM2.5 source apportionment studies.
This is an abstract for a proposed presentation/poster and does not necessarily reflect the policies of the U.S. EPA.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
9A.7
Development of an Ensemble-Trained Source Apportionment for PM2.5. SIVARAMAN BALACHANDRAN
(1), Jorge Pachon (1), Roshini Shankaran (1), Armistead G. Russell (1), James A. Mulholland (1), Dongho Lee (2),
Sangil Lee (3), (1) Georgia Institute of Technology (2) Gyeongnam Province Institute of Health and Environment,
Changwon, Gyeongnam, Korea (3) Center for Analytical Measurement Services, Korea Research Institute of
Standards, Daejon, Korea
Most epidemiological studies associating health impacts with PM2.5 have historically focused on using total PM
mass, or when available, individual PM2.5 components. Recently, there has been growing interest in associating
health outcomes with sources of PM2.5, rather than individual components. However, source apportionment (SA)
results can vary significantly depending on the method used. Further, there appear to be issues specific to the types
of modeling used. For example, receptor-based source apportionment approaches appear to have excessive day to
day variability and are limited spatially since results are representative of the location of observations. Conversely,
while emissions-based chemical transport models (CTMs) provide large spatio-temporal coverage, they lack
significant day-to-day variation in source impacts and are computationally intensive.
To provide better estimates of source impacts, an ensemble-trained chemical mass balance approach that utilizes the
Lipschitz Generalized Optimization (CMB-LGO) has been developed. This method uses results from receptorbased models, including CMB and positive matrix factorization(PMF), and chemical transport models, in this case
the community multiscale air quality (CMAQ). First, results from multiple methods are averaged to derive
ensemble source impacts. Next, the ensemble source impacts along with 24- hour PM2.5 measurements at the
Jefferson St. (JST) site in Atlanta, GA, were used in CMB-LGO to derive optimized, ensemble-trained source
profiles (EBSPs). Here, separate profiles were developed for summer (using July 2001 data) and winter (using
January 2002 data). Third, the EBSPs were then used in a CMB-LGO application for a year-long data set from JST.
These results were then compared to an application of CMB-LGO using measurement-based source profiles
(MBSPs). When looking at performance measures, CMB-LGO with EBSPs performed better with a lower reduced
chi-square value as well as decreased zero-impact days (largely driven by a decrease in zero impact days from coal
combustion). Using EBSPs also resulted in increased impacts from gasoline vehicles but decreased impacts from
biomass burning and dust in the summer. In the winter, impacts from biomass burning, dust, and coal combustion
increased while other organic carbon (presumably secondary organic carbon) decreased.
Subsequently, the EBSPs were applied to a 9.5 year data set from August 1999 – December 2007 at JST. Both
EBSPs and MBSPs were used in CMB-LGO and compared. Similar to the year-long data set, the use of EBSPs had
reduced errors and fewer zero-impact days. In addition, the 9.5 year data set allows us to assess variability and
identify likely error and quantify uncertainties in both the ensemble method and the model results originally used in
deriving the ensemble source impacts. The uncertainty quantification can lead to better understanding of source
impacts from various methods which can inform air quality manager and health researchers in their use.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
1SQ2.1
Quantifying Source Impacts on Particulate Matter and Health Outcomes: Some Problems, Some Advances, A
Ways Left to Go. A.G. RUSSELL1, S. BALACHANDRAN1, D. LEE1, J. PACHON1, T. ODMAN1,G.
GOLDMAN1, J. MULHOLLAND1, Y. HU1, J. SARNAT2, S. SARNAT2, M. STRICKLAND2, P. TOLBERT2,
(1) Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA (correspondence to ted.russell@ce.gatech.edu) (2) Emory
University, Atlanta, GA
An estimated 800,000 people die prematurely each year due to exposure to urban particulate matter (PM), and more
suffer less adverse effects. Such estimates are derived largely from epidemiologic studies linking health records to
observed concentrations of PM (typically PM2.5 or PM10). When the necessary data have been available, some of
those studies have been able to go further to identify specific species that appear to be most responsible for the
observed health outcomes. Such studies typically do not identify the sources of the PM that may have increased
impacts. Recent studies using a range of source apportionment techniques have begun to contribute that
information. However, the various methods used for source apportionment can lead to differing results. Further,
recent studies have identified limitations in the use of air quality model results, including both chemical transport
models and receptor modelling approaches.
Here, examination of the weaknesses of using different source apportionment techniques in health studies are
presented, as well as how methods can be combined to alleviate limitations. Results from two new approaches,
using ensembles and multi-method optimization, suggest improved performance. The ensemble method uses results
of various source apportionment techniques to develop a weighted average result, which is then used to develop
spatially and temporally applicable source profiles for application over longer periods. A second approach uses
chemical transport modeling (CTM) and chemical mass balance (CMB) approaches together to provide a more
detailed characterization of source impacts at a receptor.
While these new approaches appear to address some of the current limitations in using source apportionment
methods, there is a need for more spatially and temporally accurate source impact fields for use in exposure
assessment, health analysis and air quality planning. One area of interest is assessing method uncertainty, and both
the ensemble and CTM-CMB methods provide some advances in our understanding of method accuracy. One
question that arises is if uncertainties in the source apportionment methods are much larger than the observations,
and if this is the case, will using source apportionment results increase overall uncertainty in the health analyses
being conducted. As such, uncertainties in the source apportionment results are compared to the reliability of
various measurement methods, measurement method uncertainties and potential errors in exposure assessments due
to spatial variability not captured by monitoring.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.10
Synthesis of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Phase (MIP) for Trace Analysis of Atrazine in the Environment.
SEYED JAMALEDDIN SHAHTAHERI (1), Alireza Koohpaei (2), Mohammad Reza Ganjali (3), Abbas Rahimi
Forushani (4), (1) Department of Occupational Health & Center for Environmental Research, Tehran University of
Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2) Department of Occupational Health, Gom University of Medical Sciences, Gom,
Iran (3) University Collage of Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran (4) School of Public Health, Tehran
University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Although a strong development has been performed in instrumental analysis methodologies, sample preparation is
still regarded as an important step in the overall analytical scheme. Nowadays, considerable amount of method
developments is spent on optimizing modern strategies of sample preparation that deals with the trace level
determination of occupational and environmental pollutants such as herbicides. For a triazine herbicide, named
atrazine, a novel system among the solid phase extraction techniques (SPE) has been designed based on a molecular
imprinted polymer phase (MIP). This system demonstrates the synthesis of the complementary to atrazine MIP, as
well as the optimization of the factors, influencing its efficiency. The type and the amounts of functional monomer
and solvents, template amount, cross-linker, initiator as well as the polymerization temperature were evaluated
through the optimization process. In acAlthough a strong development has been performed in instrumental analysis
methodologies, sample preparation is still regarded as an important step in the overall analytical scheme. Nowadays,
considerable amount of method developments is spent on optimizing modern strategies of sample preparation that
deals with the trace level determination of occupational and environmental pollutants such as herbicides. For a
triazine herbicide, named atrazine, a novel system among the solid phase extraction techniques (SPE) has been
designed based on a molecular imprinted polymer phase (MIP). This system demonstrates the synthesis of the
complementary to atrazine MIP, as well as the optimization of the factors, influencing its efficiency. The type and
the amounts of functional monomer and solvents, template amount, cross-linker, initiator as well as the
polymerization temperature were evaluated through the optimization process. In accordance with these results, the
optimum condition for the efficient polymerized sorbent, considering the recovery efficiency were; solvent:
acetonotrile, 5.03 mL, monomer: methacrylic acid, 4.73 mmol, template: 0.811 mmol, cross-linker: 21.32 mmol,
initiator: 2.27 mmol and temperature: 40.86 oC. The optimum molar ratio among the template, monomer and crosslinker for atrazine was 1: 5.83: 26.28. For the atrazine detection, a reversed phase-HPLC-UV was employed with an
isocratic solvent delivery system [acetonitrile: mixture of H2O and ammonium acetate (1×10-3 M), 50:50], a flowrate of 1.4 mL min-1, and a UV-wavelength of 226 nm. The attained resulting data exhibited that the utilization of a
central composite design could increase the precision and accuracy of the complementary to atrazine MIP synthesis
and optimization, and possibly other similar analogues. Therefore, a new approach is provided by this methodology
for the synthesis of tailor-made solid phases, called MIPs, leading to the enhancement of the trace residue analysis
of pesticides in the environment and work places.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.11
Intercomparison of Measurement Methods for Particlulate Mass, Sulfate, and Nitrate. YEE-LIN WU, ShihChieh Wei, Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Four PM supersites have been setup in southern Taiwan since 2006: a center site at Dailiao and three satellite sites at
Chiaotou, Chianjen, and Chaochou, respectively. Real time or semi-real time measurements are conducted for
concentrations of PM mass and compositions at the supersites by using P&P 1400 and R&P 8400. In order to
compare the measurement results by different methods, annular denuder system (ADS) and honeycomb denuder
system (HDS) were used with the above continuous methods in parallel samplings. The samplers of manual methods
were analyzed by ion chromatography for ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate. Excellent consistencies were obtained
between ADS and HDS for both gaseous SO2, NH3 and particulate mass, nitrate, and sulfate. However, results of
R&P 1400 are less than those of ADS and HDS due to the sampling loss of nitrate and moisture. Good agreements
are obtained when relative humidity are within deliquescence points of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate
and the nitrate concentration is less than 10 micro-g/m3. The concentrations of nitrate and sulfate measured by R&P
8400 are computed with the percent of theoretical conversion, which is determined by the chemical species of
calibration aqueous solution. The major chemical species of PM2.5 are ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate;
however, the standard solutions for calibration of theoretical conversion are potassium nitrate and sodium sulfate.
Significant differences have been found for the conversion efficiencies among various species.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.12
Improvements in Sampling for Cr (VI) in TSP. MEHDI AMOUEI TORKMAHALLEH (1), Robert A. Cully (1),
Thomas M. Holsen (1), Philip K. Hopke (1), Center for Air Resource Engineering and Science, Clarkson University
Chromium primarily exists in the trivalent and hexavalent states. Trivalent chromium (Cr (III)) is an essential
micronutrient and plays a role in the control of glucose as well as the metabolism of lipids and proteins. Hexavalent
chromium (Cr (VI)) is listed as a group 1 human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Factors such as pH, temperature, humidity, ferrous ions and organic compounds can affect the reduction of Cr (VI)
to Cr (III). Since hexavalent chromium is toxic, sampling particulate matter to measure the concentration of
chromium (VI) in ambient air must be accomplished such that the reduction reaction of chromium (VI) to chromium
(III) is avoided. Accurate exposure assessment requires that the chromium maintains its hexavalent state during
sampling and subsequent storage prior to the application of any analytical methods. The current approach used in
the National Air Toxics Network requires that all samples be retrieved from the field within one day after the sample
has been collected to prevent Cr (VI) loss (up to 20% on the first day). However, retrieving filters within one day is
often difficult for state and local agencies. To be a practical method, the filters need to be able to stay in the samples
for up to 3 days. Thus, an improved sampling system is needed that will accurately sample and preserve Cr (VI) in
ambient particulate matter.
Previous studies of reduction of chromium (VI) to chromium (III) suggest that the reduction reaction only takes
place in the presence of liquid water. Therefore, water adsorption by filter and particulate matter on the filter during
sampling time leads to loss of hexavalent chromium. Thus, the current sampling method could be improved by
providing cooling and drying of the filter to retard reduction on the filter during sampling and non-sampling time.
However, since cooling increases the relative humidity above the surface of the filter, the filter along with particles
may adsorb water in different relative humidity. Hence, cooling may play a negative role by increasing the relative
humidity during sampling time, and it can also play an effective role to stop the reduction reaction during nonsampling time. In this work the kinetics of water adsorption by particulate matter on the surface of the celluse filter
in different relative humidity was investigated to understand whether cooling process is required in current sampling
trains for sampling hexavalent chromium or not.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.13
Using Laboratory Measurements to Derive Collection Efficiencies for Field Data from the Aerodyne Aerosol
Mass Spectrometer. ANN MIDDLEBROOK (1), Roya Bahreini (1,2), Jose Jimenez (2,3), (1) NOAA ESRL
Chemical Sciences Division, (2) CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, (3) Dept of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
University of Colorado, Boulder
In recent years, the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) has been used in many locations around the world
to study the size-resolved, non-refractory chemical composition of ambient particles. To be quantitative, the mass or
(number) of particles detected by the AMS relative to the mass (or number) of particles sampled by the AMS, or the
AMS collection efficiency (CE), must be known. Here we used laboratory measured CEs to derive the AMS CE for
field data based on the measured inorganic composition and the sampling line relative humidity. We compared the
AMS total mass concentrations using the derived CEs with fine particle volume or Particle-into-Liquid Sampler
(PiLS) ion chromatography measurements in three different cases: 1) plumes of small acidic sulfate particles in
otherwise neutralized ammonium sulfate aerosol, 2) aerosol composed of predominantly ammonium nitrate, and 3)
aerosol composed of primarily biomass burning species. In all three cases, the AMS mass concentrations with the
derived CEs had tighter correlations with fine particle volume or PiLS data than using a single CE. The last case
was consistent with a collection efficiency significantly less than 1, which suggested that these biomass burning
particles were not liquid.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.14
Development of Chemically-Speciated Model of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from the Reaction of
OH Radicals with 2-Methyl-1-Alkenes. AIKO MATSUNAGA (1) AND Paul J. Ziemann (1), (1) University of
California, Riverside
Modeling the composition and mass concentration of atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is important for
predicting their various effects including the impacts on human health. SOA is formed by the oxidation of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) by OH radicals, NO3 radicals, or O3, and many studies have focused on the
development of detailed models of SOA formation. Current models tend to underestimate atmospheric SOA mass
concentrations by up to an order of magnitude or more for reasons including inadequate information on the
chemistry of VOCs and aerosols, including alkene reactions with OH radicals. Alkenes, such as monoterpenes,
comprise a significant fraction of the atmospheric hydrocarbon burden, and OH radicals are the major atmospheric
oxidant. In this study, we developed a chemically-speciated model for the reactions of C9-C15 2-methyl-1-alkenes
with OH radicals in the presence of NOx to investigate the effects on SOA formation of having a methyl group on
the C=C double bond of the parent alkene. This structure is frequently observed in biogenic compounds, such as
isoprene and alpha-pinene. The study was carried in a 6000 liter environmental chamber with OH radicals generated
by photolysis of a methyl nitrite/NO mixture. Particle composition was analyzed using a thermal desorption particle
beam mass spectrometer and SOA yields were determined from SMPS measurements of SOA mass and GC-FID
measurements of the alkene. An HPLC with an UV detector was used to identify and quantify multifunctional
nitrate products. NMR was also used for identification. The major SOA products were primarily formed by reactions
initiated by OH radical addition to the C=C double bond and include beta-hydroxynitrates, dihydroxynitrates,
trihydroxynitrates, dihydroxycarbonyls, trihydroxycarbonyls, cyclic hemiacetals, and dihydrofurans. When corrected
for gas-particle partitioning and normalized for OH addition to the C=C double bond, total molar yields measured
for beta-hydroxynitrates, dihydroxynitrates, and trihydroxynitrates were 0.225, 0.0555, and 0.042, respectively. A
chemically-speciated model was developed using branching ratios calculated from measured product yields and
kinetic data from the literature, and was combined with vapor pressures estimated from measurements of gasparticle partitioning and structure-activity relationships. SOA yields calculated using the model were significantly
higher than measured values, indicating that the original mechanism was missing important alkoxy radical
decomposition reactions that lead to the formation of volatile products that do not form SOA. It is therefore
proposed that trihydroxy and tetrahydroxy alpha-hydroxyalkyl radical intermediates react to a large extent with O2
and NO to form the corresponding alkoxy radials, which then decompose, resulting in significantly less SOA than
would otherwise be formed. These reactions were incorporated into the model along with more detailed H-atom
abstraction and secondary reaction mechanisms to create a more complete model for calculating SOA composition
and yield. The results of this study add substantial new insights into the products and mechanisms of alkene-OH
reactions and SOA formation and enhance the reliability of the SOA formation model.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.15
Effects of Microwave Irradiation on Airborne Allergens. Yan Wu and Maosheng Yao, State Key Joint
Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and
Engineering Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
The effects of microwave irradiation on airborne allergens were investigated in this study. The dog, cat allergens
(Can f 1 and Fel d 1) and fungal allergens (Alt a 1 and Asp f 1) were aerosolized and exposed to the microwave
irradiation (2450 MHz) at different output powers (700, 385 and 119 W) for up to 2 min. The control and exposed
allergen bioaerosols were collected by a BioSampler. The collected air samples were analyzed by enzyme liked
immunosorbent assay. The cross reaction among the tested allergens were also studied.
For airborne fungal allergens Asp f 1 and Alt a 1, the allergenicity was shown to be decreased to about 50% when
exposed to microwave irradiation at medium and low power (385 and 119 W). However, the allergenicity remained
relatively unchanged when exposed to the irradiation at high power (700 W). For airborne Can f 1 allergen, the
allergenicity was shown to increase about 50 % when exposed to the irradiation at medium power (385 W), and
remained relatively unchanged at high and low power. In contrast, Fel d 1 allergen was observed to lose
allergenicity completely at high power, and retained about 40% and 80% at medium and low power. The
preliminary data indicated that there were some cross reactions among the allergens tested in this study.
The results from this study indicated that the allergenicity of airborne allergens when exposed to the microwave
irradiation depended on the output power and allergen types. The information here suggested that particular care
regarding airborne allergens should be taken when the microwave irradiation was used to disinfect air.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.17
Visualization of Suspended Particulate Matter by Digital cameras. JUNKO KAMBE (1), Toru Yagi (1), Umpei
Nagashima (2), Tomoo Aoyama (3), (1) Edogawa University, (2) AIST, Tsukuba, (3) University of Miyazaki
Air pollution in the eastern Asian mega cities is very serious problem for the human health care. Meteorological
phenomena, yellow sand and haze are caused by suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the atmosphere. We
measured the density when the phenomena occurred. The detection of SPM is difficult for the usual citizens,
because the equipments of SPM detection are very expensive and not easy to handle for non-trained people. The
detection of SPM is expected to be easier by the developments and utilizing the visualization instruments of light
scattering of SPM.
We would like to propose the visualized aerosol distributions in the atmosphere by commercial available digital
cameras. The digital image data are deconvoluted to R, G and B fractions. The collected images were stored as the
RAW-format image data. The image data representing the SPM distributions were extracted from the RAW images
by newly developed image analysis software. The mod-pictures enable to show the SPM distribution in the air
surrounding the local area, where is the place for taken pictures. And also the RGB brightness demonstrates the
SPM characters. And we processed R-image part of the pictures as mod-picture. The power and mod-calculations of
brightness of pixels show concentrated black stripes around the sun for the clear sky day. The black stripes are
defined for the ideal Mie-scattering. When SPM flows into the atmosphere, the stripes are disordered, and SPM was
observed close to the earth.
On use of the method, the yellow sand phenomena have the following characters.
1. The distribution has a high density center and the shape of the fringe is not decided. Occasionally, an unstable
cloud was generated in the fringe.
2. Estimating the upper limit of the yellow sand from the cloud, we obtain the altitude (about 600m).
3. The yellow sand subsiding in the sea has two layers which are the main body and diffused haze.
We applied the method to the haze and got the following:
1. The detailed flow in the atmosphere is described by the scattering of SPM particles. Thus, the SPM is a tracer to
detect the atmospheric flow.
2. The three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere is estimated by the RGB resolution image of the scattering
pictures qualitatively.
Air pollution in the eastern Asian mega cities is very serious problem for the human health care. We believe that
SPM should be monitored as the human living environments. The detection of SPM is expected to be easier for the
usual citizens.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.18
Simulating Wind-carried Particulate Matter with Cellular Automata. TIANFANG FANG, Texas State
University-San Marcos
Taking advantage of Cellular Automata (CA) for rule-replication, this study develops a CA model to simulate the
distribution of wind-carried particulate matter (PM2.5) along linear air pollution sources. The study area is Hays
County, Texas. Using both one-minute time step and half-an-hour time step, CA models were constructed to
simulate PM2.5 level along highways. The results show that PM2.5 density remains relatively stable after a threehour spread. Took the PM2.5 dispersion effect of highways in 5 adjacent counties into consideration, a further
analysis were performed to study the PM2.5 concentration in Hays County more accurately. It was found that the
neighboring emission sources effect of wind-carried PM2.5 simulation was very significant.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.19
Identification of the Vehicular Emission Contribution to PM2.5 Mass Concentration in Six Brazilian Cities.
MARIA DE FATIMA ANDRADE (1), Regina Maura de Miranda (1), Adalgiza Fornaro(1), Americo Kerr(2), Paulo
Afonso de Andre (3), Paulo Saldiva (3), (1) Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas,
Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil. (2) Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brasil (3) Faculdade de
Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brasil
In Brazil the main sources of pollutants concentration at urban areas are related to the transport sector, being the
major amount specially associated to the burning of fuels. There are specific characteristics of each city but the
Brazilian light fleet runs with pure ethanol (95% ethanol, 5% water), gasohol (75% gasoline and 25% alcohol) and
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and 5% of bio-diesel is used in the normal diesel in the heavy fleet. The objective
of this study was to identify the responsibility of each source to the concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) in the
following cities: Sao Paulo (a mega-city with 11 million inhabitants), Rio de Janeiro (the second biggest city of
Brazil, with 6 million inhabitants), Belo Horizonte (2.5 million inhabitants), Porto Alegre (1.4 million), Curitiba (1.8
million) and Recife (a coastal city in northeast of the country, with 1.5 million inhabitants). In São Paulo 50% of the
fuel burned is alcohol, and most of the vehicular pollutants emissions are from the oldest fraction of the fleet, with
more than 10 years old. For the last twenty years has been applied an enforcement of a national politics of
controlling vehicular emission, called PROCONVE (National Program for Vehicular Emission Control).
24hours samples of fine particles were collected during one year in each of the six cities, simultaneously. The filters
were submitted to gravimetrical analysis for identification of PM2.5 concentration, to reflectance for Black Carbon
concentration, to X-Ray fluorescence analysis for elemental composition and concentration and ion chromatography
for anions and cations analysis. The PM2.5 concentration average were 28, 19, 17, 17, 16 and 11 micrograms per
cubic meter in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre and Recife, respectively. Black
Carbon, accounted for approximately 30% of the PM2.5 mass concentration in the cities analyzed.
The elemental chemical composition of the PM2.5 was used to identify several distinct source-related fractions of
fine particles, by means of Receptor Models. The results were used to examine the association of these fractions
with daily mortality in each of the six cities. Using specific rotation factor analysis for each city, it was identified
soil and crustal material factor, a Black Carbon factor classified as motor vehicle exhaust and biomass burning, a
Sulphur factor representing residual oil combustion, and more additional factors. The participation of the vehicular
fleet to the PM2.5 mass concentration was significative in the six cities of Brazil, explaining at least 40% of its
mass. The combination of elemental composition determination and receptor modeling continue to be an adequate
strategy to identify the main sources of air pollution and can be used to evaluate the impact of each specific source
to human health impairment.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.20
Approaches to Assessing Exposure to Airborne Allergens. James House(1), Gregory Griffin(1), Jason
Gamba(1), Pietro Perona(1), RICHARD FLAGAN(1), (1) California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
In addition to their direct actions, atmospheric pollutants can act as adjuvants that enhance susceptibility to
allergens, so a full understanding of their health consequences requires knowledge of exposures to allergenic
aerosols as well. Climate change may further confound the challenge by altering the distribution of allergenic
aerosols. Our research focuses on pollen allergens that are present in whole pollen grains that larger than the usual
coarse particle fraction. Pollen antigen is also found in respirable particles that form when pollen undergoes osmotic
rupture within the flowers of anemophilous plants or other special environments that enable their entrainment into
the air. Methods for measuring and reporting airborne allergens have changed little over the past several decades.
Whole pollen are now identified by manual microscopy. We have applied computer-controlled microscopy and
computer vision to make it possible to replace such measurements with image processing. Matlab software based
upon scale invariant feature transforms and nearest neighbor algorithms has have enable accuracy that approaches
that of an expert pollen reader, in a small fraction of the time and much lower cost. Our efforts to measure
respirable antigen focus on the development of new whispering gallery mode resonator sensors that enable
immunological assays to be performed on unlabeled antigen, at solution concentrations in the attomolar regime.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.21
Considerations Regarding Measurement of Air Flow Rate. ROBERT GUSSMAN(1), Thomas Merrifield (1),
Kevin DeVoe, (1) BGI Instruments
An ambient air sampler must periodically be calibrated and checked for flow rate. Field portable calibrators have
greatly improved in past years; nevertheless confusion exists regarding what is a Primary and what is a Traceable
device. Metrology definitions of a Primary Standard may be grouped into three categories: Fanciful, logical and
official. Additionally, Accuracy and Uncertainty are important considerations. Merchantability is paramount; does
the device work for the application? These considerations can not be ignored when selecting Primary and Traceable
Standards for the measurement of sampler flow rate.
The National Institute of Standards & Testing (NIST), possess the best Primary Air Flow Standards in the world
(PVTt), however NIST does not define a Primary Standard for the measurement of air flow rate. International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines the Primary Standard for flow measurement in the International
Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM), Guide 99. If a manufacturing company of air flow calibrators is ISO registered,
they are bound by the definitions in the VIM. The ISO definitions will be quoted and discussed.
If a measurement device is calibrated or verified at the factory prior to use, it is a secondary and traceable Standard.
An example of a Primary air flow rate Standard is the Bell Prover. The device is composed entirely of a traceable
standard; length. It is not calibrated against anything; therefore it is a Primary Standard.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires air sampling devices be calibrated with rugged, field
serviceable Transfer Standards. The Transfer Standards are required to be calibrated against Primary Standards and
EPA Mandates ISO Registration. The ISO definition of a Primary must apply.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.22
Measurement Errors in the PM2.5 Chemical Speciation Network (CSN): Implications for Exposure
Estimation. JAMES FLANAGAN (1), R.K.M. Jayanty (1), Ed E. Rickman (1), Max R. Peterson (1), (1) RTI
International, Research Triangle Park, NC
The PM2.5 Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) sponsored by the U.S. EPA is now ten years old, and over 300,000
filter samples from more than 250 locations in the U.S. have been collected. In that time, the network data have
been used to:
- assess trends in species concentrations over time and assess the success of mitigation strategies
- support state implementation planning by supplying data for source identification
- supply data needed for human exposure and risk assessment and epidemiological studies
Sampling and analysis methods, and the suite of chemical species to be reported under the CSN, were chosen in the
late 1990s based on a variety of sometimes conflicting considerations. This presentation will examine several
significant measurement issues that should be understood when the CSN data are used in exposure assessment and
other health-related applications.
The relatively low flow rate of the CSN sampler limits the detectibility of low-level analytes of health significance,
including certain trace elements (e.g., Cu, Cr, Se, As), which are measured by X-ray fluorescence. Tables of
detection limits and and data completeness will be presented and the potential impacts of analytical detection limits
and completeness will be discussed in the contexts of health-related assessments and source apportionment.
The method used for measuring Elemental Carbon (EC), a proxy for diesel soot, and Organic Carbon (OC) has
several known measurement issues. These include determining the split between OC and EC based on laser
reflectance, and the “OC artifact” which complicates the accurate assessment of particle phase semivolatile organics.
In addition, the multiplier used to convert from measurements made “as carbon” to total mass (by accounting for
unmeasured components such as bound oxygen, hydrogen, and associated water) depends on the composition of the
aerosol, which can vary by season or locale.
Finally, historical CSN data demonstrate that nearby CSN sites can differ signficantly from each other in the
concentrations of key species, which could have implications for the accuracy and precision of exposure estimates.
Being aware of issues such as these will help data users deal with some of the potential biases and uncertainties in
the CSN and other PM speciation datasets.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.23
Development and Characterization of a Coarse and Fine PM Chemical Speciation Sampler with Multiple
Filters to Obtain a Nearly Complete Mass Balance. GUAN ZHAO (1), Paul A. Solomon (2), Suresh Dhaniyala
(1),, (1) Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY (2) National Exposure Research
Laboratory, US EPA, Las Vegas, NV
A commercial high volume (1000 Lpm) fine and coarse dichotomous sampler (HVDS; Sardar et al., J Aerosol Sci.
37, 1455-1466, 2006; Tisch Environmental, Inc., OH) was re-evaluated to confirm and optimize collection
efficiency and minimize wall losses of the virtual impactor (VI) utilizing both numerical modeling and laboratory
methods. This analysis will help to ensure that the commercial instrument achieves the desired collection efficiency
curve with a cutpoint of 2.5 ± 0.2 µm (aerodynamic diameter, AD) and the slope of <= 1.25 (1.15 preferred), with
less than 5% wall losses. Laboratory experiments included challenging the virtual impactor in an environmental
chamber with monodisperse and polydisperse particles of known size in the range from 1 – 10 µm AD.
The commercial HVDS contains only one collection filter on the coarse side and one filter on the fine side designed
with a focus on obtaining coarse and fine samples for organic speciation, biological components, and ultra trace
elements. However, to obtain a nearly complete mass balance of the collected aerosol, multiple filters are needed
due to the need to use different analytical methods and to minimize potential sampling artifacts. To achieve the use
of multiple filters in the Tisch HVDI, separate flow splitters were designed for the coarse and fine sides, which
allows for simultaneous collection of several different filter types, and thus, different chemical analyses can be
obtained of the collected aerosol in both size fractions. The flow rates for individual filters for general chemical
analysis was designed to match the PM2.5 and PMc Federal Reference Method flows of 16.7 LPM to minimize
differences in potential artifacts between this chemical speciation sampler and the FRM mass. Additional flow can
either pass through a bypass line through the pump or be collected by an additional filter (~50 LPM) on the coarse
side and approximately 833 LPM on the fine side, assuming 3 and 4, 16.7 LPM filters on the coarse and fine sides,
respectively. The flow splitters were designed computationally, and their performance evaluated experimentally in
the laboratory, similar to the VI. The VI and flow splitters were combined and evaluated together as well. The
development of this HVDI will result in a sampler capable of obtaining a nearly complete mass balance in the coarse
and fine fractions of the collected particles and should be suitable for use in routine monitoring networks for coarse
particle chemical speciation and highly useful for health effects researches needed to have a thorough chemical
characterization of coarse particles. The collection of the bypass flow allows for additional unique sample collection
for use by health researchers wanting to perform extended biological and toxicological analyses on the collected
aerosol.
Disclaimer: Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for presentation, it may not necessarily reflect
official Agency policy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.24
A Personal Exposure Aerosol Screen Model (PEASM) for Near-Road Size-Resolved Aerosol and Gas
Concentrations: Evalution with Ambient Measurements. Sang-Rin Lee(1), Nicole Riemer(2), JAEMEEN
BAEK(1), Matthew West(2), Rahul A Zaveri(3), Katharine Moore(4), Constantinos Sioutas(4), Ralph Delfino(5),
Alberto Ayala(6), Todd Sax(6) and Charles O Stanier(1), (1) University of Iowa, iowa city, (2) University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign, (3) PNNL, Richland, (4) University Southern California, LA, (5) University of California,
Irvine, (6) California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento
Ultrafine particles (<0.1 micro-meter) mainly emitted by mobile sources are potentially a key causal pollutant in
adverse human health effects. However, due to the well-demonstrated spatial variation in urban environments, and
the difficulties in representative sampling of urban air toxics and ultrafine particles, models for exposure of these
pollutants are expected to have wide utility. A Personal Exposure Aerosol Screening Model (PEASM) is presented.
This is combination of models to allow full simulation of emissions, dilution, particle/gas aerosol dynamics, and
thermodynamics for urban scale exposure studies. PEASM uses a two stage calculation approach, first calculating
vehicular carbon monoxide at high spatial resolution (but low computational cost), and then in a 2nd pass
implementing aerosol dynamics on spatial subdomains upwind of receptors of interest.
At each receptor, the number and mass size distribution can be calculated by PEASM, together with particle
chemistry and source (e.g. road) tagged particle loadings. The evaluation of the PEASM against data from the
Harbor Communities Monitoring Study will be presented. The measured variables include particle number and
particle size distribution measured at over 14 sites. This study was conducted from mid-February to mid-December
2007 to investigate diurnal, seasonal and spatial patterns. Total number concentration varied up to factor of 10
(<10,000 cm-3 up to 90,000 cm-3 for hourly averages).
The road preprocessor program is presented which uses ArcGIS and Matlab, and can successfully duplicate a real
road network for simulation in PEASM. Traffic activity model data (from Southern California Association for
Governments) and 1x1 km meteorology from the WRF model is also used as input data. Also presented are the
results from a vertically resolved Lagrangian model. PEASM implements size resolved aerosol dynamics module
using PartMC and gas/particle thermodynamics and photochemistry using MOSAIC.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.25
Development and Application of Functional Group Analysis for secondary organic aerosol. SUKON
AIMANANT (1) and Paul J. Ziemann (1), (1) University of California, Riverside
Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) are important due to their impact on human health and global climate by acting
as cloud condensation nuclei. They are formed from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere.
Reactions of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere with the oxidants OH, NO3, and O3, lead to a variety of
oxygenated products including aldehydes, alcohols, carboxylic acids, peroxides, organic nitrates, and others. Many
of these compounds are multifunctional, resulting in low volatility and high polarity, so they often condense to form
SOA. Since functional groups are major factors in determining compound reactivity and other properties,
characterization of functional group composition of SOA will be useful for understanding their effects on human
health and the environment. Therefore, the objectives of this project are to develop the methods to quantify these
functional groups and to quantify functional group composition in SOA for modeling of atmospheric reaction
products and for developing models of water-uptake and cloud condensation nucleating activity of SOA. Because
peroxide and organic nitrate analyses were developed by previous students in our lab, in the present work, I am
developing the methods for quantification of carboxyl, carbonyl, hydroxyl and ester groups. The methods for
analysis of carbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl and ester groups have been developed. These functional groups were
analyzed by colorimetric methods. Carbonyl and carboxyl groups were derivatized by dinitrophenylhydrazine and
2-nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride respectively. Under basic conditions, these derivatives produced color that
can be measured by spectrophotometer at a specific wavelength. The methods were also used to quantify the
composition of carbonyl and carboxyl groups in products from the reaction of oleic acid aerosol particles with
nitrate radicals. The results from these analyses were consistent with those obtained using a HPLC coupled to a UV
diode array detector and a high-resolution mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization. For hydroxyl group
analysis, 4-nitrobenzoyl chloride was used to derivatize hydroxyl groups. Derivatives were measured by
spectrophotometer after being extracted into hexane. Ester group analysis has been developed by conversion of
ester groups to hydroxamic acid which can then form ferric hydroxamate with ferric chloride and can be measured
by spectrophotometer. These methods that have been developed were applied to quantify the functional group
compositions in SOA products from the reactions of some alkanes, for example, pentadecane and cyclopentadecane,
with hydroxyl radicals under dry condition and 50% relative humidity. In addition, they will be used to analyze
functional group composition in the products from the reactions of some alkenes, carboxylic acids, carbonyls and
alcohols with hydroxyl radicals, ozone or nitrate radicals for modeling of atmospheric reaction products and for
developing models of water-uptake and cloud condensation nucleating activity of SOA.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.310
Optical Measurements Of CSN and FRM Teflon Filters To Estimate Elemental Carbon To Support Health
Studies, PM2.5 NAAQS Implementation And Climate. NEIL FRANK (1), Joann Rice (1) and Joe Tikvart (1),
(1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
PM2.5 Teflon filters from 2007 for seven Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) samplers and from a subset of three
collocated Federal Reference Method (FRM) samplers are examined to explore the level of correlation and degree of
temporal concordance between optical attenuation measurements developed with a Magee Scientific OT21 dual
wavelength Transmissometer and thermal-optical EC reported by the CSN. During this sampling year, four of these
locations changed carbon measurements from the EPA NIOSH-type TOT to the IMPROVE TOR protocol.
Considering the filter area and network-specific 24-hr sampler volumes, filter absorption versus thermal EC
relationships are developed. The consistency of the empirically derived filter absorption coefficient (FAC) is
compared among sampling locations, networks and the two thermal optical techniques. Most of the results are based
on the OT21’s 880nm wavelength.
With few exceptions, the CSN and FRM filter absorption measurements are highly correlated with thermal EC. For
NIOSH-type EC, different absorption versus EC relationships are observed between the wood smoke and non wood
smoke urban aerosols. For this study, the derived FAC with 880 nm wavelength FRM Teflon filter attenuation and
EPA’s NIOSH-type EC range from 13-16 m2 g-1 for wood smoke areas and 10-12 m2 g-1 for the non wood smoke
sampling locations. The interval is slightly narrower and more consistent for the IMPROVE TOR protocol (10-11
m2 g-1). Lower correlations at sites influenced by iron were explored.
The high correlations and relatively consistent filter absorption vs. EC relationships show that EC can be reasonably
predicted from PM2.5 collected on Teflon filters. Retrospective EC measurements can therefore be developed with
archived Teflon filters. The results also show that filter absorption measurements can help QC collocated thermal
EC measurements. Finally, the filter absorption versus EC relationships may be useful to understand the change in
average measured EC which may result from the change in thermal optical carbon protocol in EPA’s CSN.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
3SQ2.T2.311
Development and Evaluation of a Photochemical Chamber, for Studying the Relative Toxicity of Primary
and Secondary Diesel Exhaust Particles. Krishna Kumar Budania(1), Tarun Gupta(1*), Avinash Kumar
Agarwal(2), Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India
Recently, researchers have stressed the need to investigate the toxicity of aged diesel exhaust particles and the
bioactivity of real world doses of diesel exhaust. Current research has shown pulmonary, systemic, and
cardiovascular effects being associated with several metals, including iron, zinc, vanadium, and nickel present in the
diesel exhaust. Such research suggests a role for metal containing PM in alterations in heart rate and heart rate
variability, and in the development of arrhythmias (Wellenius et al., 2002). Diesel exhaust is environmentally
reactive and it has long been understood that the ambient interactions of hydrocarbons and NOx result in the
formation of ozone and other potentially toxic secondary pollutants. It has been shown that atmospheric
photochemical reactions of vehicular emissions can result in the formation of secondary organic aerosol, as well as
in the alteration of the toxicity and mutagenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), most probably via the
formation of nitro- or oxy-PAH derivatives (Mauderly, 2001; Seagrave et al., 2003).
Researchers have studied the toxicity of source emissions by exposing subjects to particles representative of these
sources. A frequently used approach is to use direct diluted emissions. For instance, emissions from mobile sources
have been tested using motor vehicles running in dynamometers (Gupta and Agarwal, 2009). Smog chambers are
valuable tools for performing atmospheric chemistry experiments in a controlled environment. One significant class
of experiments involves measuring particle growth (or evaporation) as a result of chemistry: these include SOA
formation experiments and particle aging experiments (Dusek, 2000; Ruiz et al., 2007). Optimization of
photochemical chamber for favorable SOA formation for temperature, relative humidity, residence time etc. and
comparison of toxicity of primary and secondary exhausts is done.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
9B.3
Global Climatology of Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations Estimated from Remote-Sensed Aerosol
Optical Depth. AARON VAN DONKELAAR(1), Randall V. Martin(1,2), Ralph Kahn(3) and Robert Levy(3), (1)
Dalhousie University, Halifax (2) Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge (3) NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt
Chronic exposure to fine aerosol negatively impacts human health, yet long-term, ground-based measurements are
rare for much of the world and often represent only small locales. Satellite-derived estimates of PM2.5 offer insight
into global exposures of PM2.5 over large spatial and temporal domains. We develop a high-resolution (10 km by
10 km) global climatology of PM2.5 for 2001-2006 by combining Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from two satellite
instruments (MODIS and MISR) with aerosol properties from the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. We find
significant agreement with coincident North American PM2.5 measurements (r=0.78, slope=1.02, n=1083) and noncoincident global measurements (r=0.75, slope=0.89, n=297). We estimate a 2-sigma PM2.5 climatology error of
±(4.5 ug/m3 or 40%, whichever is larger), by combining errors in satellite AOD and simulated vertical structure
with simulated sampling bias. Satellite-derived PM2.5 estimates over eastern North America and western Europe
are between 10-20 ug/m3. Parts of northern India and eastern China are found to have annual mean PM2.5
concentrations of 35-60 ug/m3 and 80-100 ug/m3, respectively, with 35% of the Asian population exposure
exceeding the WHO Interim Target 1 of 35 ug/m3. The highest 10% of the eastern Asian PM2.5 trend between
2001-2006 averages +6.5 ug/m3/year.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
1SQ2.2
Progress in methods for more precise characterization of exposure: Are we on track for more-refined air
quality standards/policies? JEFFREY R. BROOK (1), Amanda J. Wheeler (2), (1) Environment Canada, (2)
Health Canada
The establishment of standards, guidelines or objectives for PM2.5 over ten years ago represented a key refinement
in air quality management and public health protection. While the case was considered to be strong for taking this
step several important questions remained. In particular, since PM2.5 essentially represents an index for a mixture
of chemical compounds associated with multiple primary sources and atmospheric processes that can be spread
differentially across a range of particle sizes, the extent to which any PM2.5 mass reduction would achieve the same
health benefit was not known. Furthermore, there are some contributors to PM2.5 (e.g., trace metals and specific
organic species) that while small in mass are known to be toxic. Their reductions could be more important to health
despite a minimal impact on total mass. The role of gaseous pollutants, which can co-vary with PM2.5, was also
important to consider yet not always possible to assess. Multiple study types and designs have been brought to bear
to help resolve these issues, but an essential part of these efforts has been the improved methods for assigning or
characterizing exposure. While new PM2.5 monitoring, including chemical speciation, has played an important
role, some of the main advances in exposure precision in health research have come from: (1) better characterization
of smaller scale variations through application of models, such as land-use regression; (2) epidemiological studies
using more-informed selection of potential source indicators (e.g., sulfate vs. black carbon, proximity); (3) use of
panel studies targeting specific sources and; (4) human and animal chamber studies with controlled exposures to
concentrated ambient particles or specific particle types or mixtures (e.g., diesel). The goal of this presentation is to
assess what has been learned from these advances in light of their current limitations and the extent to which they
have or can potentially lead to more-refined air quality standards or policies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.26
Inhalation exposure chamber development &amp;amp;amp; Performance Evaluation for inhalation toxicity
study. Kisoo Jeon (1), Jaeseong Yi (2), Jaeho Cho (2), Jinuk Yoon (2), Yongtaek Kwon (2), Kangho Ahn(1), (1)
Hanyang University (2) HCT Co., Ltd
In this study, experimental animals inhaled toxic substances in an existing chamber having a non-uniform
concentration distribution. This is supplement of a uniform flow of toxic substances generated for the chamber to
evenly spread the toxic substances.
Using numerical analyzing methods, We compared the concentration distribution existing and newly developed
chamber.
In fact, the NaCl particles generated atomizer supplied in the chamber. We selected 9 Sampling Point in the internal
Chamber. We checked the concentration by CPC (Condensation Particle Counter) in the 9 points. As a measured
result, The concentrations distribution by CPC was improved by existing chamber.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.27
Engineering System for Simultaneous Inhalation Exposure of Rodents to Fine and Ultrafine Concentrated
Ambient Particulate Matter from a Common Air Source. LEON WALSH, Ian Gilmour, David Davies, Edwin
Lappi, Dock Terrell, Jerry Highfill, and Kevin Dreher, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
ORD/NHEERL/EPHD, RTP, NC
Exposure to elevated levels of ambient particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 micro-meters (PM2.5) has been
associated with adverse health effects in both humans and animals. Specific properties of either fine (0.1-2.5 micrometers), or ultrafine (< 0.1 micro-meter) PM responsible for exposure related health effects remain an active area of
investigation to determine the roles of various size fractions. The US EPA, National Health and Environmental
Effects Laboratory established a novel multi-pollutant capability for small animal inhalation exposures within its
research facility at Research Triangle Park, NC. Systems in the exposure laboratory utilized technologies developed
at the Harvard School of Public Health to effectively concentrate ambient particles of different size fractions.
Ultrafine mode ambient PM (UCAPs) were concentrated using a Harvard Ultrafine Concentrated Air Particles
System. Fine mode ambient PM (CAPs) were concentrated using multiple stage slit virtual impactor technology.
Air containing the various concentrated PM fractions was then delivered to individual chambers. Systems were
engineered to allow introduction of additional pollutants as desired. Control exposures used filtered ambient air.
Together, these systems provide a unique capability to conduct acute and sub-chronic exposures of rodents to
atmospheres of UCAPs and CAPs simultaneously from a common ambient air source therefore allowing
investigators to assess PM size specific health effects. Systems have been operated for summer and winter, 13 week
protocols, with exposures 6 hours daily, M-F. Extensive engineering controls and detailed QA/QC practices
employed insured exposure atmospheres were effectively monitored, and characterized. State of the art computer
aided monitoring and control methodologies incorporated physical and electronic measurement of PM
concentrations and size. Engineering parameters such as chamber temperatures, relative humidities, static pressures,
flow rates, as well as numerous concentrating equipment operational variables were continuously monitored,
recorded, and displayed. Operators optimized ambient PM concentrating effects and chamber conditions in realtime. Redundant monitoring methodologies allowed operators to cross check exposure conditions as well as
covering any data gaps occurring during more than 6 months of daily operations. Study average PM concentrations
from filter data for summer exposures were: UCAPs – 173 micro-grams/m3, CAPs 309 micro-grams/m3, Controls
6.2 micro-grams/m3, and Ambient PM2.5 16.9 micro-grams/m3. Concentrations for winter exposures were: UCAPs –
378 micro-grams/m3, CAPs 221 micro-grams/m3, Controls 8.8 micro-grams/m3, and Ambient PM2.5 8.7 micrograms/m3. During the sub-chronic tests, exposure operations were completed for 2222 chamber hours of 2226
(99.8%) scheduled with 4 hours missed due to system mechanical problems. Results to date have shown that both
fine and ultrafine particles impact a number of health effects in mice. (This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA
policy)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.28
Low-Field Magnetic Deposition of Combustion Generated Aerosol: A Novel in vitro Exposure Technique.
AAMIR D. ABID (1) and Ian Kennedy (1), (1) University of California, Davis
In the past, in vitro studies have been used to investigate the toxicity of airborne pollutants utilizing an electrostatic
particle deposition technique onto an air-liquid interface. Particles are charged using an ion source such as a corona
discharge. Some difficulties in this technique include (i) a corona discharge that generates ozone which is known to
elicit a toxic response in cell cultures, (ii) the solubility of charged particles that may change with varying surface
charge, (iii) a size bias so that the particles deposited as ultrafine particles have a higher mobility compared to coarse
particles and (iv) small particles have low charging probability where as larger particles can easily obtain multiple
charges. To address these challenges of electrostatic deposition , this work uses a magnetic field to deposit particles
onto cells. The inherent advantage of using magnetic fields to deposit magnetic particles onto a air-liquid interfaces
is that the magnetization of the particles is mass dependent and unaggregated size selected particle deposition can
be achieved. Iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized using a H2/Air diffusion flame. The particle are collected at
increasing heights above the burner using low-field permanent magnets. The particle morphology is characterized
using TEM and the particle size distribution is measured using dynamic light scattering. At low heights above the
burner, the particles deposit onto the collection surface with minimal aggregation. At higher heights the particles self
assemble into long chains. This study has a potential to investigate the toxicity of a broad range of materials by
coating the magnetic core with a shell of material that is of environmental interest, including other non-magnetic
oxides.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.29
A Fuzzy Based Environmental Noise Exposure Model to Study the Effects on Human Health Physiology.
B.K. Padhi (1), P.K. Padhy (2), A Prakash (1), D Singh (1), V.K. Jain (1), (1) School of Environmental Sciences,
Jawaharlal Neheru University, New Delhi-110067, India, (2) Centre for Environmental Studies, Visva Bharati
University, Santiniketan-731235, India
Transportation noise is a major environmental source of pollution in the whole planet, both in developed and in
developing countries. Exposure to noise during the working environment from transport sources is an increasingly
prominent feature and need for comprehensive assessment for estimating noise exposures in connection with
epidemiological studies. Public transport drivers can be exposed to high levels of noise pollution during their
working days. In the present investigation, measurements of noise were made inside various types of transport (bus,
auto-rickshaws, taxi) running in India. Noise indices L10, L50, L90, Leq and LEX, 8h were estimated from the
measured noise levels. The study also investigated the relationship between noise exposure and hypertension of 785
male subjects (20-60 years of age) stratified according to their occupational periods. The results of this study
showed significant association in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse and
heart rate among the subjects. Effects on doctor diagnosed hypertension were estimated by logistic regression with
adjustment for age, body mass index, waist-to-heap ratio, alcohol intake, smoking, education and socioeconomic
status and founds that the subjects working more than 10 years of occupation had odds ratios of 2.61 (95% CI, 1.93
to 3.45), for doctor-diagnosed hypertension. The study also investigates the association between transport noise
exposure and associated adverse impacts on physiological functions in humans using TSK based Fuzzy model. The
model results were compared with the observed findings, in the context of safe exposure limit for occupation hazard
to transport sector. The findings of the present work have important policy and program implications, including the
need for a public information campaign designed to inform people about the risks of noise exposures.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.30
Reducing Exposure Misclassification in the Estimation of Mortality from Acute Exposure to Ambient Fine
Particles. RACHEL BROADWIN (1), Brian J Malig (1), Rochelle S Green (1), Bart D Ostro (1), (1) California
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Oakland
Background: Several studies have demonstrated associations between daily mortality and ambient particulate matter
less than 2.5 micro-meter in diameter (fine particles or PM2.5). However, most have assigned monitor-based
exposure levels over wide areas and thus suffered from exposure misclassification.
Aim: To refine previous assessments of the impact of PM2.5 on daily mortality by restricting the study population
to residents living near air monitors.
Methods: The association of mortality with PM2.5 was analyzed for 12 California counties from 1999 to 2005 using
the time-stratified case-crossover analysis. Cases were limited to those with residential ZIP code centroids within 20
km of a PM2.5 monitor. Outcomes were stratified by cause of death (including all nonaccidental, cardiovascular,
respiratory and diabetes), gender, race/ethnicity (White, Hispanic, Black), age (65 years and older, younger than 65),
or education. Results were first obtained by county and then combined using random effects meta-analysis.
Results: Risk estimates limited to individual residents located within a 20 km buffer of the PM2.5 monitor were
generally greater than estimates from other studies that relied on county-level exposure. Statistically significant
associations with PM2.5 were observed for several mortality outcomes. For example, we found that a 10 microgram
per cubic meter change in 2-day average PM2.5 concentration corresponded to a 1.0% (95% confidence interval:
0.5, 1.5) increase risk in nonaccidental, 0.8% (0.3, 1.4) in cardiovascular, 1.9% (0.7, 3.2) in respiratory, and 2.7%
(0.9, 4.6) in diabetes. For many causes of death, as well as demographic groups, the cumulative PM2.5 lags
produced higher effect estimates than single-day lags. For example in respiratory deaths, a 10 microgram per cubic
meter change in 4-day average PM2.5 concentration corresponded to a 2.2% (95% confidence interval: 0.5, 3.9)
increase compared with the same day PM2.5 concentration corresponded to a 1.6 % (95% confidence interval: 0.3,
3.1) increase.
Conclusion: Using a single monitor or averaging multiple monitors at the county-level may underestimate the actual
risk. Thus, limiting exposure within a smaller buffer zone around a monitor may be important to characterize the
actual risk from short-term exposure to PM2.5.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.31
Application of an Optical and Nondestructive Method for Archived Particulate Matter Filters for
Quantifying Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposures. Beizhan Yan (1), Daniel Kennedy (1), James Cowin
(2), Martin Iedema (2), Arlene Butz (3), Patrick Breysse (3), Rachel Miller (1), Kyung-hwa Jung (1), Kathleen
Moors (1), Matt Perzanowski (1), D'Ann Williams (3), Jie Juan (3), Marco Balletta (1), Steven Chillrud (1), (1)
Columbia University, New York (2) The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland (3) Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is associated with many adverse health outcomes. As a result it is
considered as an important confounder when investigating health impacts of other pollutants, including emissions
from indoor biomass combustion in developing countries. Exposure to ETS typically is assessed by questionnaire,
with a smaller subset of studies assessing it by nicotine in air or by the metabolite, cotinine in blood or urine.
However, ETS questionnaires can be inaccurate and measuring nicotine in air increases field and laboratory costs.
Cotinine has its own shortcomings, i.e., high temporal variability because of its relatively short half-life and the
difficulties associated with obtaining biological samples from participants. As an alternative, ETS exposure can be
estimated by optical absorbance of airborne particulate matter (PM) collected on Teflon filters for gravimetric
measurements. The optical absorbance method is cost efficient, quick, and non-destructive. Just as important, it is
an integrative, continuous and objective measurement of ETS exposure. A four-wavelength optical technique
developed by Lawless et al. (2004) has been used to apportion ETS and black carbon (BC); however, Lawless’s
choice of wavelengths was not optimized, additional colored PM endmembers have not been considered nor has this
optical method been validated. In addition, little work has been done to look at the methodological issues of the
optical reflectance measurements for standards that contain mixed-sources of particles.
To overcome these limitations, we have designed an integrating sphere with absorption measured continuously from
350 nm to 1000 nm, have defined the response of more standard materials (e.g., ammonium sulfate, hematite,
goethite) in our source apportionment model, and optimized the choice of wavelengths used in our mixing model to
reduce model derived error from over 10% to less than 2%. The current optical method can distinguish end-member
standards of BC, ETS, and heavy loadings of iron oxides. For environmental samples, the method has been found to
be quite sensitive for estimating airborne levels of BC and ETS. In a NYC cohort where indoor and outdoor filters
were collected over a two-week time period, the method appears to be very promising, finding statistically
significant differences in mean ETS filter loadings in households with and without self-reported smokers. However,
this comparison suggests that there was either major misclassification of smoking status by self-report or that there
are common occurrences of confounding issues to the optical method. Analyses of biomass filters from Africa
suggests that more work needs to be done in order to better distinguish ETS from wood smoke and/or indoor
cooking. Very recent work has suggested that extending the optical absorbance measurement beyond the current
range of 350 nm to 1000 nm may be able to help distinguish ETS from wood-smoke. Archived filter samples
currently are being run to compare to additional methods of estimating ETS exposure.
Lawless, P.A., Rodes, C.E., Ensor, D.S. (2004) Multiwavelength absorbance of filter deposits for determination of
environmental tobacco smoke and black carbon. Atmospheric Environment, 38(21), 3373-3383.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.32
The Importance of Species-Specific Particle Size Distributions in the Development of Refined Surrogates for
Exposure to PM2.5 of Outdoor Origin. NATASHA HODAS (1), Barbara Turpin (1), Melissa Lunden (2), (1)
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, (2) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
Epidemiological studies have established a positive relationship between increased morbidity and mortality and
exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Most epidemiological studies have used central site monitor
PM2.5 mass concentration as a surrogate for exposure. Human activity studies, however, show that people spend the
majority of time indoors. Outdoor-generated particle concentrations and characteristics in the indoor environment
differ from those in the outdoor setting. A better accounting of ambient particle penetration into and persistence in
the indoor environment is crucial for reducing exposure misclassification. This research is performed under a
cooperative agreement with USEPA/NERL to refine and evaluate alternative exposure metrics in the investigation
of air pollution health effects.
Air exchange rate (AER), particle size, and particle chemical composition are key factors in determining the
penetration and persistence of ambient PM2.5 in the indoor environment. In this work, AERs derived from the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) infiltration model are paired with particle size and composition
data to estimate indoor concentrations of ambient PM2.5 in several New Jersey (NJ) cities and provide refined
exposure surrogates for two epidemiology studies: the NJ Triggering of Myocardial Infarctions Study and the NJ
Adverse Birth Outcomes Study. The LBNL infiltration model inputs, which include housing characteristics and
meteorological data, are available through census and climate data archives. Chemical composition- and sizeresolved particle concentration data, however, are available only in select geographic regions where intensive PM2.5
studies have been performed. Size- and chemical composition-resolved PM2.5 concentrations from the Pittsburgh
(PITT) and New York City (NYC) EPA Supersites were used to deduce particle characteristics in NJ. Daily size
distributions were examined for the number of modes, mass median diameters for all modes, and the fraction of total
mass in each mode for all available sampling days for sulfate, nitrate, and carbon in PM2.5. Size-specific particle
penetration coefficients and deposition loss rates were assigned based on the results for each species. These values,
along with the LBNL derived AERs provide inputs for the indoor-outdoor particle mass balance equation, which
allows for the calculation indoor concentrations of outdoor-generated PM2.5.
NJ sulfate (PM2.5) can be described as unimodal with a mass median diameter near 0.47 µm. Organic carbon and
elemental carbon are bimodal with peaks near 0.08 and 0.47 µm. Values were assigned based on frequency of
occurrence. For example, sulfate mass median diameter was 0.47 µm for 68% of sampling days in NYC and 60% in
PITT. Similarly, a total of 76% of NYC sampling days showed a peak in nitrate PM2.5 mass at a diameter of 0.47
µm, 79% of which could be described by a single mode. When results from the two sites varied considerably, a
greater weight was placed on NYC data due to a higher degree of similarity between NYC (located in Queens, NY)
and urban NJ PM2.5 sources. Similar analyses have been repeated with data from other EPA Supersites with sizeand chemical composition resolved particle concentrations to characterize PM2.5 in various U.S. regions and provide
important inputs for PM2.5 exposure studies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.33
PM2.5 prediction modeling using MODIS AOD in the Northeastern U.S. HYUNG JOO LEE (1), Yang Liu (2),
Brent Coull (1), Joel Schwartz (1), Petros Koutrakis (1), (1) Harvard School of Public Health, (2) Emory University,
Rollins School of Public Health
Background: Epidemiological studies investigating PM2.5 air pollution and its health effects are susceptible to
exposure measurement errors since they may use limited number of PM2.5 monitors in their study regions. Satellite
data can expand spatial coverage to places which are remotely located from PM2.5 monitors and enhance our ability
to estimate subject-specific exposures to PM2.5.
Objective: To estimate the daily PM2.5 concentrations in a statistical model using Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) data in the region of New England.
Methods: 2003 MODIS AOD and PM2.5 concentrations measured at 26 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) PM2.5 monitoring sites were collected in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. We developed a
statistical model presenting daily-specific PM2.5-AOD relations using a mixed effects model. In addition, we tested
to see if the high (daily) correlations of PM2.5 within the region could predict PM2.5 for days when AOD data
could not be retrieved.
Results: The average correlation coefficients between PM2.5 concentrations measured at our PM2.5 monitoring sites
and those estimated for the corresponding grid cells were high (mean R2=0.85), and the annual averages of the
observed and predicted were similar (mean delta= 0.47 microgram per cubic meter). As expected, highly populated
areas such as New Haven, Hartford, Springfield, Providence, and Boston demonstrated higher PM2.5 levels, and the
spatial pattern of PM2.5 levels also reflected high traffic density. Previous models using mean PM2.5 values for at
least one year for similar-sized regions found much poorer correlations with AOD values (R2 < 0.6).
Conclusions: Using our approach with daily-specific relations to MODIS AOD data provides improved
predictability for PM2.5. Considering probable exposure misclassification in the current epidemiological studies,
our study will help to clarify the association between both short- and long-term exposures to PM2.5 and its health
effects.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.34
An Integrated Method to Estimate Pesticide Exposures in a Non-Agricultural Occupationally Exposed
Population. Guy Auburtin (1), Delphine Teigné (1), Olivier Briand (2), Olivier Delhomme (3*), Sylvain Dulaurent
(4), MAURICE MILLET (3), Christian Moesch (4), Caroline Raeppel (3), Ludovic Tuduri (5), Marie-Pierre Levy
(6), (1) Cnam IHIE SSET Ouest, Angers, F (2) Afsset, F (3) LMSPC (UMR 7515), University of Strasbourg/CNRS, F
(3*) Present adress : University of Metz, F (4) CHU de Limoges, Limoges, F, (5) ISM (UMR 5255), University of
Bordeaux1/CNRS, F (6) Service médical Ville d’Angers, Angers, F
The aim of the study is to develop exposure assessment tools suitable for non-agricultural professional exposures to
pesticides, in particular for the assessment of a quantitative exposure level and long-term surveillance.
All the council workers employed by the town of Angers (France) who are potential users of pesticides (public
gardens, parks, public ways, cemeteries, greenhouses ...) have been included in the study (n = 203). After field
observations and works analysis, they are invited to fill in an annual questionnaire about their experience and a diary
of their work focused on determinants of exposure.
Individual exposures are monitored using active and passive air sampling, dermal patches (7 to 12 points), hand
wipe tests and urinary biomarkers. In addition, passive sampling is performed on a 2 weeks basis to dread in a
simple way the levels of atmospheric concentration of pesticides products.
Firstly, sampling and analytical methods have been developed in order to detect pesticides with sensitivity and
accuracy in passive samplers, dermal patches and urine.
Secondly, in 2008 and 2009, sampling campaigns have been performed outdoor and indoor (greenhouses) on the
basis of 36 situations corresponding to the use of 16 substances, which were applied from the all period of work
during the day. Three other campaigns were led outdoor on two sites (garden of plants, stadium) during 6 to 11
weeks to follow substances of 5 commercial products. The atmospheric concentrations in chemical substances in
two premises of pesticides products ‘s storage possessing system mechanical ventilation were also dreaded on the
basis of week.
On the other hand, active sensors were analyzed and results are negative for each of them. The analysis of patches
allowed to determine punctual and located concentrations. The concentrations on patches varied between 0,7 and
2958 ng.cm-2 for applicators and between 1 and 222 ng.cm-2 for assistants-applicators (skin with the exception of
hands).
The follow-up of the impregnation was able to be realized for some xenobiotics (clopyralid, triclopyr, 2,4-D, 2,4MCPA, glyphosate).
Backpack sprayers could be much more exposed than motorized ones. The influence of protective clothing has to be
taken into consideration. On the other hand, the analysis of the dermal patches and the urines sometimes put in
evidence the presence of not expected substances. These results must be coupled with the work’s method and with
the used product.
The analyse of 33 passive samples corresponding to outdoor air passive sampling brings to light presence of 6
substances not expected towards treatments realized on site, and of only 1 substance to 7 expected. (determination of
concentrations in µg/m3 in current). Substances identified in the air of the storage premises are identical between 2
sites but their concentrations are different.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.35
Factors Affecting the Long-Term Variation of Personal Exposure to Outdoor PM Components: How Bad Is
the Resultant Misclassification? LANCE WALLACE (1), Amanda Wheeler (2), Jill Kearney (2), Elizabeth
Nethery (2), (1) Consultant, Reston, VA (2) Health Canada
Epidemiological studies relate health effects to outdoor (central site) concentrations of PM. Yet persons’ exposure to
these outdoor-generated concentrations may vary widely even among near neighbors, leading to possible
misclassification of exposures. One of the most important factors causing this variation is the construction quality
of the home. Higher quality or energy-saving homes will have fewer leaks (smaller infiltration factors) and will be
more protective of their inhabitants’ exposure to outdoor PM. What is the size of this impact? We use a recent study
in Windsor Canada to estimate the long-term range of personal exposures and indoor concentrations across 98
homes. The range is different for fine particles than for coarse or ultrafine particles, due mainly to differences in
penetration coefficients and deposition rates, and we will provide data for all three PM categories. The observed
short-term range of exposures, based on 5 consecutive days over two seasons, will be reduced due to regression
toward the mean over a longer period. We use a validated method—the Duan-Wallace estimator—to calculate the
long-term range of variation, and show that it reduces the observed range by a substantial amount (sometimes by a
factor of two) but does not erase the effect. For example, the ratio of the 90th to the 10th percentile for personal
exposure to PM2.5 in 2005 in Windsor was 3.5 for a single season, 2.5 for the entire year, and was estimated to be
1.6 for a much longer period.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.36
Assessing the equivalence of PM chemical composition and redox characteristics in samples collected using a
low pressure impactor and a particle concentrator system. KRYSTAL J. Godri (1,2), Ian S. Mudway (1), Frank
J. Kelly (1), Roy M. Harrison (2), Maciek M. Strak (3), Maaike Steenhof (4), Paul H.B. Fokkens (3), A. John F.
Boere (3), Daan L.A.C. Leseman (3), Kaas Meliefste (4), G. Hoek (4), Bert Brunekreef (4), Erik Lebret (3), Ilse
Gosens (3), Flemming R. Cassee (3), Nicole A.H. Janssen (3), (1) MRC-HPA Center for Environment and Health,
King’s College London, London, United Kingdom, (2) Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management,
University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United Kingdom, (3) RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the
Environment), Bilthoven, the Netherlands, (4) IRAS (Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences), Utrecht University,
Utrecht, the Netherlands
Background: Toxicity studies employing ambient particulate matter (PM) are often conducted using concentrations
above ambient levels to induce quantifiable acute effects. Particle concentrators capable of impinging elevated
concentrations of size fractionated PM directly into aqueous media are therefore an attractive sampling method for
obtaining sufficient concentrations of material for toxicological and compositional analysis. The Versatile Aerosol
Concentration Enrichment System (VACES) in an example of this technology which grows ambient PM via a
saturation-condensation process to enable concentration using virtual impaction. The VACES’ influence on PM
physical properties has been examined in detail; however investigations examining how the enrichment process
effects PM chemical and redox characteristics are limited.
Methods: The extent to which the VACES enrichment process conserves PM chemical composition and oxidative
potential (OP) was investigated in a field evaluation. Particulate OP was assessed based on the capacity of size
fractionated PM to deplete antioxidants from a synthetic respiratory tract lining fluid. The PM samples assessed
were obtained using the VACES and a low pressure three stage cascade impactor system (micro-orifice impactor,
MOI) operated in parallel; each collecting quasi-ultrafine (PM0.18), fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5-10) modes.
Sampling was conducted at microenvironments with contrasting emission sources including seven outdoor sites
(various background, industrial, and traffic scenarios) and an indoor underground train platform. As the particle
oxidative burden is attributable to intrinsic PM redox components (i.e. trace metals and quinones), total redox active
and non-active trace metal concentrations (Fe, Cu, Ba, Pb, Zn, Mn, Al, Ca, Sr) were measured in both sample sets.
Results: Total particulate OPs measured in VACES and MOI derived PM samples were similar across all outdoor
sampling sites. Statistical agreement between PM oxidative potential measurements for the two sampling
techniques was confirmed using Bland-Altman analysis (mean bias <2sigma). VACES size fractionated PM OP
measurements were associated with a positive mean bias; a trend also exhibited by VACES total trace metal
concentrations compared with MOI collected PM samples. The ratio of metal mass concentrations (expressed
VACES: MOI per microgram PM sampled) ranged from 0.87 to 1.29 for all metal size fractions with no significant
differences between metals and size fraction groups. Assessment of PM composition and OP enrichment at the
underground train station were considered independently of outdoor sampling locations due to the elevated mass
concentrations (PM0.18: 86.6 micro-gram m-3, PM2.5: 146 micro-gram m-3, PM2.5-10: 69 micro-gram m-3). These
elevated PM concentrations were associated with increased emissions of specific trace metals including Fe, Cu, Ba,
Mn and Zn. Measurements of size fractionated particulate OP between the VACES and MOI were broadly
equivalent. However, trace metals with increased emission factors at the underground site were associated with
non-unit (>1) VACES enrichment compared to the MOI for all size fractions. Enrichment factors of these metals
with elevated concentrations were significantly greater at the underground location than at the outdoor sites.
Conclusions: Equivalence was found between VACES and MOI collected PM samples. This equivalence of PM
chemical and redox characteristics however decreased in certain microenvironments with high ambient mass
concentrations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.37
Examining Land Use Regression modeled NO2 as a proxy for air pollutants measured by CRUISER mobile
laboratory: A study in Montreal, Quebec. ILAN LEVY (1), Jeff R Brook (1), Julie Narayan (1), Cris Mihele (1),
Gang Lu (1), Dan L Crouse (2), Mark S Goldberg (2), Nancy A Ross (2), (1) Environment Canada (2) McGill
University
Over the last decade, Land Use Regression (LUR) models have provided valuable information on intra-urban
variability of air pollutants. LUR models are based on the physical characteristics of the city (e.g., road network,
population, land use) that are statistically correlated to pollution levels measured often over a period of several
weeks using a dense network of passive samplers deployed simultaneously.
LUR models are often used in health studies to estimate the long term exposure to traffic-related pollution at the
home addresses of the study population. The question arises as to how well LUR models estimate NO2 at
independent locations and to what extent is the LUR a surrogate for other (traffic-related) pollutants (e.g., PM2.5,
ultrafine particles, Black Carbon (BC))? Validation of LUR models is typically carried out by comparing model
predictions to a “hold-back” set of model development measurements or other independent point measurements such
as ambient monitoring sites. However, this method of validation uses a limited number of monitors with a given
spatial coverage and therefore reduces statistical power and cannot account for the full range of pollution levels.
We compare predictions of levels of NO2 from a LUR model [Crouse et al., 2009] developed for Montreal to
measurements taken by Environment Canada’s CRUISER (Canadian Regional and Urban Investigation System for
Environmental Research) mobile laboratory.
The LUR model was developed separately for three seasons (winter, spring and summer) and juxtaposed to produce
an estimate of the annual mean. Measurements from CRUISER were obtained in Montreal in the summer and
winter. The sampling strategy of CRUISER was to travel along pre-defined routes, passing through highways, main
roads and small streets, as well as residential, commercial and industrial areas. This allowed for multiple samplings
of the same road on different days.
As expected, the range of CRUISER’s NO2 measurements was higher than that derived from the LUR model (0470ppb vs. 2.6-31.5ppb, respectively). We spatially aggregated CRUISER’s data by averaging along road segments,
first averaging by day and then averaging all days, so as to give an equal weight for every day and avoid bias
towards days with multiple measurements. This was done for NO2 as well as other measured pollutants.
Preliminary results indicate that the correlation (R2) between the independently measured and the modeled NO2 are
on the order of 0.45. Correlation for other pollutants ranged between 0.55 (BC) and 0.0 (SO2). However, these
results are very sensitive to the number of measurements used for each road segment and the minimal number of
days allowed in the average. Further analysis will include sensitivity analysis to these two parameters, as well as
examining the correlation of the annual means.
Reference:
Crouse, D. L., M. S. Goldberg, and N. A. Ross (2009), A prediction-based approach to modelling temporal and
spatial variability of traffic-related air pollution in Montreal, Canada, Atmospheric Environment, 43(32), 5075-5084,
doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.06.040.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.38
Past Extrapolation of Estimates of Exposure from Current Land-use Regression Models. HONG CHEN (1),
Mark Goldberg (1), Paul Villeneuve (2), Richard Burnett (2), Dan Crouse (1), Michael Jerrett (3), Amanda Wheeler
(2), (1) McGill University, Montreal, Canada, (2) Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada, (3) University of California,
Berkeley, U.S.A
Background
Land-use regression models (LURs) have been used in cohort studies to assess long-term exposure to air pollution
within cities. An important consideration is whether an LUR that was developed after the health event has occurred
can adequately characterize exposure during the relevant etiological period. This problem is particularly pertinent to
cohort and case-control studies of outcomes that have long latency (e.g., many sites of cancer). In the context of
conducting a cohort study among Ontario residents who filed Canadian T1 family income taxes, we developed three
different methods to back-extrapolate LURs. To evaluate these three methods, we made use of a case-control study
of incidental, malignant, postmenopausal breast cancer that we conducted in Montreal, Quebec, between 1996 and
1997.
Methods
We assessed exposures of 799 subjects at their home addresses at time of interview using: 1) 2-week integrated
concentrations of NO2 (Ogawa samplers) at 129 locations in 2005-2006; 2) land-use and vehicular traffic data
(1985, 2006); and 3) average daily concentrations of NO2 measured at fixed-site monitors (1985, 2006). We
developed an LUR model to predict in 2006 the annual concentrations of NO2 at all locations in the city, using land
use and traffic data. Our primary objective was to extrapolate the LUR to 1985.
With the first method, we multiplied the surface of NO2 produced by the LUR, grid-by-grid, using the ratio of two
spatially interpolated surfaces (inverse distance weighting) derived from concentrations of NO2 measured in 1985
and 2006 at fixed-site monitors. For the second method, we multiplied the LUR in 2006 by the ratio of two
regression equations, one developed for 1985 and the other 2006. We developed the two equations by regressing
annual mean concentrations at fixed-site monitors against spatial variables of land use and traffic. Lastly, our third
method took into consideration the characteristics of land use and traffic in 1985, and it included the development of
an LUR that used the predictors of the LUR in 2006 but replaced their values with those in 1985 (referred as
“refitted LUR”). We then multiplied this refitted LUR by the ratio used in the second method.
We assigned the exposures to each subject at their residence at time of interview. The adjusted logistic models
included accepted and suspected risk factors from breast cancer, including occupational exposures and
neighbourhood-level socioeconomic characteristics.
Results
The annual concentrations of NO2 in Montreal decreased between 1985 and 2006 by 50%. The reductions were not
spatially homogenous, with the highest decline occurred in downtown areas (~75%). For each increase in the
interquartile range (IQR) of NO2 in 2006 the odds ratio (OR) was 1.23 (95%CI: 0.94-1.61). For estimated exposures
in 1985 using the third extrapolation method, the OR (in IQR) was 1.27 (95%CI: 1.05-1.54). The other two methods
produced similar ORs as the first one, but less precise.
Conclusion
There were important spatial variations in the reductions of NO2 within cities. Ratio-based extrapolation may be
used to account for such variations and thus improve the accuracy of estimates of relative risk.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.39
A Miniature Collector for Time-Resolved Aerosol Chemistry. ALEX TENG (1), Gregory Lewis (1) and
Susanne Hering (1), (1) Aerosol Dynamics Inc., Berkeley, CA
Time- and chemically- resolved data on fine, airborne particles are important for understanding particle sources,
their effects on human health and their role in global climate. Especially important for epidemiology studies are
complete data sets, with consistent, daily measurements. Also needed are compact, battery-powered instruments
that can serve as personal monitors for time-resolved aerosol chemistry.
Utilizing the condensation technology of our water-based condensation particle counters, we have developed a
miniature, sequential fine particle collector. Particles are activated and grown through water condensation in a
laminar, differentially diffusive flow. Once grown, they are collected within a 30 µL well by means of impaction.
Multiple wells are used to provide time-resolved, sequential samples. The instrument is 150mm long, weighs 400 g
and requires 2Watts. To date it is capable of 8 sequential sample collections. We are working to interface with an
ion chromatograph to automate the extraction, injection and data reduction of the samples.
With the laminar flow condensation approach, nanometer-sized particles are enlarged through water condensation to
form 2-µm droplets that are readily collected. The droplets formed are uniform in diameter, independent of the
input particle size, and nearly independent of input concentration. The supersaturation required for condensational
growth is created by means of the differential rates of sensible heat and water vapor transport as a cool flow is
introduced into a warm, wet-walled tube. Typically, this temperature differential is 25°C, enabling the capture of
nanometer-sized particles without steam or temperature extremes. Once enlarged, the particles are deposited by
impaction. The lower particle size cutpoint is 8-10nm, with greater than 95% collection for all particles above 20nm.
The collector is efficient for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic particles, and collection efficiency remain high at the
highest particle concentration tested of 10^5cm-3. Side-by-side comparisons with filter samples show equivalency
for both sulfate and nitrate in ambient air, and for laboratory generated ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.312
What is the main culprit of uncertainty in the health effects of air pollution? Naresh Kumar (1), (1) The
University of Iowa
BACKGROUND: The association between air pollution and birth outcomes is inconclusive, primarily because of
uncertainty arising from the coarse resolution of air pollution data and their mismatch with the location of birth data.
OBJECTIVES: This research examines how different methods and spatial-temporal scales of air pollution data used
for exposure computation influence the association between air pollution exposure and birth outcomes, namely low
birth weight (LBW), pre-term delivery (PTD), and intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR).
METHODS: A total of 400,000 live births (during 2000 to 2004) were geocoded to street address and exposure to
criteria pollutants were computed using different methods, namely nearest neighbor average, inverse distance
weighting and Kriging. Exposure computation was restricted for cases within different distance intervals (3 miles, 6
miles, 9 miles, 12 miles and by counties) from the monitoring stations.
RESULTS: The effect of air pollution exposure, especially that of PM2.5, PM10, CO and O3, on birth weight declines
as the distance from the monitoring station used for computing exposure increases. Our analysis suggest that the
intensity of relationship between air pollution and birth weight changes significantly with the change in the method
of exposure computation and geographic distance between place of residence and monitoring stations. The increase
in the average daily exposure during three trimesters and entire pregnancy showed a statistically significant inverse
association with birth weight when controlled for confounders and exposure were computed at fine geographic
scale.
CONCLUSIONS: Ad hoc methods of exposure computation are partly responsible for uncertainty in the linkages
between air pollution exposure and birth weight. Time-space resolved estimates of exposure (at the place of
mother’s residence) used in this study, suggests that the elevated concentration of most of the criteria pollutants
were significantly associated with decline in birth weight, greater risks of LBW and IURG. We suggest the use of
hybrid approaches to derive exposure at any point location (on to geographic space) and on a given day to improve
our understanding of the health effects of air pollution.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.313
Satellite Remote Sensing for Predicting Air Quality. NARESH KUMAR (1) Allen Chu (2) Travers Buda (1), (1)
The University of Iowa, (2) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center
Satellite remote sensing offers an unprecedented opportunity to derive time-space resolved estimates of air quality.
We compute aerosol optical depth (AOD) using satellite data, and convert it to air quality estimates. The predictive
power of satellite data, however, can greatly be influenced by the spatial and temporal resolution of AOD retrieval
and the empirical model used for predicting air quality. Two main objectives of this research are – (a) compare and
contrast the robustness of multi-resolution AOD at two different sites with very different aerosol loading, and (b)
develop a region specific spatial-temporal dynamic model for predicting time-space resolved estimates of ambient
particulates of different sizes with the aid of AOD.
AOD were retrieved using MODIS (onboard Terra and Aqua satellites) data at multiple spatial resolutions - 2km,
5km and 10km for two distinct aerosol loading environments: Bondville (USA) and Kanpur (India), with multiannual mean (±standard deviation) of 0.161±0.0006 and 0.547±0.001, respectively, and for the continental US from
2000 to 2008. These data were collocated with sunphotometer measurements to evaluate the robustness of these
multi-resolution AOD.
Our analysis suggests that 2-km and 5-km AOD are significantly better correlated with the sunphotometer
measurements as compared to 10-km AODMODIS irrespective of aerosol loading. The best correlation (~0.91) is
observed when both datasets are aggregated within the smallest space and time intervals of 0.025° and 15 minutes,
and then the correlation decreases sharply with distance >0.075° and time interval >30 minutes. Based on these
findings it is expected that the association between ground measurements of ambient particulates of different sizes
and multi-resolution MODIS AOD is likely to vary significantly, and will have significant implications for air
quality studies.
The second part of this research is in progress, in which AOD will be collocated with the EPA data (on PM2.5,
PM10 and PM10-2.5) and a region specific spatial-temporal dynamic model will be developed controlling for
meteorological conditions and land-use and land cover type. Utilizing the estimates from the empirical model a
nationwide database will be develop, which will allow researchers to download daily estimates of ambient
particulates of different sizes for any point location in the continental US from 2000 to 2008.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.314
Generation of Coarse Particles for Use in Human Exposure Studies. LOWELL ASHBAUGH, University of
California, Davis
Investigations of human exposures to atmospheric particles has evolved to focus on small particles, generally PM2.5
or smaller. Although it's generally thought that the smaller particles, particularly those generated by combustion
processes, have the largest effect on human health, the effect of larger particles can not be ruled out. To investigate
the effects of coarse particles on human health we need to be able to generate relatively high concentrations over a
six-hour period. The Crocker Nuclear Laboratory has successfully developed a chamber to generate dust particles
from soil samples for characterization studies. This system will be scaled up to generate the necessary dust particles
for human exposure studies as part of the Aerosols and Health Effects Research Center at UC Davis.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.347
An HPLC-ICP-MS Method for the Separation and Quantification of Chloroplatinates and Related
Transformation Products in Environmental Samples. JUSTIN P. MILLER-SCHULZE (1) Joel Overdier (1)
Martin Shafer (1) James Schauer (1), (1) University of Wisconsin-Madison
Over the last half century, levels of Platinum (Pt) and Platinum Group Elements (PGE) in dust and soils in close
proximity to roadways have increased markedly due to the use of Pt and PGE in three-way catalyst (TWC) –type
catalytic converters used in the exhaust systems of gasoline engine powered automobiles.
Platinum is the quintessential element where the speciation of the element determines its toxicity, with 2-3 ordersof-magnitude differences in toxicity between Pt species. Since speciation of these Pt is very challenging, and quality
data regarding the levels of the individual Pt species is sparse, Pt has long been considered relatively inert and
consequently insignificant in regards to human health and the environment. However, occupational exposure data
regarding the halogenated Pt species (particularly the chloroplatinates) indicates that this assumption may in fact
prove to be incorrect. The concern about halogenated Pt species, in conjunction with predicted increased use of Ptbased catalysts to meet progressively more stringent air quality regulation worldwide, and the possible wider use of
Pt-based fuel-borne catalysts in diesel engine fuel make the quantification and environmental fate and transport
of halogenated Pt species an issue which warrants attention.
The measurement of chloroplatinates is difficult due to low levels in the environment (anticipated ng/g levels in road
dust and soil samples) and the fact that the most sensitive technique for detection of Pt and other PGEs, inductively
coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, (ICP-MS) provides little structural information in its commonly employed
modes. As such, species separation is necessary prior to detection with ICP-MS to accurately quantify the different
chloroplatinates and associated transformation products.
We have developed a separation approach using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) which is based
on the relatively recent work by Nischwitz, et al., (2003) and Nachtigall, et al. (1997). The separation method
employs an anion-exchange column and a mobile phase containing perchlorate as a counter-ion to separate the two
relevant chloroplatinates, tetra-chloroplatinate (PtCl4(-2)) and hexa-chloroplatinate (PtCl6(-2)), isocratically (run
time: 15 min). With the gradient elution method, the transformation (hydrolysis) products of the chloroplatinates can
be separated from each other and assigned to their parent compound (run time: 25 min). The detection limits for the
two chloroplatinates using magnetic sector ICP-MS is approximately 40 parts-per-trillion (S/N=2) in standard
mixtures.
This method for the separation and quantification of chloroplatinates in environmental source and receptor samples
will be used in conjunction with a multi-component extraction procedure which segregates the Pt into chemicalcharacteristic categories (water-soluble vs. water-insoluble, charged vs. neutral, etc.). The combination of these
extraction and detailed analysis methods will provide some of the first measurements of these Pt species and classes
in the environment, define the variation in species between selected U.S. cities, and quantify levels of Pt species in
source-specific samples such as exhaust from diesel engines burning Pt-amended fuel, as well as used and new
TWC catalysts.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
3SQ2.T3.354
Calibration of Organic Carbon, Elemental Carbon, and Sulfate Concentrations from Speciated PM2.5
Monitors Used in the Pittsburgh Aerosol Research and Inhalation Epidemiologic Study (PARIES).
RICHARD BILONICK (1), Daniel Connell (2), Evelyn Talbott (3), Judy Rager (3), (1) University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine, (2) CONSOL Energy Inc., Research & Development, Pittsburgh, (3) University of Pittsburgh
Graduate School of Public Health
PARIES is a retrospective study of the relationship between cardiopulmonary health and air pollutants in the
Pittsburgh region from 1999 to 2006. Of particular interest are the potential impacts of PM2.5 chemical constituents.
Archived filter-based samples collected during this time period are being chemically analyzed to augment the
existing data base. Air monitors, chemical analysis methods, and organizations often varied over time and location.
To properly estimate health effects, it is important to assess the quality of the archived samples (i.e., the extent to
which they differ from the existing data), and to correct for any bias.
Archived PM2.5 samples were selected randomly from collocated monitors and chemically analyzed. Forty-two
archived samples were analyzed for organic and elemental carbon, and 35 archived samples were analyzed for
sulfate. For carbon, the archived sample was collected by the Upper Ohio River Valley Project (UO) using a Desert
Research Institute (DRI) SFS sampler with quartz filter (Q) and was analyzed by thermal optical transmittance
(TOT). Two existing data sets were available from samples taken on the same days at the same location, one
collected by UO and the other by the Allegheny County Health Department (AC). The existing UO data were from
the same sampler and filter as the archived sample but were determined by thermal optical reflectance (TOR). The
existing AC data were determined by TOT from samples collected using a MetOne SASS sampler with quartz filter.
For sulfate, the archived sample was collected by UO using a DRI SFS sampler with quartz filter and analyzed by
ion chromatography (IC). Two existing data sets were available from samples taken by AC on the same days at the
same location using a MetOne SASS sampler. One used a nylon filter (N) and was analyzed by IC, and the other
used a Teflon filter (T) and was analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). (Sulfate was calculated from the XRF sulfur
result).
A statistical measurement error model was used that describes each observation as a linear function of an unknown
true value plus a Normally distributed random error. This structural equation model has one latent variable and with
three methods is completely identified . Maximum likelihood estimates were computed using an iterative algorithm
via the R package merror. (Because all methods are subject to random error, regression is not applicable and would
provide a distorted view.) The intercept and slope describe the bias, and the standard deviation of the random error
distribution describes the imprecision in relation to the “true values.” The slope parameter describes the scale bias,
and when there is no scale bias (slope=1), the intercept describes the extent of constant bias. A calibration equation
(CE) can be constructed from these parameters to adjust for bias. Adjusting for scale bias, method imprecisions can
be compared on a common scale.
CEs for organic carbon were:
UO.E.Q.TOR=-0.842+0.875*UO.A.Q.TOT
UO.A.Q.TOT=0.963+1.143*UO.E.Q.TOR
AC.E.Q.TOT=-0.24+1.05*UO.A.Q.TOT
UO.A.Q.TOT=0.229+0.952*AC.E.Q.TOT
UO.E.Q.TOR=-0.642+0.833*AC.E.Q.TOT
AC.E.Q.TOT=0.771+1.2*UO.E.Q.TOR
CEs for sulfate (double-square-root transformed) showed much less bias:
AC.E.N.IC=-0.004+1.008*UO.A.Q.IC
UO.A.Q.IC=0.004+0.992*AC.E.N.IC
AC.E.T.XR=-0.045+1.022*UO.A.Q.IC
UO.A.Q.IC=0.045+0.979*AC.E.T.XR
AC.E.N.IC=0.041+0.986*AC.E.T.XR
AC.E.T.XR=-0.041+1.014*AC.E.N.IC
Comprehensive results will be available in the poster.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
9B.5
Development and Evaluation of Land-Use Regression Models Using Coupled Regional and Local Scale Air
Quality Models in New Haven, Connecticut. MARKEY JOHNSON (1), Vlad Isakov V(2), Joe Touma (2),
Shaibal Mukerjee (2), Halûk Özkaynak (2), 1Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario 2
Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina
Land-use regression (LUR) models have emerged as a preferred methodology for estimating individual exposure to
ambient air pollution in epidemiologic studies in absence of subject-specific measurements. Although there is a
growing literature focused on LUR evaluation, further research is needed to identify strengths and limitations of
LUR modeling and strategies for improvement. However, LUR evaluation has typically been limited by resource
constraints due to the need for collecting additional monitoring data for independent verification. In this study we
linked LUR approaches with coupled regional-local scale models to evaluate and improve LUR techniques.
We produced a detailed characterization of ambient concentrations of multiple air pollutants in New Haven,
Connecticut using regional (CMAQ) and local scale (AERMOD) atmospheric models, which were then evaluated
against available monitoring data to assure their performance. We combined daily average pollutant concentrations
predicted by coupled AQ models with land-use variables for 318 census block groups in New Haven to develop
LUR models in a hierarchical fashion using an iterative site selection approach for fitting these models. We
evaluated the fitted LUR models using a variety of approaches including leave one out cross validation and
comparing predicted versus observed pollutant concentrations at independent test sites that were not used in model
development, and examined the implications of alternate LUR development strategies on model efficacy for
benzene, particulate matter (PM2.5), and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
LUR models for benzene, PM2.5, and NOx in New Haven, Connecticut were similar in terms of model
characteristics, fit, and performance. Traffic was an important predictor in LUR models for all 3 pollutants,
explaining 50-70% of the variation in benzene and NOx and 10% of the variation in PM2.5 concentration. We also
found that traffic intensity was a more robust predictor compared with proximity to roadways. Additional variation
was explained by proximity to industrial sources and ports/harbors. The intercept of the models explained most of
the variation in the PM concentration for the PM2.5 LUR models, which is consistent with the greater importance of
regional versus local scale determinants of PM2.5 concentration.
Model fit varied considerably depending on selection of training sites used to build LUR models; e.g., R2 for
benzene model fits in the training datasets ranged from 51-99% for models based on 25 sites and 59-82% for models
based on 285 sites. There was also wide variation in model performance; R2 for predicted versus observed benzene
in test sites (not used to develop the LUR models) ranged from 2-62% for models based on 25 sites and 51-69% for
models based on 285 sites. Cross validation results were similar.
We conclude that coupled air quality models could provide a cutting-edge tool for improving LUR estimates of
exposure to ambient air pollution in epidemiologic studies. Moreover, this research also introduces a promising
alternative to using cost-intensive air monitoring campaigns to provide air pollution information for LUR model
development.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T4 - Dose
3SQ2.T4.40
Instillation-Induced Particle Toxicity is Dependent on Species, Strain, Particle Dose and Particle
Composition. Laurel E. Plummer (1) Christopher M. Carosino (1) Teresa C. Wegesser (1) Kent E. Pinkerton (1),
(1) University of California, Davis
Rationale: Exposure to ambient and combustion generated particles is associated with adverse health effects in
humans. In animal models, variability in response to particle exposure may be due to differences in strain and
species sensitivity, particle composition, dose, and exposure time course.
Objectives: To evaluate suitability of different strains of rats or mice for the ranking of particle toxicity by
evaluating particle-induced pulmonary effects.
Methods: Male rat strains (Sprague Dawley {SD} and Spontaneously Hypertensive {SH}) and male mouse strains
(C57/BL6 and Balb/C) were administered a single intratracheal (IT) instillation of 50 micrograms and 300
micrograms per rat and 25 micrograms or 50 micrograms particles per mouse of combustion-generated, ultrafine
iron/soot particles or ambient particulate matter (PM10). Control animals were given sterile saline (PBS). Animals
underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for measurement of total cell number, viability, and cell population
differentials. Lung tissues were inflation-fixed and embedded in paraffin for histological examination. Animals
were necropsied at either 24 hours post-instillation or according to a time course extending from 30 minutes to 72
hours.
Results: In SD rats, IT instillation of 50 micrograms and 300 micrograms iron/soot particles produced no significant
change in total BAL cell number/ml BAL fluid or cell population differentials. In contrast, 50 micrograms but not
300 micrograms of instilled iron/soot particles significantly increased total BAL cell numbers but did not
significantly alter the inflammatory cell profile in SH rats. Instilled iron/soot particles in C57/BL6 mice
demonstrated a 50% increase (p<0.05) in total BAL cells and a 10-fold increase in neutrophil number compared to
PBS controls. Mouse strain comparison studies exposed C57/BL6 and Balb/C mice to an equivalent mass, 50
micrograms of iron/soot or PM10 and demonstrated a significant inflammatory response associated with PM10
exposure, but not with iron/soot in both strains. Specifically, PM10 administered to BALB/c mice demonstrated
significant increases in total BAL cells (p<0.001) and total neutrophils (p<0.0001) compared to PBS control and
iron/soot exposed mice. Comparatively, C57/BL6 mice exposed to PM10 exhibit a lesser (3.5% versus 9%) but
significant increase in neutrophils (p<0.05) compared to PBS control and iron/soot exposed mice. C57/BL6 mice
exposed to PM10 exhibited a significant 3.5% increase in neutrophils (p<0.05) compared to PBS controls and
iron/soot with no significant changes in total BAL cells. PM10 time course and dose response studies demonstrated
peak response for total BAL cells/ml and neutrophils/ml at 18 hours post exposure and a clear dose response pattern.
Conclusion: Rats and mice have striking differential responses to intrapulmonary particle instillation that is
dependent on species, strain, particle dose and particle composition. Mice demonstrate a greater sensitivity than rats
for the detection of toxicity with a greater efficiency of particle use. For both mouse strains, iron/soot particles were
less inflammatory than PM10. Further, Balb/C mice appear to exhibit greater sensitivity to real world particles
(PM10) compared to C57/BL6 mice.
Funded: EPA RD 83241401 and CARB/EPRI
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
1SQ2.3
Toxicological measurement methods, models, and approaches. Flemming R. Cassee, National Institute for
Public Health and the Environment - RIVM
Ideally, toxicology can fully control the conditions during testing allowing to change one variable at a time, i.e. PM.
There is basically 4 levels of testing: a-cellular, in vitro, in vivo and clinical testing. The first levels has the
advantage of being relative simple, cheap and it allow high throughput. The latter is the most realitic representation
for the human population at risk. In light of the increasing attention for oxidative stress caused by PM, a-cellular
methods have been developed that may predict e.g. the redox activity, electrophilic or genetoxic properties of PM
and its components. These measure have the potential to be used in monitoring activities. In vitro systems often
comprise of 1 or a few cell types and have the advantage of studied the biological mechanism underlying toxicity,
though since neither the route of expose nor the complexity of the respiratory tract biology is taken into account
these test have very little values for risk assessment. Recent developments also have demonstrated that slightly more
complex systems can be used such as lung slices or air-liquid continuous flow systems. The use of animals is often
criticized from ethical perspectives or the lack of representivity for the human population. However, specific
diseases such as atherosclerosis or allergy can be induced in animals that are likely to represent the high risk groups
in the population. In addition direct exposure to airborne PM, both laboratory based or real world PM using
concentrator technologies are approaching real life conditions upon which the epidemiological observations are
based. Moreover, longer durations of exposure can be used which is not the case for in vitro systems. This paper
will present example of how these approaches have been used to improve our understanding of the health effects of
air pollutions and their strengths and limitations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
1SQ2.4
Epidemiological Methods, Models and Approaches: Consideration and Examples from Health Effects of
Ambient Particles on the Cardiovascular System. Annette Peters (1,2), Stephanie von Klot (2), 1) Institute of
Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; 2) Harvard School of Public Health, Boston,
MA, USA.
Health effects of ambient air pollution as observed in epidemiological studies are small in magnitude but large when
considering the sizes of populations affected. While the knowledge-base on the health effects evolved, a number of
advances have been made: Epidemiological studies have driven statistical model development in order to quantify
the health effects of ambient air pollution. Furthermore, multi-center studies with planned meta-analyses have
proven to be powerful tools for systematically assessing the health effects of ambient air pollution.
A multitude of relevant exposure windows ranging from minutes to decades have been identified and a very broad
spectrum of responses from early physiological changes to manifest diseases have been shown. These findings are
still challenging the design and analyses of ongoing epidemiological research. In particular, different pollution
components may act with different time scales on the various organ systems. Especially, understanding the
susceptibility of population sub-groups has turned out to be a challenging endeavour, which may be attributable to
the fact that individual susceptibility adds a layer of complexity to the issues mentioned above. These aspects will be
discussed based on examples from studies assessing the health effects of ambient particles on the cardiovascular
system.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.41
A marriage of machine learning methods and causal inference parameters to derive counterfactual doseresponse curves for air pollution and respiratory outcomes. EKATERINA ELISEEVA (1), Alan Hubbard (1),
Kathleen Hammond (1), Ira Tager (1), (1) University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health
Background: Sometimes for ease of analysis of associations between air pollutants and health, air pollution
concentrations are converted into discrete categories to estimate the risk of health outcomes for different levels of
exposure. This is particularly true when relatively new methods of analysis, collectively referred to as “causal
inference methods”, are used. These methods allow for marginal (population-level) estimates not always available
from more conventional statistical methods. Due to ease of understanding and implementation, inverse weighted
estimating equation approaches are used most frequently. Such approaches practically require use of discrete
exposure variables. This is a major limitation of this method, since it is of obvious interest to assess the health
impacts of air pollution exposures by examining the exposure-response relations between health outcomes and
exposures measured on a pseudo-continuous scale. Ideally, this should be done as nonparametrically as possible to
avoid unsupportable modeling assumptions that can lead to misspecification of the exposure-response of interest.
Methods: Fortunately, there exist methods, that utilize the strength of machine learning, thereby providing bias
reduction in the estimate of causal parameters, ,e.g., marginal structural models (MSM; Robins, 2000). In this
paper, we use G-computation methods utilizing extremely flexible machine learning to estimate the so-called
counterfactual exposure-response curve. The idea is to estimate, over a fine grid of the exposure, a, theta(a) is
equivalent to EW{E(Y|A=a,W)}, where Y is the outcome, A is the exposure of interest, and W are the potential
confounders; under assumptions, E(Ya)=EW{E(Y|A=a,W)}, where Ya is the counterfactual representing the
outcome for an individual if, possibly counter to fact, s/he were exposed to A=a (i.e., a specific level of air
pollution). If the model for Q(A,W) is equivalent to E(Y|A,W) is estimated data-adaptively and very flexibly, then
one should derive asymptotically an unbiased estimate of theta(a) and, thus, the true exposure -response. If
furthermore W contains all the confounders, and there is a positive probability of observing each of the possible
exposures, A, for every covariate group defined by W; then, we also have an unbiased estimate of the model, m(a),
of E(Ya), or the counterfactual mean as a (semi) continuous function of the level of exposure, a. Finally, if the
empirical form of m(a) can be described by a simple model (e.g., linear in a), then we also derive information for the
parameterization of an MSM. Thus, this approach is a powerful method to derive the unconfounded exposureresponse relationship.
Results: We illustrate the technique with data from the FACES study to estimate the probability of wheezing as a
function of NO2, measured at different lags and moving averages– we derive point-wise inference using the
bootstrap and discuss methods for curve-wise inference using re-sampling based multiple testing methods (quantiletransformation method).
Conclusions: As better (more flexible) machine learning tools are developed and as larger studies are available,
these methods will lead towards efficient estimates of unbiased counterfactual dose-response curves for air pollution
as well as other environmental exposures.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.42
The Causal Effects of Prenatal Air Pollution on Pulmonary Function in Children with Asthma: An Example
of Causal Inference Methods in the FACES LiTE cohort. Amy Padula (1) Kathleen Mortimer (1) Ira Tager (1),
(1) University of California, Berkeley
Background
Given recent evidence related to the association of prenatal air pollution and children’s pulmonary function,
application of causal inference methods to this question assumes greater importance. The impact of these exposures,
particularly among susceptible groups such as asthmatic children, is a highly relevant public health question. The
Fresno Asthmatic Children’s Environment Study (FACES) – Lifetime Exposure (LiTE) examines the influence of
prenatal exposure to a number of ambient air pollutants on the growth of lung function in childhood and early teen
years in a high pollution area.
Methods
Based on maternal self-report, we geocoded all residences during pregnancy with Tele-Atlas. Pollutant
concentrations were obtained from the Aerometric Information Retrieval System supported by the US
Environmental Protection Agency. Monthly average pollutant concentrations were assigned from 24-hour averages
obtained at a central site monitor and summaries of the entire pregnancy and each trimester were calculated.
Spirometry was performed by trained staff as part of the FACES Study. We used targeted maximum likelihood
estimation (TMLE), a recently developed method for causal inference, to examine the effects of prenatal air
pollution exposure on repeated measures of pulmonary function as the cohort aged over a 4 year period. We
calculated the difference in mean pulmonary function (i.e., FVC, FEV1, FEF25-75, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75/FVC, FEF75)
had all children been exposed to “above the median concentration” versus “below the median concentration” of
ozone (O3) and a series of traffic-related pollutants (nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particle matter <10 micro-grams/m3
(PM10), carbon monoxide (CO)). We stratified the data into three age groups (6-8, 9-10, and 11-13 years old) to
examine separately the effect across ages.
Results
Our analysis included 162 children with a total of 947 observations over the years of 2000-2005. In general, higher
exposure to NO2 during the first and second trimesters had a negative effect on most pulmonary function tests
(PFTs). For example, among the 9-10 year olds, higher exposure to NO2 during the 2nd trimester resulted in a
population-level decrease in FEF25-75 of 0.148 L/sec (~7.5% decrease). Similarly, higher exposure to CO during
each trimester had a negative impact on most PFTs across all age groups, with especially strong effects for the
second trimester exposures. For both pollutants and most PFT parameters, the effects were greater in the 11-13 year
old age groups. Results for PM10 and O3 were less consistent.
Conclusion
We found that prenatal exposures to NO2 and CO, particularly during the second trimester, adversely affect most
metrics of pulmonary function among asthmatic children ages 6-13 years. The use of TMLE provides for a more
causal interpretation than traditional regression methods and effect sizes are not directly comparable. This recent
analysis, however, adds to the evidence that maternal exposure to ambient traffic-related air pollutants can have
persistent effects on lung function development in children with asthma. Funded by: American Lung Association
and California Air Resources Board.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.43
Health Effects of Air Pollution Mixtures: A Causal Inference Approach. JONATHAN M. SNOWDEN (1),
Alan Hubbard (1), S. Katharine Hammond (1), Ira Tager (1), (1) University of California, Berkeley
Background
Air pollution is a complex mixture of particles, gaseous compounds and bioaerosols whose composition changes in
response to source outputs and meteorological conditions. Regulatory and statistical considerations have limited
modeling the complexity of this exposure, with health studies limited to single pollutants or linear combinations of
two pollutants. Focus has shifted to analyzing the health effects of mixtures using approaches such as sourceapportionment methods.
Objective
We are implementing a novel approach to analyzing the effects of air pollution mixtures, focusing on both the
effects of mixture as a whole and the effects of the component pollutants within the mixture. Using data from a
longitudinal cohort study of asthmatic children conducted in Fresno, California, we are applying the Population
Intervention Model (PIM) to estimate the effects of the mixture of ozone, endotoxin, and PM10-2.5 on pulmonary
function in summer season, as measured by FEV1. The effect estimate corresponds to a population-wide intervention
of interest that we specified a priori.
Methods
The present study implements a novel approach to this subject matter: the population intervention model, which is
based on the counterfactual framework. This estimator determines the marginal effects of a population-wide
intervention specified by the investigator. In this case, the target intervention is to reduce the observed levels of
ozone, PM10-2.5 and endotoxin to concentrations of regulatory interest for the first two components. The
implementation of this approach relies on the g-computation procedure, which requires modeling the outcome of
interest as a function of the exposures and the covariates. To maximize the probability of correct model
specification, we employed an aggressive model-fitting algorithm (namely, Deletion/Substitution/Addition) to select
this repeated-measures g-computation model. We subsequently used this model to predict counterfactual outcomes
for each observation based upon a treatment intervention defined by regulatory standards, and compared these
counterfactual outcomes to the empirically observed outcomes.
Our data came from the Fresno Asthmatic Children’s Environment Study (FACES), a prospective cohort study of
asthmatic children living in California’s Central Valley. The FACES study enrolled 315 children beginning in 2000
and conducted follow-up through 2008. Our exposure data on air pollution concentrations are derived from
government central-site monitors, and pulmonary function and symptom information were measured in semiannual
14-day panels, using self-administered spirometers.
Results
At the time of presentation, we present result of possible regulatory interventions that relate to lowering ozone
concentrations with and without reductions in PM10-2.5. These finding are directly relevant to air quality issues in the
study area.
Conclusions
We propose that the population intervention model is a promising approach to analyze the health effect of air
pollution mixtures. This estimation technique has the advantage of producing marginal estimates, which are of
special interest in air pollution studies, given the ecologic nature of the exposure. Furthermore, the population
intervention model enables effect estimation for a specific and complex interventions defined by regulatory
standards, as opposed to the effect of an interquartile-range-sized change or some other unit of less a priori interest.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.44
Development and characterization of a “Versatile Engineered Nanoparticle Generation System (VENGES)”
for toxicological characterization studies. Philip Demokritou (1) Robert Buchel (2) Sotiris Pratsinis (2) Joseph
Brain (2), (1) Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA (2) Swiss Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
The environmental release of engineered nanoparticles appears an inevitable consequence of their increasingly
widespread use in numerous applications and commercial products. There is evidence that engineered
nanoparticles have a great probability of breaching epithelial barriers and thus escaping traditional clearance
mechanisms involving mucociliary and dissolution in alveolar macrophages. However a lack of both detailed
physico-chemical characterization of the engineered nanoparticles and consistent aerosol generation systems to
deliver exposures to real world engineered nanoparticles over a spectrum of sizes, compositions and morphologies
hinder a clear interpretation of the link between the physico-chemical properties and biointeractions. As it was also
outlined in the most recent US National Nanotechnology Initiative report and the National Research Council’s
recent review of the Federal Government strategy on nanotechnology it is a high priority to develop novel
nanoparticle generation systems for the in-situ characterization of engineered nanoparticles within biological
matrices. The use of these systems along with the development of new in vitro screening methodologies and in vivo
inhalation studies will help to determine which set of physico-chemical properties correlate best with
biointeractions.
Such a versatile aerosol generation system suitable for the toxicological characterization studies of engineered
nanoparticles will be developed and characterized in our lab. This lab based Versatile Engineered Nanomaterial
Generation System (VENGES) will be based on industry relevant, flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) aerosol reactors for
their capacity to scaleably produce nanomaterials with closely controlled primary particle size and aggregate sizes,
crystallinity and morphology. The developed VENGES system will then be used to produce families of engineered
nanomaterials of pure and selected mixtures of zinc-, silicon-, titanium- and in particular iron-oxide nanoparticles
with controlled primary particle size, agglomerate size (mobility diameter), composition (amorphous or crystalline)
and morphology.
VENGES’s ability to generate families of nanomaterials with “controlled” properties such as particle size,
composition, crystallinity and surface properties will be systematically investigated and characterized using a range
of state-of-the-art-techniques. Specific surface area will be measured by nitrogen adsorption by the BrunauerEmmett-Teller (BET) method and crystallinity by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology and particle size will
be evaluated by scanning or transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM). Particle composition will also be
analyzed for its metal content by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy). In addition, particle
number concentration will also be obtained as a function of the electrical mobility diameter by using a scanning
mobility particle sizer (SMPS).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.45
Epithelial Perturbation by Inhaled Chlorine: Multi-scale Mechanistic Modeling in Rats and Humans.
ANNIE JARABEK (1), Howard Kehrl (1), (1) Environmental Public Health Division, National Health and
Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US EPA, RTP, NC
Chlorine is a high-production volume, hazardous air pollutant and irritant gas of interest to homeland security.
Thus, scenarios of interest for risk characterization range from acute high-level exposures to lower-level chronic
exposures. Risk assessment approaches to estimate emergency egress or re-entry levels and lifetime risk use an
assumption based on “Haber’s Rule”, applying a concentration times duration (“C x t”) adjustment to extrapolate
across exposure scenarios. As a prototype for an important class of gases, chlorine provides a unique opportunity to
target a testing strategy and computationally describe critical determinants of interspecies and dose-duration
extrapolations. The existing database can be enhanced with contemporary endpoints to facilitate integrated,
mechanistically-motivated analyses. As with other reactive gases, inhaled chlorine induces irritant and corrosive
damage in the respiratory tract of all species. Lesions show a proximal to distal distribution pattern, indicating that
airflow patterns and exposure concentration influence their pathogenesis. Due to differences in airway architecture,
ventilation rate, and breathing mode across species, characterization of gas uptake and epithelial responses using
anatomically accurate computational models is necessary for accurate dose, duration, and interspecies extrapolation.
We developed a hybrid computational fluid dynamics- physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (CFD-PBPK) model
to allow flexibility to predict different internal dose metrics. Because recent studies suggest that the mode of action
for chlorine is oxidative stress mediated by hypochlorous acid which forms in epithelial tissues by hydrolysis and
downstream responses such as inflammation, the PBPK portion of the CFD/PBPK model extends the dose
description into the tissue phase to address epithelial reactions. A response model structure that specifies different
tissue states of oxidative stress (normal, adaptive, inflammatory and toxic) will refine the description into a
biologically-based dose response (BBDR) model to both predict different dose metrics and integrate various
endpoints at different levels of observation (e.g., subcellular to tissue), providing a more comprehensive description
of pathogenesis better suited to predicting different risk levels than default algorithms. To provide data input, our
testing strategy performed “C x t” experiments in rats with homologous testing in clinical human studies to serve as
target context verification. Laboratory animal studies evaluated a comprehensive set of endpoints established to
correspond with epithelial damage in a matrix of studies ranging from 1 hr to 90 days, including stop-exposure
studies. Endpoints included evaluation of nasal and broncheoalveolar lavage (NAL and BAL) for markers of
cellular viability and response, and antioxidant status and inflammatory cytokines in NAL/BAL and tissues. Tissue
samples from four locations in the upper respiratory tract, the trachea, and lung lobes are being analyzed for
oxidized amino acids to track tissue delivery and inflammatory reactions. Changes in expression of oxidative stress
responsive genes in selected tissue will also be evaluated. Histopathology is included for “phenotypic anchoring” of
more “novel” mechanistic endpoints as an apical endpoint established in regulatory risk assessment. Prognostic
significance of these endpoints will be compared in this context. Measurements in the human studies include:
symptom questionnaire, spirometry, methacholine challenge, nasal resistance, NAL, BAL, exhaled breath
condensate and nasal and lung nitric oxide production.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.48
Electrocardiographic, Hemodynamic, and Biochemical Responses to Acute Particulate Matter (PM)
Exposure in Aged Heart Failure-Prone Rats. Carll, Alex P. (1); Hazari, Mehdi S. (2); Haykal-Coates, Najwa (2);
Winsett, Darrell W. (2); Lamb, Christina M. (3); Richards, Judy H. (2); Costa, Daniel L.(4); Farraj, Aimen K. (2),
(1) Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. (2) Environmental
Public Health Div., U.S. EPA, RTP, NC, USA. (3) Toxicology, Univ of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. (4)
ORD, U.S. EPA, RTP, NC, USA.
Human exposure to ambient PM from fossil-fuel emissions is linked to cardiovascular disease and death. This
association strengthens in people with preexisting cardiac disease—especially heart failure (HF). The mechanisms
explaining PM-induced exacerbation of HF are unclear. Some of the effects of PM have been attributed to transition
metal components. Residual oil fly ash (ROFA), a waste product of fossil fuel combustion from boilers, is rich in the
transition metals Fe, Ni, and V, and when released as a fugitive particle, is an important contributor to ambient fine
particulate air pollution. We hypothesized that ROFA exposure would exacerbate cardiomyopathy in the
Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure (SHHF) rat. At 12 months of age, SHHF rats were exposed by a single
intratracheal (IT) instillation to either saline or 1.0 mg/kg ROFA (Florida Power & Light; 2.09 micrometer
diameter). Rats (n=4-5/group) were measured for carotid and left ventricular pressure (LVP) 24-hours post-IT.
Electrocardiographic (ECG) and plethysmographic data were collected from a separate cohort of rats (n=4/group)
before, during, and after a brief treadmill challenge 24-hours post-IT. Tissues were collected 30-min thereafter.
ROFA-exposed rats had arterial hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hypercholesterolemia (increased LDL), as well as
increased pulmonary macrophages, albumin, protein, and lactate dehydrogenase, indicating cardiopulmonary
toxicity. ROFA exposure significantly increased pulmonary gamma-glutamyl transferase, glutathione peroxidase,
superoxide dismutase, and manganese-superoxide dismutase while eliciting a trend toward increased plasma B-type
natriuretic peptide, pulmonary neutrophils, and pulmonary lymphocytes. These changes indicate that ROFA elicited
metabolic dysregulation concomitant with pulmonary inflammation and injury, an anti-oxidant response, and
potential exacerbation of heart failure in the aged SHHF. Thus, acute PM exposure caused significant
cardiopulmonary injury in aged SHHF rats, and this model may help elucidate the physiologic mechanisms by
which PM exacerbates HF. ECG, LVP, and plethysmography data are currently being evaluated for post-IT changes
in cardiac arrhythmias, ECG morphology, cardiac hemodynamics, and ventilatory function. (Abstract does not
reflect EPA policy; Supported by UNC/EPA CR83323601.)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.49
A Pilot Study of the Feasibility of using Satellite Aerosol Optical Depth Estimates of PM2.5 as a Predictor of
Acute Myocardial Infarctions and Asthma Attacks in Baltimore, Maryland during 2005. AMY HUFF (1),
John T. Braggio (2), Stephanie Weber (1), Fred Dimmick (3), Rashid Malik (2), Raymond M. Hoff (4), (1) Battelle
Memorial Institute (2) Maryland Department of Health and Mental Health (3) EPA Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards (4) University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Analyses of the health effects of PM2.5 typically use data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s national
PM2.5 ground-based monitor network. These monitors are located primarily in urban areas, and significant gaps in
the monitor network exist nationwide. As a result, many observational studies which utilize monitor-based PM2.5
measurements and public health data are limited because of too few monitors. To address this deficiency, the
authors have developed a methodology to combine PM2.5 monitor data with measurements of aerosol optical depth
(AOD) from NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. The advantage of satellite AOD is that it provides regional
information about particulate concentrations that can be used to fill in the gaps of the PM2.5 monitor network.
In this pilot study, the feasibility of using combined AOD-PM2.5 measurements as a predictor of acute MI and
asthma attacks in Baltimore, Maryland during 2005 was explored using case-crossover and conditional logistic
regression analyses. 2005 AOD data were converted to estimated PM2.5 concentrations using season-specific linear
regression parameters for the Baltimore region. These AOD-estimated PM2.5 values were combined with PM2.5
measurements from the monitor network using a hierarchical Bayesian modeling (HBM) tool developed by EPA.
The PM2.5 data were compared to daily acute MI inpatient hospitalizations and asthma Emergency Department
(ED) visit information that was obtained from the 2005 Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission
(HSCRC) hospitalization and ambulatory care files. The Case-Crossover Analysis Tool (C-CAT), Beta Version 1.1
(Apex Epidemiology Research, Baltimore, MD) was used to conduct the analyses. The case-crossover analyses
utilized the three available PM2.5 data sets: AOD-estimated PM2.5, PM2.5 monitor measurements, and the HBM
AOD-PM2.5 surface. Each data source included 1-3 lag days, and all analyses were controlled for temperature and
relative humidity.
The results show that the correlations between the PM2.5 data sets and the health data vary by race and season.
Results are presented as the odds that each 1 microgram per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 resulted in a change in
acute MI or ED asthma visits. For acute MI, all three PM2.5 data sources showed the same temporal trend for the
second quarter, April through June, with the fourth quarter as the referent, and on lag day one. The AOD-estimated
PM2.5 data showed an increase in the odds of Other Race persons of 3.4%, compared to Whites. Overall, the HBM
AOD-PM2.5 surface showed a 4.8% decrease in the odds. In follow-up monthly analyses, with October as the
comparison, the Odds Ratios were significant (p <0.05) and greater than 1 in January, March, June-August, and
December for the HBM AOD-PM2.5 surface and AOD-estimated PM2.5 data sets. For ED asthma visits, the odds
increased in the third quarter for all three data sets, but on lag day three, the odds were 2.6% lower for PM2.5
monitor measurements. Results for monthly analyses showed that in November, the odds increased for all three data
sources. These results of the pilot study support the feasibility of using HBM AOD-estimated PM2.5 values as a
predictor for acute MI inpatient hospitalizations and ED visits.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
3SQ2.T5.177
Spatial Estimation and Long-term Health Effects of Exposure to Air Pollution in Central Scotland. Christina
Yap (1), Chris Robertson (2), Iain Beverland (2), MATHEW HEAL (3), Raymond Agius (4), David Hole (deceasd),
Deborah Henderson (2), Geoff Cohen (5), George Morris (6)., (1) University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, (2)
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, (3) University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, (4) University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, (5) Emmes Corporation, Maryland, USA (6) Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
Long-term exposure to air pollution is widely believed to have significant public health burden. The use of
community-average air pollution concentrations to represent an individual’s exposure in cohort studies may lead to
significant error in the calculation of associations between health outcomes and air pollution. In this study, three
different methods for estimating individuals’ exposure to air pollution were applied to a combined cohort of >21,000
subjects recruited between 1970-6 in central Scotland, whose residential postcodes spanned the range from small
villages to the centre of the Glasgow conurbation. Air pollution predictors included daily black smoke
concentrations from up to 180 monitoring sites operational in the 1970s plus the local environmental predictors
(LEP) of altitude, household density within 250 m buffer, distance to nearest major road and distance to urban
boundary. Missing daily black smoke data were imputed using a log-linear model, allowing for day of week,
seasonality and a linear time trend. The three exposure models were: (1) inverse-squared distance weighting of
measured geometric mean black smoke; (2) multivariate spatial smoothing of black smoke using a semiparametric
additive model with the LEPs; (3) multilevel spatio-temporal modelling of monthly black smoke with the LEPs. The
resulting estimated 1970s decadal geometric mean exposure to black smoke for individual cohort members were in
the ranges 5.5 - 70 microgram/m3, 5.9 - 49 microgram/m3 and 4.6 - 55 microgram/m3 for the three estimation
methods, respectively.
The magnitude of associations between estimated exposure and mortality were derived using Cox’s proportional
hazard regressions. The potential for confounding and effect modification by both individual and aggregate level
factors (including smoking, deprivation, occupation, educational attainment, prior ill health, physiological factors,
and gaseous co-pollutants) was examined. Using the more sophisticated multilevel exposure model the following
significant mortality hazard ratios per 10 microgram/m3 increment in black smoke were identified, for follow-up to
1998: ischaemic heart disease mortality 1.07 (95% CI: 1.01-1.15), cardiovascular mortality 1.07 (1.00-1.13) and allcause mortality 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01-1.09). Hazard ratios of 1.11 and 1.09 for respiratory mortality and lung cancer
were not significant (p = 0.13 and 0.15, respectively). Interaction tests failed to provide compelling evidence that the
range of risk factors investigated modified the observed black smoke effects. Hazard ratios varied with exposure
model used, highlighting the crucial importance of reliable estimation of intra-urban variations in exposure. The
findings are broadly consistent with previous evidence and hypotheses of how long-term exposure to air pollution
may affect human health. However, the dissimilarities noted between exposure models suggest that accurate
exposure classification will continue to be one of the most pressing issues in air pollution epidemiological research.
This work was funded by the UK Department of Health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
9B.4
Overview of USEPA/NERL Cooperative Agreement Research Program on Air Pollution Exposure and
Health. HALUK OZKAYNAK (1), Stefanie E. Sarnat (2), Jeremy A. Sarnat (2), Lianne Sheppard (3), Paul
Sampson (3), Barbara Turpin (4), David Rich (4), (1) USEPA/ORD, National Exposure Research Laboratory, RTP,
NC (2) Emory University, Atlanta, GA (3) University of Washington, Seattle, WA (4) Rutgers University, New
Brunswick, NJ
Background and Objective:
Numerous health studies have used measurements from a few central-site ambient monitors to characterize
exposures to air pollution. However, central-site ambient monitors do not account for the spatial and temporal
heterogeneity of ambient air pollution and human activity patterns, or the influence of infiltration indoors and
contributions of indoor sources. USEPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory recently initiated a two-year
Cooperative Agreement Research Program between EPA and three academic institutions: Emory University,
Rutgers University and University of Washington. Under this EPA/NERL sponsored research, novel exposure
assessment techniques for PM2.5 mass, PM species and co-pollutants are currently being evaluated in a
complimentary and tiered fashion using several epidemiologic health studies.
Methods:
The Emory-Georgia Tech group is developing and evaluating five exposure metrics for examining acute morbidity
effects of ambient traffic-related (CO, NOx, PM2.5 and PM2.5 EC) and ozone in Atlanta. These are applied during
time series analysis of ED visits and case-crossover analysis of ICD cohort data bases from Atlanta, GA. The
Rutgers/EOHSI-LBL group is examining associations between PM2.5 mass and species and adverse health
outcomes using logistic regression analysis with birth outcomes and case-crossover analysis with myocardial
infarctions data in New Jersey using four different exposure tiers. The University of Washington team is conducting
research to improve epidemiology study health effect estimates under the MESA Air and other air pollution cohort
studies by fine-scale spatio-temporal modeling of ambient PM2.5 and NOx.
Results:
To-date measurements and air quality and exposure modeling tools have been applied individually and in
combination to provide more spatially and temporally resolved estimates of ambient air pollutant concentrations and
exposures to ambient PM and/or co-pollutants in Baltimore, Atlanta and in New Jersey. Overview of results from
application of alternative air quality and exposure predictors using monitoring or modeling (CMAQ, AERMOD,
SHEDS) information will be presented. Selected results from the application of lower tier exposure metrics in
epidemiological analyses will briefly be described.
Conclusions:
Depending on the study design, uncertainties in estimating exposures to air pollution can influence the results
derived from epidemiologic studies that rely upon available ambient monitoring data. These may be especially
important for individual level studies examining health effects due to PM2.5 species and co-pollutants.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ2 - Reliability of Methods, Models, and Approaches
Sub-Topic: T5 - Health Effect
13A.7
Cellular responses after exposure of lung cell cultures to secondary organic aerosols. Marianne Geiser(1),
Markus Kalberer(2), (3), Annina Gaschen(1), Doris Lang(1), Melanie Savi(1), Thomas Geiser(4), Amiq Gazdhar(4),
Claus-Michael Lehr(5), Michael Bur(5), Josef Dommen(2) and Urs Baltensperger(2), (1)Institute of Anatomy,
University of Bern, 3000 Bern 9, Switzerland (2) Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut
(PSI), 5232 Villigen, Switzerland (3) Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of
Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK (4) Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Bern,
Switzerland (5) Department for Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Saarland, 66123
Saarbrücken, Germany
Ambient fine and ultrafine particles have a variety of adverse health effects. The chemical and physical properties of
aerosol particles causing these effects remain unclear. A major fraction of the ambient aerosol particle mass is
composed of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). This work aimed to examine in vitro the response of target lung cells
to SOA particles with the goal to eventually identify particle components that are responsible for cell responses.
SOA particles were deposited on the air-liquid interface of cultured porcine and human lung epithelial cells (microdissected tracheal epithelium, primary cultures and cell lines) and lung surface macrophages in a recently
constructed particle deposition chamber. Particles were applied under realistic ambient air and physiological
conditions occurring when particles are inhaled by mammals.
Cellular responses were examined within 24 hrs after exposure to SOA. Ultrastructural changes of cells were
assessed by transmission electron microscopy. Necrotic cell death was tested by measuring lactate dehydrogenase
release. Phagocytic activity of macrophages was tested by post-exposure treatment with 6-micro-meter polystyrene
particles. Inflammatory responses were assessed by measuring TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 release. In addition,
epithelial repair function was tested by measuring the closure of mechanically wounded alveolar epithelial cell
monolayers using a computerized imaging technique.
Analyses of the lung cells indicate that a short time exposure to realistic concentrations of SOA does not induce
cytotoxicity but leads to subtle changes in cell function that are essential for lung homoeostasis. We found decreased
phagocytic activity in macrophages and cell type specific increases in IL-8 release. The alveolar epithelial wound
repair was affected mainly due to alterations of cell spreading and cell migration at the edge of the wound.
These analyses of cellular responses induced by organic aerosols will greatly help to understand the particle
properties as well as the cellular mechanisms responsible for biological effects.
This work was supported by SBF grants C03.0052 and C06.0075 as part of COST Action 633, the European
Commission Project POLYSOA, contract No 12719, the 3R Research Foundation Switzerland, project No 89-03
and an Eurochamp travel grant.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
2B.3
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Coarse (PM10-2.5) Particulate Matter Concentrations in the Los Angeles
Area. PAYAM PAKBIN, Neelakshi Hudda, Ka Lam Cheung, Katharine F Moore, Constantinos Sioutas, University
of Southern California
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Coarse (PM10-2.5) Particulate Matter Concentrations in the Los Angeles Area
Recent epidemiological and toxicological studies suggest that coarse particulate matter (CPM, particles smaller than
10 and larger than 2.5 µm in diameter, PM10-2.5) concentrations may be associated with adverse health outcomes at
levels similar to or larger than those associated with PM2.5 concentrations. CPM may consist of several,
mechanically-generated, potentially toxic components, including re-suspended road dust, industrial materials, brake
linings, tire residues, trace metals, and bio-aerosols. In an effort to better understand and quantify the linkage
between sources, composition and the toxicity of coarse PM, 10 sampling sites were set-up in the Los Angeles area.
Sites within this diverse monitoring network were selected to encompass urban, rural, coastal, inland, nearfreeway, community-based, upwind pollutant “source” and downwind pollutant “receptor” sites to fully characterize
the range of conditions encountered in Southern California. At each location, a 24-hour time-integrated coarse PM
sample was collected once per week for one year in order to assess the seasonal and spatial patterns in coarse PM
concentrations. Annual geometric mean CPM mass concentrations varied from < 5.0 µg/m3 to approximately 12
µg/m3 across the ten sites with individual weekly values ranging from ca. 1 to > 35 µg/m3. Concentrations were 2 –
4 times higher in the summer than the winter, with the largest effect observed inland. CPM correlations between
sites in close proximity to each other tended to be high (r2 > 0.80), but were poor between urban center and inland
sites. The pollutant source sites in Long Beach as well as the desert site in Lancaster were distinctly different from
the other sites in western, central and eastern Los Angeles. CPM correlations with PM2.5 observations at the same
site were poor overall, but good in the winter across the monitoring network. The coefficients of divergence (COD)
were also calculated across all site pairs to quantify CPM mass concentration spatial heterogeneity. The CODs (most
median values > 0.2 calculated monthly) suggest modest heterogeneity overall, but the CODs calculated between the
urban core site pairs were homogeneous. These observations suggest that differences in CPM sources and sinks
within an urban region must be considered when calculating exposures.
Keywords: Particulate matter; Coarse particles; PM10; PM2.5; Resuspension
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
2B.5
Characteristics of Aerosol Particulate Matter in Kyrgyzstan: Advancing our Understanding of Regional
Transport of Atmospheric Aerosol in Central Asia. MARTIN SHAFER (1), James Schauer (1), Paul Solomon
(2), Jeffrey Lantz (3), Maria Artamonova (4), Boris Chen (5), Sanjar Imashev (5), Leonid Sverdlik (5), Greg
Carmichael (6), Jeff Deminter (7), Justin Miller-Schulze (1), (1) University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, (2)
U.S. EPA, ORD, Las Vegas NV, (3) U.S. EPA, ORIA, Las Vegas NV, (4) Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Moscow,
Russia, (5) Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, (6) University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, (7)
Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison WI.
To advance our understanding of regional and long-range transport of aerosol particulate matter (PM) from Central
Asia to East Asia, South Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and North America we are characterizing sources of PM from
Central Asia. A particular focus of our effort is on PM sourced from the Aral Sea region of southern Kazakhstan
and northern Uzbekistan, the third largest source of mineral dust in Asia. Until this study, the information on
particulate matter from this region of Asia available to support these source reconciliation and modeling efforts was
extremely limited. We established two monitoring stations in the Kyrgyz Republic, where PM10 and PM2.5
samples were collected every other day from July 2008 through July 2009 for detailed chemical analysis. The two
sites, one in Bishkek, the capital, the other in Karakol in eastern Kyrgyzstan are located 1000 and 1200 km east of
the Aral Sea, respectively. Measurements at both sites include an FDMS TEOM to quantify fine particulate matter
(PM) on an hourly basis, and 24-hr integrated filter-based samples for fine mass, organic carbon (OC), elemental
carbon, ions, trace elements by ICP-MS, and a large suite of organic species, including source apportionment
molecular markers and secondary organic tracers. Data from a LIDAR located at the Karakol site, will be used for
aerosol backscatter measurements. Soil samples were also obtained from the vicinity of the aerosol monitoring sites
and from 10 locations surrounding the Aral Sea. These soils were resuspended and PM10 and PM2.5 fractions
sampled for detailed chemical finger-printing.The year-long aerosol sampling effort captured a series of multi-day
dust events, occurring primarily in spring and summer, with high temporal concurrence between the two sampling
sites. Relatively high PM levels in the warmer months were supported by large contributions of inorganic aerosol
components, which declined dramatically in October, with a resultant shift to a more carbonaceous aerosol
population in Fall and Winter. OC concentrations were typically highest in summer; however the OC/EC ratio
exhibited a large and progressive decline from summer into fall, reflecting at the Bishkek site primarily a decrease in
OC levels and at the Lidar site a substantial increase in EC concentrations. At both sites a striking decline in the
contribution of coarse OC to total OC was observed in moving from summer to winter. Levels and contributions of
semi-volatile species (as measured by the TEOM) were greater in the warmer months, suggesting significant
secondary aerosol formation during this period. Important new information on baseline and event contribution of
both inorganic and carbonaceous aerosol components to PM traversing Central and Eastern Asia will result from the
study. These data will support receptor and Eulerian modeling to estimate the impact of Asian dust transport from
the Aral Sea to Kyrgyzstan and from Central Asia to China and further East.
Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official
Agency policy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
2B.6
Real-time Chemical Speciation of Submicrometer Particulate Matter in Urban Environment. SANNA
SAARIKOSKI (1), Samara Carbone (1), Hilkka Timonen (1), Karri Saarnio (1), Minna Aurela (1), Kimmo Teinilä
(1), Timo Lanki (2), Raimo O. Salonen (2), Risto Hillamo (1), (1) Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki,
Finland, (2) National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
Recent epidemiological studies have suggested remarkable heterogeneities in the strength of fine particle (PM2.5) associated health outcomes between particle sources modeled on a daily basis. There is very little information on
shorter-term variation in source-contributions to fine PM.
Chemical composition of submicrometer particulate matter (PM1) was measured in Helsinki, Finland with high
time-resolution for several months in 2008 and 2009. The instruments included the Aerodyne High-Resolution
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-AMS), Semi-continuous OC/EC Analyzer, Tapered Element Oscillating
Microbalance (TEOM), aethalometer and Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler (PILS) coupled with Ion Chromatograph
(IC) and Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC). Measurements were carried out at SMEAR III station 5 km from
downtown Helsinki and in downtown Helsinki close to a busy road (Mannerheimintie).
High time-resolved data is essential for tracking the sources and geographical origins of particles. In addition, it can
help identifying the source and composition relationships of acute health effects occurring within hours during air
pollution episodes. Characteristically, PM2.5 concentration in Helsinki is relative low (9-11 micro-g/m3 on
average), but there appear frequent episodic events with much higher PM2.5 concentrations lasting from less than
one hour up to 2-3 weeks.
In winter, the elevated PM1 concentrations were either from long-range transport, or had regional or local origins.
The local high concentrations of soot (up to 7 micro-g/m3) occurred during temperature inversion and were mainly
caused by vehicle emissions accumulating close to the ground. The organic carbon-to-black carbon ratio (OC/BC
ratio) during temperature inversion was close to one. Wood combustion for residential heating, which was tracked
with the HR-AMS using chemical tracers from the emissions of incomplete combustion of cellulose, had also
significant contributions to PM1. Wood combustion contributed up to 40% of organic matter in PM1 in wintertime.
The inorganic composition of long-range transported PM1 was highly dependent on the geographical area it was
from. Transport from Western and Central Europe brought high nitrate concentration, whereas high sulfate
concentrations came from Eastern Europe. The plumes from an oil-shale fuelled power plant in Estonia caused high
concentrations of acidic sulfate. The highest 15-min average sulfate concentration was 13 micro-g/m3 with the ratio
of ammonium to sulfate being 0.08.
In spring, there were short periods when long-range transported smoke from agricultural waste burning and wildfires
from south Russia and Belarus caused elevated PM1 concentrations. In late spring, when the measurements were
carried out close to a busy road, the major part of PM1 composed of secondary organic aerosol formed in the
atmosphere from vehicle-derived hydrocarbons accompanied by diesel soot. Even during very low PM1 mass
concentrations (5 micro-g/m3), diesel-soot contributed one third of the mass.
The present study showed that the sources, composition and geographical origin of PM1 can abruptly vary in
Helsinki. It has been suggested that even 1-h exposure to high PM concentrations may even fatally exacerbate
cardiorespiratory diseases. The measurement of fine particle mass only may not reveal important additional factors
contributing to acute health risk among susceptible population groups, like asthmatic subjects and those with
coronary heart disease.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
5A.5
Diesel Emission Characterizaiton and Control: Quantifying source-specific pollution of toxicological
relevance. Shaohua Hu (1), Jorn Herner (1), Tao Huai (1), John Collins (1), and ALBERTO AYALA (1), (1)
California Air Resources Board
Abatement of diesel emissions is important for both air quality and climate protection. Diesel exhaust is a major
source of fine particle pollution and numerous studies have linked elevated ambient particle levels to human
mortality and morbidity. In addition, the fraction of diesel PM that is emitted as black carbon is relevant for global
warming. In response to new and more stringent limits set by the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) and the
United States Environmental Protection Agency, engine manufacturers are deploying new aftertreatment technology
for emission reduction. But as these control systems evolve and become more sophisticated, new studies are needed
to keep pace with the changing nature of the resulting emission profiles. Under CARB’s vehicle and engine
emissions research program, investigations are being conducted for guiding CARB’s policies.
Recently, we completed one of those investigations; one of the largest and most comprehensive research efforts
focused on the characterization of the physical, chemical and toxicological properties of emissions from heavy-duty
diesel vehicles (HDDV) equipped with state-of-the-art emission control aftertreatment devices. We had project cofunding from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the California Energy Commission and
benefitted from the collaboration with several academic institutions (University of Southern California; University
of California, Los Angeles; and University of Wisconsin, Madison). Our focus was on technologies of the type
expected as original equipment in diesel engines meeting the most stringent new PM and NOX emission standards
effective in 2010. Specifically, we have examined different types of diesel particle filters (DPF) and selective
catalytic reduction (SCR) systems.
Vehicles were tested at CARB’s Heavy-duty Emissions Testing Laboratory (HDETL) in Los Angeles. PM samples
were collected and subjected to a comprehensive set of physical, chemical, and toxicological analyses including
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ions, trace metals and elements, and organic and elemental carbons. Real time
instrumentation was used for particle number counting and sizing, particle-bound PAHs, and particle surface area
measurements. Gas phase emission measurements include CO, CO2, NOX, and total and speciated hydrocarbons.
In addition, samples were collected for toxicity analysis by means of chemical and biological assays to determine
oxidative potential.
In general, our findings have allowed us to advance a new conceptual model for emission control by diesel
aftertreatment. We found that catalyst volume and temperature are strong determinants in the performance of
advanced diesel aftertreatment. We confirmed that a DPF is highly efficient in trapping greater than 90% of the
engine out PM mass. Similarly, the SCR systems demonstrated an 80% or better reduction of NOX. The
aftertreatment devices were also efficient at reducing toxic emissions and the overall potency of PM emissions in
terms of redox activity. Some redox activity was decreased in spite of a correspodning increase in the total number
of particles emitted. The semi-volatile fraction of PM showed higher redox potential than the solid particle fraction
for most vehicle configurations. These and other highlights from our study will be presented.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
5A.7
Measurement and Prediction of Vertical and Horizontal Particle Dispersion from Highway Traffic. Meilu He
(1), Suresh Dhaniyala (1), (1) Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
Ultrafine particles are speculated to have a particularly adverse effect on human health. In urban environments, a
major source of these particles is traffic exhaust from highways. There have been several studies on the horizontal
decay of highway-generated particle number concentration as a function of distance from the road. The particle
dispersion characteristics in the vertical direction, are, however, not completely known and this mechanism may
critically control particle concentration field in urban area. For measurements of particle concentration profiles in
both the vertical and horizontal directions, field measurements were conducted near the I-90 freeway in Liverpool,
NY (near Syracuse, NY) during August and September, 2009. A 10m-high tower was used to sample particles from
the ground to the top of the tower with nine different heights. Five water condensation particle counters (WCPCs,
TSI 3786), were used to simultaneously measure number concentrations at different heights. A fast mobility particle
sizer (FMPS; TSI 3091) was used to obtain the particle size distribution at the different heights. In addition to the
particle measurements, gas-phase pollutants – carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide - were also measured. Real-time
measurements of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) were also obtained as a function of sampling
height. Horizontally, the tower was sequentially located at 15m, 50m, and 100m from the edge of the highway.
Incorporating our new theory of traffic produced turbulence (TPT), one easy-to-use air pollution model in urban area
is developed. Simulations of vertical and horizontal spatial distributions of particle concentrations from highway
sources are compared with experimental data. The results of this study with field measurement and model
prediction, highlighting the dispersion of pollutants from the freeway, will be presented.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
5C.7
Diurnal/Overnight variation of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 composition in the dry and wet season of 2008 in Cuiabá
City, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. RODRIGO MARQUES (1,2), Adalgiza Fornaro (1), Regina Maura de Miranda
(1), Rosana Astolfo (1), Edinaldo de Castro e Silva (3), (1) Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of São
Paulo (IAG/USP), (2) Secretary of the State for Planning and General Coordination for the State of Mato Grosso
(SEPLAN-MT), Cuiabá, (3) Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá.
Cuiabá City is located in the Mato Grosso State, has about 530 thousands inhabitants and 220 thousands vehicles.
Mato Grosso State has been impacted by the agribusiness activities increase in the Brazilians Savannah and Amazon
Rainforest. The biomass burning has been used like a principal deforestation method. Cuiabá has a tropical climate
with two seasons well definite, being a wet season (October to April) and a dry season (May to September). This
work intends to analyze the diurnal/overnight variation of PM2.5, PM2.5-10, black carbon (BC) and chemical
composition. Samples were collected in intervals of 12h, in the period of January 20 to February 2, July 10 to 23,
and September 16 to 29 of 2008. The sampling periods represent wet season, and dry season with different
characteristics, biomass burning activities were more intensive in September than July. Dichotomous Sampler 241
(Andersen/ Graseby) was used with air flux of 16.7 litres per minute, calibrated using Sierra’s Top Track flux
meters. These samples were analyzed by gravimetry for mass concentration and optical reflectance for Black carbon
concentration, and chemicals have been measured by ionic chromatography and X-ray fluorescence. Results by
NOAA-15 sensor showed in the Mato Grosso State 21 biomass burning areas in January, 1,688 in July, and 5,655 in
September. Diurnal variation of PM2.5 (in micrograms per cubic meters) was 7 (January) and 51 (September), and
overnight variation was 7 (January) and 76 (September). For PM2.5-10 diurnal variation was 8 (January) and 68
(July), and overnight variation was 10 (January) and 126 (September). Black Carbon of diurnal PM2.5 and PM2.510 concentrations (in micrograms per cubic meters) had variation of 0.3 and 5.7 and 0.03 to 1.2, respectively. And
BC overnight variation of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 was 0.6 to 9.5, and 0.05 to 2.6, respectively. In these samples, BC
represented 32% of PM2.5 mass and only 3% of PM2.5-10 mass. Mass balance for chemical composition has
indicated the soil as main source to PM2.5-10, with important contribution of limestone mining and cement plants.
For PM2.5, biomass burning was the main source, following by secondary process. It is important to emphasize that
overnight concentrations were higher than diurnal, mainly during dry season, when thermal inversion was more
intense and usual, associated with biomass burning and low wind speed. Other influence was the distribution of
precipitation, raining 314 mm in January, 4 mm in July and 21 mm in September.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.9
Continuous Emission Measurements of PM from an In-use Uncontrolled Outdoor Hydronic Wood-fired
Furnace (OWB) and the Influence of Burn Practices on Emissions. GEORGE ALLEN (1) Lisa Rector (1) Pete
Babich (2), (1) NESCAUM (2) CT Dept. of Environmental Protection
Stack PM Emissions from an in-use uncontrolled outdoor wood boiler (OWB) were measured over a four-week
period using a continuous method. A Matter Engineering (TSI) rotating disk dilution system was used for the first
series of tests, and an EPA method 5G dilution tunnel was used for the second series; a standard burn was conducted
with both sample trains for comparison. Stack temperatures were measured continuously, and stack flows for
damper open mode were estimated using tracer gas techniques. A model 1400ab TEOM ® at 30 degree C with fast
response time settings was used for continuous PM measurements; short-term very low face velocity Teflon filter
gravimetric collocated samples were also collected for comparison with TEOM data. Integrated 2-hour speciated
PAH measurements were made on a subset of runs using an XAD trap back-end for total PAH (gas and particle
phase).
Burn practices (type of wood, fuel charge, moisture levels) were varied across runs to assess their effect on PM
emissions. An EPA method 28 test crib was burned for comparison with lab tests. A total of twelve 8-hour runs
were conducted in the fall-spring of 2007-2008. Damper state (open/closed) was controlled manually, and
emissions for each state were segregated. Damper closed PM emission rates were negligible compared to damper
open rates. The type of wood was the largest factor in PM emissions across tests, with softwood having several
times the PM emissions (grams/hour) than hardwood. Softwood emissions peaked at over 200 g/h. The EPA 300
lb. test crib (a dimensional hardwood structure) had emissions of 50 g/h, similar to cord hardwood burns and
laboratory test data. Emissions also varied within a load of wood; the early burn phase of a large load had PM
emissions several times higher than the same load once it had charred. It is clear from this work that simply burning
seasoned split hardwood reduces PM emissions substantially relative to poor burn practices.
Limited sampling of speciated PAH showed naphthalene as the predominant species, with emissions peaking at 5
g/h. 20 ppm of SO2 was measured in the stack; a sample of wood showed 100 ppm sulfur. This wood was from
southern New England, and the sulfur is presumably from wet deposition. Mercury was not measured, but as with
sulfur would be expected to be present in wood from this area and thus in the combustion emissions. Future work
will assess mercury in woodsmoke. Teflon filter samples were frozen immediately after sampling, weighed before
and after 24-hour equilibration; average mass loss was 13%, was not moisture related, and was very consistent
regardless of filter loading. The agreement between the filter PM samples and matching TEOM data was
reasonable.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.80
Emission Source Tracer Elements in Ambient PM: Demonstrating Chemical Complexity and the
Implications for Health Effects. TERESA MORENO (1), Xavier Querol (1), Andrés Alastuey (1), Wes Gibbons
(2), (1) Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain (2) AP 23075,
Barcelona 08080, Spain
It is increasingly clear from analytical datasets on particulate matter obtained from standardised air monitoring
stations that there is great variability in the chemical composition of inhalable inorganic aerosols both in space and
time. This chemical complexity is best demonstrated using selected elements which, combined with source
apportionment techniques such as positive matrix factorisation, allow differentiation between geological and
anthropogenic sources. The commonest geological elements in particulate matter are associated with felsic silicates
and so include Si, Al, K, Na, Ca, Rb and Li. However, some of the more useful tracer elements for crustally-derived
aerosols are those present in small, durable accessory minerals such as zircon (Zr, Hf), rutile (Ti, Nb, Ta), and
monazite (La, Ce). With regard to technogenic tracer elements, these are usually best selected from a range of metals
and metalloids which are themselves commonly toxic and therefore implicated in health effects. Thus, among the
most useful industrially-derived tracers are Zn, Pb, As, Cu, Sb, Mn and Cd, all of which can consistently be
demonstrated to concentrate in the finer, more deeply inhalable PM fraction of ambient air, and are therefore more
likely to become involved in inflammation and oxidative stress after inhalation.
Tracer elements are sometimes highly specific in their origin and as such can be used to identify particular pollutant
sources, such as Mn from ferroalloy plants or Sr from firework combustion. In such cases monitoring campaigns
must be targeted at individual plumes, although given the fact that urban PM may derive from large numbers of
potential sources a strong case can usually only be made using a large chemical database supported by detailed
meteorological data: in the México City Metropolitan Área for example there are an estimated 30,000 industries,
many of which use metallurgical processes. It can also be useful to examine element ratios, such as Cu/Sb which
differs between traffic brake emissions and waste incineration fly ash. Similarly, some technogenic processes
produce distinctive “unnatural” geochemical fractionation patterns, as is the case in emissions from oil refineries
using La-rich zeolitic fluid catalytic converters (FCC) and from power stations burning the same refined oils. Such
FCC-related emissions will show La/Ce values much higher than the 0.5 typical of uncontaminated geological
materials, in direct contrast to traffic tailpipe particles derived from the abrasion of Ce-rich vehicle catalytic
converters which show the opposite trend.
Given the chemical complexity of ambient atmospheric particulate matter, legislation concerned only with
measuring physical PM mass concentrations fails to address health effects linked to the variability in potential
toxicity of inhalable urban aerosols.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.149
Source Apportionment of Particulate Matter Collected at Varying Distances from an Urban Highway.
RACHELLE M DUVALL (1), Gary A Norris (1), Kasey Kovalcik (1), Michael D Hays (2), John K McGee (3),
David Davies (3), Dock Terrell (3), M Ian Gilmour (3), (1) US Environmental Protection Agency, Research
Triangle Park, (2) US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, (3) US Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle Park
Particulate matter (PM) generated from roadways contains a mixture of particle sizes, compositions, and sources
which vary depending on vehicle fuel type and operating conditions, climate, location, and traffic levels. Numerous
studies have shown associations between proximity to roadways with large traffic volume and increased respiratory,
cardiovascular, and other adverse health effects. Previous research has typically focused on bulk components (e.g.
PM, CO, NO/NO2) and not size-segregated chemical speciation. In this study, size-fractionated PM samples
including coarse (2.5-10 microns), fine (0.1-2.5 microns), and ultrafine (<0.1 microns) were collected from distances
of 20 m and 275 m from a highway in Raleigh, NC. Samples were collected for two week-long periods during July
and August 2006 and analyzed for inorganic elements (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission
Spectrometry), ions (Ion Chromatography) and elemental and organic carbon (Thermal-Optical Transmittance). The
EPA Positive Matrix Factorization Model (PMF) will be used to extract size-specific motor vehicle source profiles
to obtain a representative traffic profile for the Raleigh area. The EPA Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model will
then be used to apportion fine and coarse PM sources. Major fine PM sources are anticipated to include gasoline,
diesel, and road dust and major coarse PM source are expected to consist of tire wear, brake wear, and road dust.
The PM samples from this study have accompanying in vivo toxicology data including markers of lung injury and
lung inflammation, and cardiovascular effects. The PM sources determined by the CMB model will be compared to
the various health outcomes measured.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.186
Source Apportionment of Total Suspended Particulate Matter in Coarse and Fine Size Ranges Over. Sandeep
Gupta(1) Arun Srivastava (2) V. K. Jain (3), School of Environmental Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi, India 110067
Source apportionment of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) and associated heavy metals has been carried
out for the city of Delhi using the Chemical Mass Balance Model, Version 8 (CMB8), as well as principle
component analysis (PCA) of SPSS (Varimax Rotated Factor Matrix method) in coarse- and fine-size mode. Urban
particles were collected using a five-stage impactor at six sites in the winter of 2005-06. The impactor segregates the
TSPM into five different size ranges (viz. > 10.9, 10.9–5.4, 5.4–1.6, 1.6–0.7 and < 0.7 micro-m). Four samples were
collected from six different sites every 24 hours. Samples were analyzed in five size ranges gravimetrically and
chemically for the estimation of SPM and metals. The five different size ranges were divided into two broad
categories: coarse (1.6 to > 10.9 micro-m) and fine (< 1.6 micro-m). The CMB8 and PCA were executed separately
for both coarse and fine size ranges. Results obtained by CMB8 indicate the dominance of vehicular pollutants
(62%), followed by crustal dust (35%) in the fine size range; while in the coarse size range crustal dust dominated
(64%) over vehicular pollution (29%). Little contribution from paved-road dust and industrial sources was observed.
Results of PCA (or factor analysis) reveal two major sources (vehicular and crustal re-suspension) in both coarse
and fine size ranges. The correlations of factors (sources) with the metals show that in the coarse size range the
dominant source is crustal re-suspension (68%) followed by vehicular pollution (23%). However, this is reversed in
the case of the fine size range factor analysis where vehicular pollution (86%) dominated over crustal re-suspension
(10%).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.187
Causes of particulate matter variability in a Mediterranean urban site: road traffic, photochemistry and
resuspension. Cristina Reche(1), Teresa Moreno (1), Mar Viana (1), Xavier Querol (1), Andrés Alastuey (1),
Noemí Pérez (1), Fulvio Amato (1), Natalia Moreno (1), (1) Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water
Research (IDÆA-CSIC)
An intensive study to characterize the main sources and chemical processes controlling atmospheric pollution due to
particulate matter was conducted in the Mediterranean urban site of Barcelona (Spain) during February-March 2009.
Several parameters were taken into consideration, including the variability of mass concentration in the coarse and
fine fraction, particle number, and the amount of black carbon present. Pollution sources of special interest were
road traffic, construction-demolition works and ship emissions. Results show an important contribution by
secondary aerosols, with maximum numbers of particles obtained at midday when nucleation processes are favoured
by photochemistry. Concentrations of SO2 peak at different times to other gaseous pollutants (CO, CO2, NO, NO2,
O3, H2S) due to regular daytime onshore southesterly breezes bringing harbour emissions into the city. Thus, SO2
from shipping is identified as a major contributor to the formation of secondary particles produced by the oxidation
of sulphuric acid. Road traffic in Barcelona has a great impact on the air quality of the city, as demonstrated by daily
and weekly cycles of gaseous pollutants, black carbon and the finer fraction of PM, with peaks being coincident
with traffic rush-hours (8-10h and 20-22h), levels of pollution increasing from Monday to Friday, and a pronounced
“weekend effect” diminution. Superimposed upon these predictable and already well documented daily patterns was
a remarkable additional factor producing a previously undocumented PM2.5-10 peak occurring from 11.00 to
14.00h. The reason for the appearance of this new daily maximum for the coarser PM fraction, which in Barcelona
is normally mostly associated with traffic resuspension, is due to the enormous quantity of construction and
demolition works in the metropolitan area during 2009. At the beginning of the year there were around 300 new
work sites already in operation, maximum levels of emissions from which are favoured by the presence of the sea
breezes which are at their strongest around midday. We estimate that daily inhalable PM burden have increased by
around 10% directly in response to the new construction/demolition works. As is the case with many cities across
the world, these new works have been instigated in order to lessen the effects of economic crisis on working
populations. One undesirable side effect of such increased anthropogenic activity, however, is significant
enhancement of city-wide background inhalable dust levels. Given the likely higher levels of human health effects
produced by this deterioration in air quality, much more needs to be done to control and diminish these urban
resuspension emissions, especially in hot, predominantly dry areas, such as many cities around the Mediterranean,
the Middle East, and in the southwest United States.
Acknowledgements: This study has been financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and the
Plan Nacional de I+D from the Ministry of Education and Science: CGL2007-62505/CLI (DOASUR), CGL200730502-E/CLI (DAURE)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.188
Research on Emission Characteristics of VOCs from a Typical MSW Incineration Power Plant in
Guangzhou, China. BO-GUANG WANG , Shu-Le Liu, Chen Wang, Wei Luo, Department of Environmental
Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Using adsorption-thermal desorption sampling and GC-MS analysis, this paper evaluates the component
characteristics and environmental impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the Discharge
Workshop and Chimney of Guangzhou Likeng municipal solid waste(MSW) incineration power plant which is still
the typical and the largest MSW incineration power plant in the Pear River Delta (PRD) of China. 48 and 32 kinds
of VOCs are respectively detected in the sources samples and the ambient air samples. Total VOCs concentration in
Discharge Workshop is 32.41±9.25µg•m-3 per hour which is mainly composed of aromatics compounds and
oxygenated organic compounds while total VOCs from Chimney is up to 1206.03±36.46µg•m-3 per hour which
primarily includes aminomethanesulfonic acid, methyl isocyanate, benzenes and halohydrocarbon. The VOCs
products of incineration are simpler but more than before with higher toxicity. The result shows the nitrogen
hydrocarbons account for 94% of total emission, chlorobenzene and tetrachloroethylene are both important
molecular markers of the source. The research indicates that VOCs emitted from MSW incineration power plant can
play a significant role on human health in the PRD and mention that a priority control strategy should to be given to
the reduction of nitrogen-containing organic compounds and halogenated hydrocarbon.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.189
Inhalable Manganese Particles in the Modern Urban Environment: Identifying Background Sources,
Industrial Spikes, and the Challenge of Defining Safe Limits. TERESA MORENO (1), Marco Pandolfi (1),
Xavier Querol (1), Andrés Alastuey (1), Mar Viana (1), Javier Lavín (2), Wes Gibbons (3), (1) Institute of
Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain (2) Consejería de Medio Ambiente
de Cantabria, CIMA, Torrelavega, Spain (3) AP 23075, Barcelona 08080, Spain
Exposure to excessive concentrations of manganiferous particles causes both short term and chronic neurological
and lung damage in humans. We examine a large (>2,500 recent analyses) chemical database from Spain to
demonstrate that current background Mn levels in urban air usually lie far below those known to cause acute health
effects, typically averaging around 10 ng m-3 in urban background, rising to 20-25 ng m-3 in city traffic sites. The
arrival of African dust intrusions, a relatively common event in Spain, can raise urban background Mn levels as high
as 100-125 ng m-3, but such concentrations still lie below the 150 ng m-3 WHO guideline for maximum Mn
concentration in air, and are anyway transient events not annual averages. In some cities, however, industrial and/or
port activity can dramatically raise Mn levels: the city of Santander, for example, has Mn PM10 and PM2.5 average
background concentrations measured at 166 ng m-3 and 77 ng m-3 respectively (with individual 24-hour levels
sometimes exceeding 1000 ng m-3 PM10 and 400 ng m-3 PM2.5). The source of such anomalous levels of inhalable
Mn can usually be readily identified using positive matrix factorization source apportionment modeling combined
with scanning electron microscopy and meteorological data. In the case of Santander the source is a ferroalloy plant
operating some 7km upwind of the city, where investigation of ambient Mn concentrations in housing estates built
close to the factory has recently discovered 24-hour levels that can exceed 19,000 ng m-3. Metalliferous plumes
from highly polluting point sources such as these can retain their identity over long distances, and contaminate large,
heavily populated areas lying downwind. However, demanding improvement from such polluters is hampered by a
lack of clarity on health effects linked to highly variable daily exposures. The latest recommendations from the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, for example, suggest a draft Minimal Risk Level of 300 ng m-3
for inhalable Mn over a chronic time period (>364 days). Does this mean that the 180,000 inhabitants of Santander,
breathing annual averages below this, are under no appreciable risk, even though inhalable levels commonly
transiently rise to more than double the ATSDR limits (and quadruple the WHO limits) as the industrial plume
sweeps back and forth across the city? Whereas it is relatively easy to identify anthropogenic pollutants and their
sources, defining appropriate and legally binding ambient atmospheric limits continues to be a major difficulty. This
is especially the case for pollutants linked to chronic but subtle neurological effects such as Mn which, far from
receding in importance as a problem more associated with 20th century emissions, continues to be a major
contaminant at many modern urban/industrial locations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: ^YϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.190
Volatility Analysis of Ultrafine Particles Emitted During Cooking Activities. Giorgio Buonanno (1), Graham
Johnson (2), Lidia Morawska (2), Luca Stabile (1), Pasquale Avino (3), (1) Dipartimento di Meccanica, Strutture,
Ambiente e Territorio, University of Cassino, Italy (2) Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia (3)
DIPIA - ISPESL, via Urbana 167, 00184 Rome, Italy
Although many studies have investigated traffic-related emissions, stack emissions and ultrafine particle (UFP)
concentrations in urban ambient air, an important gap in knowledge still exists with respect to indoor environments.
UFPs emitted from cooking activities have been associated with many respiratory ailments, including lung cancer.
In order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between particulate air pollution and gas cooking, several
studies have attempted to measure the particle number concentration and size distribution of particles generated
during cooking.
The influence of the temperature, as well as food, oil and stove type on the number, surface and mass (in terms of
PM2.5) emission factors when grilling (cooking without oil over a hot plate, heated by a gas or electrical stove) and
frying (typically deep-frying, when food is immersed in hot oil, heated by gas stove or electrical frying machine) has
already been evaluated. However, even though significant data exist for cooking activities, a lack of understanding
of the volatility of the particles emitted during cooking activities remains.
In this study the volatility of particles emitted from cooking activities was specifically examined. A Rotating Disk
Thermodiluter (Matter Engineering AG) and a Thermal Conditioner (TC, Matter Engineering AG) together with a
Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS, TSI Inc.) were used to characterize the number size distributions and total
concentrations of particles emitted (in the 0.006-20 micro-meter range) from two cooking processes widely used in
Western countries: grilling and frying. Measurements with and without aerosol thermal conditioning were carried
out in order to show the dependence of the particle volatility on the cooking method and the type of food being
cooked.
Particle volatilisation was observed to occur as the TC temperature was increased during both frying and grilling.
For frying, volatilisation was observed in the temperature range 20-250 °C when cooking both fatty and vegetable
foods, whereas during grilling, the decay commenced at a higher temperature but continued up to 300 °C. The
dependence of the total particle number concentration as a function of the TC temperature was also examined: a
refractory residue was observed even after TC treatment at 300 °C in the case of particles emitted from fatty food for
both cooking methods. When vegetables were cooked however, the total particle number concentration decreased as
the conditioning temperature increased, showing that many of these particles left no detectible refractory residue.
In conclusion, thermal treatment at temperatures up to 300 °C causes particles emitted during cooking to shrink,
regardless of the type of food being cooked, however particles produced when cooking fatty foods leave small
refractory residue particles but those produced when cooking vegetables can volatilise completely or at least become
too small to detect. The differences in the volatility of particles emitted when cooking fatty foods versus those
produced when cooking vegetables can be of high interest in studies of human exposure.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.191
A European Assessment of Inhalable Non-exhaust Particles: Loads and Chemical Properties. FULVIO
AMATO (1), Marco Pandolfi (1), Jorge Pey (1), Markus Furger (2), Xavier Querol (1), Andrés Alastuey (1), Nicolas
Bukowiecki (3), Robert Gehrig (3), Agnes Richard (2), André S. H. Prevot (2), Urs Baltensperger (2), (1) Institute of
Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain (2) Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen, Switzerland (3) EMPA, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Recent epidemiologic reviews highlighted the absence of a definitive threshold for PM induced adverse health
effects, therefore there is a general agreement for reducing ambient PM levels as much as possible. Even if an
overall reduction of ambient concentration of PM would likely reduce PM-associated health risks, emission
reduction strategies are recently strongly focused on the road traffic sector, as major source of urban PM. One
important part of road traffic emissions comes from road dust resuspension, mostly for particles in the coarse
fraction (PM10-2.5). Several studies highlighted the health burden of road dust particles, mostly given by the
oxidative potential of those transition metals specifically emitted by vehicle/road mechanical abrasion.
However, the burden of emissions from road dust re-suspension on urban air quality is very changeable in space,
depending on several local factors such as precipitation rate, vehicle density and state of pavement. In
Mediterranean cities emissions from traffic re-suspension can be comparable or even higher than direct exhaust
emissions while in Central Europe precipitation helps in maintaining street cleaning, reducing re-suspension.
Receptor models are useful tools to estimate the contribution of urban re-suspension to PM. Target factor analysis
and chemical mass balance can be successfully applied but a key task for the application of the aforementioned
models is obtaining valid emission profiles for road dust re-suspended by traffic re-suspension.
In this study three different campaigns were carried out in Zurich (360,000 inhabitants, Switzerland) Barcelona (1,6
million of inhabitants) and Gerona (95,000 inhabitants, Spain) in order to estimate the load and chemical properties
of road dust in such dissimilar urban environments. The same procedures of sampling and laboratory analysis were
applied in order to minimize those differences arising from different methodologies. Samplings were performed by
means of a field re-suspension chamber, collecting into filters the PM10 fraction of deposited materials from one
square meter of active traffic lanes. The sampling sites selected for this study had different traffic loads (from
background to major roads) allowing to evaluate the impact of traffic to the levels of pollutants, especially those
from brake wear such as Sb, Cu, Zn, Ba, and Fe among others.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.193
Composition of Particulate Matter Emitted in Open Rice Straw Burning. Shih-Chieh Wei (1), Kimmo Teinilä
(2), Karri Saarnio (2), Minna Aurela (2), Hilkka Timonen (2), RISTO HILLAMO (2), Yee-Lin Wu (1), (1) National
Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (2) Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Open rice straw burning in the field after harvest is a common practice in most Asian countries. It helps in the
preparation for the next season e.g. by preventing plant deceases. Because of poor burning conditions and due to the
fact that the fields mostly are situated close to densely populated areas, emissions from rice straw burning may cause
seasonally increased exposure of particulate matter (PM). This work reports results of a field study in a series of
experiments designed to quantify better the emission rate of PM in the real burning conditions. The information can
be used further as an input in the models used in connection with the satellite observations on rice fields.
The field experiments were made in a corner of a rice field. Other burnable organic material was first removed from
the surface, and the straw was arranged on soil surface. Straw batch sizes varied between 5-20 kg. Batch shapes also
varied to simulate various burning conditions. The sampling setup consisted of three virtual impactors (VI)
segregating particles into fine (< 2.5 micro-meter) and coarse (2.5-10 micro-meter) filter samples. One VI was
collecting upwind background sample, the two others collected sample from plume at a distance of 5 m from the
border of the batch. Sample was taken from the height of 2 m of the ground surface. The locations of the VIs were
changed according to the prevailing wind direction.
Chemical characterization for fine and coarse PM of each burning condition included several methods. Elemental
(EC) and organic (OC) carbon were measured with a thermal-optical carbon analyzer (Sunset Laboratory). Watersoluble organic carbon (WSOC ) was analyzed using a Total Carbon Analyzer equipped with a high-sensitive
catalyst (TOC-VCPH, Shimadzu). The analysis of inorganic ions and organic acids was done by using an ionchromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer. Finally, the biomass burning tracers levoglucosan, mannosan and
galactosan were analysed using the same basic system as used for ions and acids, but was modified for sugar
analysis (high-performance anion-exchange chromatography–mass spectrometry).
As shown previously in other studies, the rice straw burning conditions (including wind speed) highly affect on the
emission rate. The setup of this study obviously underestimated the soot concentrations, because, due to low wind
speed during the tests, part of the plume passed the sampling point at the height of two meters due to effective plume
rise during flaming. During smoldering there is only minor plume rise enabling representative sampling from the
height of 2 m. Qualitatively this study shows that a not dense layer is producing more soot (EC/OC ratio 0.18), while
the more incomplete burning of tight or stacked batch is smoldering and produces mainly organic PM (EC/OC ratio
0.035). The levoglucosan to OC carbon ratio was 3.3 (standard deviation 1.0) for flat layer and 2.6 (0.8) for piles.
The ratio of levoglucosan to mannosan was as high as 19 and very stable (standard deviation 1.8), as observed also
in other studies. Practically all levoglucosan was in the fine particle size range.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.194
Woodsmoke source apportionment modeling by ME-2 and PMF 3.0. GRETCHEN ONSTAD (1), Christopher
Simpson (1), Timothy Larson (1), (1) University of Washington, Seattle
Due to the substantial contribution of woodsmoke particulate matter to ambient PM2.5 in the Puget Sound region,
tracking the woodsmoke component in PM2.5 is vital to environmental policy makers aiming to protect public health.
By including the wood combustion product levoglucosan as a component in source apportionment models, the
woodsmoke source contribution can be quantified throughout the year and therefore help to identify seasons and
locations of greater public health risk due to woodsmoke inhalation. In this study, levoglucosan was measured on
100 out of 300 PM2.5 filters collected from Beacon Hill in Seattle, WA, during 1996-1999, while all 300 were
analyzed for a suite of metals and temperature-separated organic and elemental carbon species. The combined
dataset has been input to two source apportionment models: EPA PMF 3.0 and its underlying structure mathematical
formulation ME-2. ME-2 allows the user to enter the smaller levoglucosan dataset in parallel with the larger dataset
of full species concentrations. In contrast, to input all 300 observations into PMF 3.0, we had to replace the 200
missing levoglucosan measurements with the median by season of the available 100 values. This presentation will
compare the results of the two methods by the following criteria: ease of use, estimation of the woodsmoke fraction
of PM2.5 contribution in the heating and non-heating seasons, and bootstrapping calculation of uncertainty.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.195
Quantification of Particle Emissions from Cookstoves. THOMAS W. KIRCHSTETTER, Odelle L. Hadley,
Ashok J. Gadgil, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The emission of particles produced when cooking with wood fire affects the health of more than a billion people in
developing regions of the world. We are quantifying and comparing emissions from the traditional “three-stone fire”
and the Berkeley Darfur Stove (BDS). The more fuel-efficient BDS stove was designed to reduce the occasions
when refugees in Darfur risk bodily harm trekking to gather wood. The BDS may have the co-benefit of reducing
exposure to unhealthy particles. The results of our study and others like it will indicate how the use of more efficient
stoves in developing regions may alleviate sickness that results from inhalation of particles produced by cooking.
Our laboratory experiments, which are now underway, include the measurement of gas- and particle-phase
pollutants to quantify the emissions of particle mass (PM2.5), particle number, and black carbon (in addition to
climate-relevant absorption and scattering coefficients) on a fuel-consumed basis. Most of our measurements have a
temporal resolution of 1 Hz, which allows us to examine which phases of cooking produce the most particles.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.196
Deposition of toxic particles in the Los Angeles ports area. David Barnes (1), Thomas A. Cahill (1), Kristen
Boberg (2), (1) DELTA Group, University of California, Davis, (2) Department of Toxic Substances Control,
California
In the Los Angeles ports area, there are many indicators of morbidity and mortality among the residents that are far
higher than California average, and especially far higher than other coastal sites in California. Due to a dense
concentration of a variety of transport and industrial sources, deposition of toxic material may potentially play a
contributing role to the health problems. Toxics in deposited particles, for example on children’s play apparatus and
toys, can easily be ingested or as resuspended dust inhaled. Toxic materials and waste are strictly controlled in
California, but because of the toxic size profiles and deposition velocities, evaluation requires measurements of
ambient aerosols with sizes well above PM10. In order to evaluate the severity of the problem in the
environmentally-stressed region of the Los Angeles and Long Beach port area, a UC Davis DELTA Group 8 DRUM
impactor was modified to collect particles up to the old TSP limit, 35 micrometers, while retaining the ability to
measure particles continuously in conjunction with the other 7 stages of the impactor, down to 0.09 micrometers.
Two field campaigns were performed, late summer, 2008, and spring, 2009, with samplers in the port and the City
of Wilmington. Deposition foils and wipe samples were also collected. Samples were analyzed in 3 hr increments
for mass (soft beta ray), elements (synchrotron-induced s-ray fluorescence, S-XRF) and optical behavior (pulsed
optical fluorometry, 350 nm to 820 nm). The results show clear violations of the California lead and zinc hazardous
waste levels in the city of Wilmington, CA, which lies directly downwind of the ports on almost all summer days.
The results for lead often exceeded 10,000 ppm. One major source was a Terminal Island auto/ appliance shredder.
These toxics overlap known hours of shredder operation and transport on south winds. In addition, previously
unexpected aerosols of very fine iron, and other transition metals were seen repeatedly, with potential health
impacts. Other sources include transportation sources and an incinerator. The vanadium/nickel/sulfur pollution of
ocean going ships using bunker oil as fuel while in the ports was observed whenever the wind blew into Wilmington
from the south. These data will be used to encourage more stringent mitigation measures, including ongoing efforts
to force ships to use shore power while in port.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.197
Elemental and Chemical Composition of Aerosols downwind of the Roseville Railyard. Thomas A. Cahill
(1,2), David E. Barnes (1), Nicholas Spada (1), and Thomas M. Cahill (3), (1) University of California, Davis, (2)
Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails, (3) Arizona State University, Glendale
In 2004, the California Air Resources Board staff estimated the health impact of the Roseville, CA Union Pacific
Davis rail yard, calculating excess cancer rates downwind of the rail yard as high as 800 excess cancer death rates
per million, lifetime. Large areas of Roseville were in the 100 excess cancer deaths lifetime isoplith. In 2005, we
made measurements of the organic aerosols (PAHs, n-alkanes, sugars, and fatty acids), mass, and elemental
composition of particles downwind of the rail yard as a function of size and time, including ultra fines, parallel to
but independent from the large Roseville Railyard Aerosol Monitoring Project (RRAMP). Very stable downslope
winds allowed a clear upwind-downwind analysis of rail yard impacts each night, as shown by a ratio of 60 fold
downwind enhancement for NO, a major diesel tracer. Organic sampling was keyed to nighttime hours, since 2
week averages were required, while mass and elements operated around the clock on a 3 hr time increment. In this
paper, we compare the diesel particulate matter estimated by the ARB to the measured diesel particulate matter from
the RRAMP study, years 1 through 3, and our own data to better establish the health impacts. Toxic PAHs were
found almost entirely in the ultra fine mode, enhancing lung capture. In addition, since the PAHs were ultra fine, the
Kelvin effect favored heavy PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene, yielding a BaP ratio, rail yard to truck, of 5.5 ± 0.7 times
more BaP per unit diesel mass. Numerous fine metals in the very fine (< 0.25 micrometers) mode were clearly
associated with rail yard sources, based on upwind-downwind comparisons. Size distributions of sulfur aerosols
indicated most were from idling train engines, thus offering a method for mitigation in reduction of idling. Other
impacts were seen, including toxic resuspended soils from the rail yard. Mitigation methods above and beyond the
slow replacement of the older engines will be presented, including use of vegetation to capture diesel exhaust,
paving interior roads to reduce metal rich dusts, and in-home pollution reduction at near rail yard locations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.198
Application of 14C Analyses to Source Apportionment of Carbonaceous Particulate Matter in the UK.
MATHEW HEAL (1), Philip Naysmith (2), Gordon Cook (2), Sheng Xu (2), Teresa Raventos Duran (3), Roy
Harrison (3)., (1) University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, (2) Scottish Universities Environmental Research
Centre, East Kilbride, UK, (3) University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Determination of the radiocarbon (14C) content of the carbonaceous fraction of airborne particulate matter (PM)
yields insight into the proportion of such material derived from fossil and contemporary carbon sources. In this
study, the first of its kind in the UK, daily samples of PM2.5 were collected by hi-vol sampler at an urban
background site in the city of Birmingham during the period July 2007 to May 2008. For a subset of these samples,
the fraction of 14C in both the total carbon content, and in the organic and elemental carbon fractions separately,
was determined by combustion to CO2, graphitisation, and quantification by accelerator mass spectrometry. The
split between OC and EC for the 14C analyses was assigned methodologically by two stage combustion at 340
degreeC for 20 minutes, and at 850 degreeC for 4 hours, respectively. An OC-EC split for each sample was also
determined by application of the Sunset Analyser NIOSH method to separate portions of each filter. In both
methods, NIST 1649a urban dust was used as standard reference material.
A few of the PM samples showed 14C enrichment beyond current background atmospheric levels. The source of
this enrichment has not been identified but the null results of rigorous methodological checks strongly implicate
enrichment inherent to the collected material rather than from pre- or post-sampling contamination. Very small
masses of artificially-enriched material are required to yield the observed activities in these PM samples so it is
possible that enrichment arises from permitted release of 14C material into the air. Excluding these samples from
further analyses, the mean fraction contemporary total carbon in the remaining samples was 0.51 (range 0.28-0.67, n
= 26). There was no seasonality to the data. However, there was a positive trend between proportion contemporary
carbon and magnitude of SOC/TC ratio (where SOC was determined by the method of linear regression of OC on
EC) and for the high values of these two parameters to be associated with air-mass back trajectories arriving in
Birmingham from over the European continent (as opposed to marine trajectories). Using a five-compartment mass
balance model on fraction contemporary carbon in OC and EC, the following average source apportionment
percentages were derived for these PM2.5 samples: 26% fossil EC; 19% fossil OC; 2% biomass EC; 10% biomass
OC; and 43% biogenic OC. The findings from this work are consistent with those from 14C analyses of PM10 and
PM2.5 samples elsewhere in Europe and support the conclusion of a significant and ubiquitous contribution from
non-fossil sources to the carbon in terrestrial aerosol.
This work was funded by the UK NERC.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.199
A 3-year Time-Series of Daily PM2.5 Source/Process Contributions in Denver. RICARDO PIEDRAHITA (1),
Steve Dutton (2), Sverre Vedal (3), Shelly Miller (1), Mike Hannigan (1), Jana Milford (1), (1) University of
Colorado, Boulder, (2) EPA, NCEA, RTP, (3) University of Washington, Seattle
The primary objective of the Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study is to determine the associations
between sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and observed health effects in Denver. The study employs a
time-series epidemiology approach where associations between daily mortality/morbidity and daily PM2.5 source
contributions are explored. To develop the time-series of source contributions, we first collected multiple years of
daily PM2.5 filter samples, which were subsequently chemically analyzed. The chemical analyses included
gravimetric analysis for total PM2.5 mass concentration, ion chromatography for sulfate, nitrate, ammonium,
calcium, magnesium, and potassium concentrations, thermal optical transmission for elemental and organic carbon
concentrations, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for 72 organic molecular marker concentrations. The
resultant time-series of chemically speciated PM2.5 was subsequently analyzed with multiple source apportionment
tools to estimate the time-series of source contributions.
We will present our approach to determining the optimal source apportionment model solution, which included
implementing multiple positive matrix factorization (PMF) models and exploring the robustness of the PMF
solutions. A critical step for PMF source apportionment is the development of the link between model output
factors and PM2.5 sources. Each factor does not necessarily represent one source (or even a combination of
multiple sources) since factors can also represent the influence of transport or chemical processing. For example,
previous PM2.5 source apportionment studies using PMF on organic molecular markers have suggested that the
process of secondary organic aerosol formation was a dominant factor during summer months. The DASH study
time-series of 1000+ daily PM2.5 factor contributions, generated using organic molecular markers in PMF, provides
a unique opportunity to use other environmental parameters to aid in our understanding of the sources and/or
processes. The environmental parameters used for this analysis include temperature, wind speed, wind direction,
season, day-of-week, peak ozone concentration, and relative humidity. We will discuss the links between identified
factors and PM2.5 sources/processes, highlighting levels of certainty of the links and future research needs to
improve these efforts.
This is an abstract for a proposed presentation/poster and does not necessarily reflect the policies of the U.S. EPA.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.202
Laboratory Studies of the Gas/Aerosol Partitioning Behavior of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter
from Biomass Combustion: Preliminary Results. SONIA KREIDENWEIS (1), Jeffrey L. Collett, Jr. (1),
Taehyoung Lee (1), Amy Sullivan (1), Amanda Holden (1), Christian Carrico (1), Colette L. Heald (1), Wei Min
Hao (2), Cyle Wold (2), Emily Lincoln (2), Doug Worsnop (3), Timothy Onasch (3), Ed Fortner (3), Achim
Trimborn (3), Jesse Kroll (4), Jose-Luis Jimenez (5), Carly Robinson (5), Amber Ortega (5), Michael Cubison (5),
Sanna Saarikoski (5), (1) Colorado State University, Fort Collins, (2) USDA Forest Service Fire Sciences
Laboratory, Missoula, (3) Aerodyne Research Inc., Billerica, (4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, (5)
University of Colorado, Boulder
As part of our ongoing series of laboratory-based combustion emissions characterization experiments, FLAME (Fire
Lab at Missoula Experiments), we conducted a series of laboratory burns in September 2009, at the Fire Sciences
Laboratory (FSL), Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Missoula, MT. The experiments were
designed to measure volatility distributions, as functions of both dilution and temperature, of open biomass burning
emissions for a variety of fuel types relevant to U.S. air quality. Combustion emissions were generated in the
combustion chamber of the FSL and diluted in two stages in continuous-flow residence chambers, resulting in a
range of PM concentrations from ~5000 to ~10 micrograms per cubic meter. Dilutions were characterized both by
measuring flow rates and from the concentrations of several conserved tracers. Measurements of total and speciated
PM concentrations were made at high time resolution via Aerosol Mass Spectrometers and down to low organic
aerosol loadings relevant to the ambient atmosphere, unlike the high particulate matter concentrations required for
earlier filter-based source profile determinations. The partitioning of particulate organic mass concentrations can
thus be evaluated for each fuel type as a function of dilution and temperature. The goal of this work is to develop
new modules for air quality modeling to simulate the role of biomass combustion in affecting ambient PM2.5 levels,
which is expected to be a key contribution to ongoing efforts in improving understanding of the sources of
atmospheric organic particulate matter. We anticipate that our semivolatile-partitioning studies will yield data more
representative than past estimates of the atmospheric fate of biomass combustion emissions. This presentation will
provide a description of the study design, an overview of the various measurements conducted, and selected
preliminary findings.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.204
Monitoring Human Exposure to Radionuclides near a Deep Geological Repository for Transuranic Waste. E.
A. STONE, J. Monk, P. Thakur, K. Ui Chearnaigh, T. Kirchner, J. L. Conca, Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring
and Research Center, New Mexico State University
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located near Carlsbad, NM, is a U.S. Department of Energy facility
designed for permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic radioactive waste. Aerosol release to the atmosphere
during mining and waste disposal activities is the most likely pathway for human exposure to radioactivity.
Particulate matter exiting the exhaust shaft of the WIPP is monitored daily, as well as in ambient atmospheres
upwind and downwind of the repository. An environmental monitoring program also examines the release of
radioactivity to ground and surface waters and soil. The human population surrounding the WIPP is voluntarily
tested for exposure via in vivo radiobioassay. Internal dosimetry is used to measure radiation dose and risks from
radionuclides in the lungs and/or whole body. Sensitive measurements are used distinguish between exposure to
naturally occurring and man-made radiation. Participants in the program are monitored every two years and
measured levels of radioactivity are compared to baseline measurements taken prior to the opening of the WIPP over
a decade ago.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: ^YϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.205
A Wide Area of Air Pollutant Impact Downwind of a Freeway during Pre-Sunrise Hours. Shishan Hu(1,2),
Scott Fruin(3), Kathleen Kozawa (1), Steve Mara (1), Suzanne E. Paulson (2) Arthur M. Winer (2), (1) California
Air Resources Board (2) University of California, Los Angeles (3) University of Southern California
We have observed a wide area of air pollutant impact downwind and upwind of a freeway during pre-sunrise hours
in both winter and summer seasons; elevated air pollutant concentrations were observed extending to about 2000 m
downwind and 600 m upwind. In contrast, previous studies have shown much sharper air pollutant gradients
downwind of freeways, with levels above background concentrations extending only about 300 m downwind of
roadways during the day and up to 500 m at night.
Real-time air pollutant concentrations were measured along a 3 600 m transect normal to an elevated freeway 1-2
hours before sunrise using an electric vehicle mobile platform equipped with fast-response instruments. In winter
pre-sunrise hours, the peak ultrafine particle (UFP) concentration (~95000 cm-3) occurred immediately downwind
of the freeway. However, downwind UFP concentrations as high as ~ 40000 cm-3 extended at least 1200 m from
the freeway, and did not reach background levels (~15000 cm-3) until a distance of about 2600 m. UFP
concentrations were also elevated over background levels up to 600 m upwind of the freeway. Other pollutants,
such as NO and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, exhibited similar long-distance downwind
concentration gradients. In contrast, air pollutant concentrations measured on the same route after sunrise, in the
morning and afternoon, exhibited the typical daytime downwind decrease to background levels within ~300 m as
found in earlier studies.
Although pre-sunrise traffic volumes on the freeway were much lower than daytime congestion peaks, downwind
UFP concentrations were significantly higher during pre-sunrise hours than during the daytime; UFP and NO
concentrations were also strongly correlated with traffic counts on the freeway. We associate these elevated presunrise concentrations over a wide area with a nocturnal surface temperature inversion, low wind speeds, and high
relative humidity.
Observation of a wide air pollutant impact area downwind of a major roadway prior to sunrise has important
exposure assessment implications since it demonstrates extensive roadway impacts on residential areas during presunrise hours, when most people are at home.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.206
UFPs generated during cooking with an electric stove. Iman Goldasteh (1) Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh (2)
Andrea Ferro (3) Philip K. Hopke (2), (1) Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson
University, 13699, Potsdam, NY, U.S.A. (2) Center for Air Resource Engineering and Science, Clarkson University,
13699, Potsdam, NY, U.S.A. (3) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, 13699,
Potsdam, NY, U.S.A.
Airborne particulate matter (PM) has negative effects on human health. Since most people spend approximately
90% of their time indoors, indoor PM study has become an important research area. Among indoor activities, it has
been demonstrated that cooking is a major source of particle emissions. Wallace et al. (2004) found that more than
90% of emitted particles during frying are in the ultrafine particle (UFP) range. Dennekamp et al. (2001) found that
the peak of UFP concentration generated on gas stoves by frying fatty foods was significantly higher rather than that
generated by frying vegetables. Yeung and To (2008) and Buonannoa and coworkers (2009) found that as cooking
temperature increases, aerosol mode diameter increases and emission factors for foods containing a high percentage
of fat are significantly higher than those for the low fat vegetables.
Since a limited number of prior studies have focused on cooking and UFP characterization, we are investigating the
influence of different parameters on UFP generation during cooking activities. In particular, the amount and
distribution of UFPs emitted from different types of oil during cooking activities are not well understood. The aim of
this work is to measure the UFP size distribution during cooking activity using an electric stove in the presence of
different oils and additives. The study includes using commercial oils with three different cooking temperatures and
focuses on the UFP exposures of the person preparing the food. In order to determine the size distribution of emitted
particles, an MSP (Shoreview, MN) Wide-range Particle Spectrometer (WPS ) was installed in the breathing zone of
the cook. A thermometer was used to measure the temperature of oils. In order to monitor relative humidity,
temperature and CO2 concentration, a Fluke (975 AIRMETER) was used. Air exchange rate was calculated using
the variations of CO2 concentration over time. As a result, size distributions of emitted particles in presence of
different oils, additives and temperatures will be reported.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.207
Waste to Energy (WTE) ultrafine and nanoparticle emissions: effect of condensible fractions and particle
control technologies. STEFANO CERNUSCHI (1), Michele Giugliano (1), Giovanni Lonati (1), Senem Ozgen (1),
Giovanna Ripamonti (1), (1) POlitecnico di Milano, DIIAR Environmental Engineering Section
Most recent air quality issues related to particulate matter pollution are addressed towards fine (FP) and ultrafine
(UFP) size fractions, namely those particles with dimensions included in the range from 2.5 micro-meters down to
the minimum practical detection limit of few nano-meters, with the smallest fractions most significantly involved in
health related issues. Attention has been recently dedicated to their origin and generation from combustion sources:
however, the large majority of investigations are dedicated to vehicle emissions, with rather limited studies available
in the general field of stationary combustion and even less informations for the waste to energy sector.
Present paper reports on the experimental evaluation of UFP and nanoparticle (NP) size fractions emitted from the
Waste to Energy (WTE) sector. The investigation involved different urban incineration plants, equipped with flue
gas treatment configurations included in most recent European BAT (Best Available Technologies) reference
options for the activity sector. The measurements were conducted with a dedicated sampling instrumentation,
specifically developed and assembled for evaluating UFP and NP size fractions either of primary than of
condensible origin: this latter, arising from semivolatile flue gas components nucleation and/or condensation
phenomena driven by atmospheric dispersion, dilution and cooling, might significantly increase the primary UFP
concentrations and alter their size distribution. Particle number concentrations and size distributions were measured
with an electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI™), giving values for 12 different size intervals in the range 7 nm 10 µm. Mean number concentrations of UFP resulting from cold sampling tests are included between 4,000 and
70,000 particles per cm-3, with the ultrafine fraction largely prevailing in size distributions and with mode diameters
consistently located in the nanoparticle range. Hot sampling results in lower levels with respect to the corresponding
dilution values, with particle fractions of condensible origin thus confirming their effect on increasing the emitted
concentrations. Results as a whole address further some differences arising from the flue gas treatment process
design, with the utilization of wet scrubbing that seems to enhance the presence of primary UFP as well as their
formation from condensable origin.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.319
Characterization and Source Appotionment of Fine Particles Pollution in Colombo, Sri Lanka by ED-XRF
and EPA-PMF. SHIRANI SENEVIRATNE (1), V. Waduge (1), Lakmali Hadagiripathira (1), S. Sanjeewani(1),
Thilaka Attanayake(1), Nuvan Jayaratne (2), Philip Hopke (3)., (1) Atomic Energy Authority, Sri Lanka, (2) Central
Enviromental Authority, Sri Lanka, (3) University of Clarkson, U.S.A.
Because of the increased use of vehicles and other human activities in Colombo and suburbs, a study of long term
airborne particulate monitoring at fixed sites was initiated in 2000 and 2003, respectively. The specific objectives
were to measure the elemental composition of the coarse and fine air particles to identify the trends in pollution, to
identify the main pollutant sources, and to quantifying the source contribution using statistical tools.
Samples of airborne particulate matter (PM) in the < 2.5 and 2.5-10 micro- meter size ranges (PM2.5 and PM10-2.5)
were collected using a “Gent” stacked filter sampler at two urban sites in Colombo: Air Quality Monitoring station
(AQM) of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) for the period May 2000 to December 2007 and Atomic
Energy Authority- (AEA) Orugodawatta from May 2003 to December 2007. The samples were collected during for
24 hours on week days with a flow rate of 15 to 18 lpm. The coarse and fine filter samples were analyzed for 18
elements by ED-XRF.
The measured ranges of the annual averages for PM-10, PM-2.5 and black carbon (BC) at the AQM station during
2000-2006 were (50-100), (16-32) and (8-15) mictro-gram per cubic meters, respectively. In air borne particulate
matter, sulfur is generally present because of the atmospheric conversion of SO2 to sulfate through homogeneous
and heterogeneous processes. Sulfer is a dominant element in fine particles and the range of S concentrations in fine
particles at AQM and AEA sites are (0.01-3.6) micro- gram per cubic meters and (0.04- 2) micro-gram per cubic
meters, respectively.
The fine fraction data set including BC and major elements (Na ,Mg, Al, Si, Cl, Fe , Zn , Ni, Cu, V, S, Br, Pb
Cr,K,Ca and Ti) was analyzed by EPA-PMF (positive matrix factorization) to explore the possible sources of the
PM at the two study sites. The analyses revealed four factors for the elemental composition in both sites. The
sources common for both sites are vehicular emissions, sea salt, soil and secondary sulfate.
Having determined the sources and their contributions to the fine particle mass at the site, we used to Hybrid Single
Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPILT) back trajectory techniques to explore possible long range
transport of pollution to the measurement site. Two natural:- smoke and soil dust transboundary events were
identified based on fine Si and K in 2003 and 2004. The evidence of these events as natural hazards were identified.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.337
Particle number concentration and size distributed mass emission factors for diesels and biodiesel engines.
Aline Lefol Nani Guarieiro, Lilian Lefol Nani Guarieiro, Joan Victor da Silva Santos, Jailson B. de Andrade,
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, 40170290, Salvador-BA, Brazil
Biofuels are a new alternative to the commonly used gasoline and diesel fuels. They are entering the market due to
high oil prices and an increase in the demand for other petroleum derivatives. They are expected to be a clean
burning alternative to gasoline and diesel as they are derived 100% from renewable resources such as plant or
animal materials (corn oil, castor oil, animal fats).
Biodiesels are oxygenated, sulphur-free, non-toxic, and biodegradable fuels that are known for emitting less CO,
greenhouse gases and hydrocarbons, among other pollutants, than diesel fuels. Biodiesel can be used in normal
diesel engines, and its presence in the fuel can vary: B4, B10, B25, B50, B75 and B100 (in %). Previous studies
have shown that the use of biodiesel reduces the emissions of harmful species, but a better assessment and a more
clear diagnosis on the environmental impacts of their uses, together with its advantages and long-term benefits, is
needed.
The present study was developed to better characterizing the differences in emission factors of different pollutants
between diesel (B0) and biodiesel (B-4 to B100) run under different speeds (5 conditions). A diesel engine model
M85, 10HP, 1800 (Agrale, Brazil) was used for the study and four sampling sites (A,B,C,D) selected for real time
monitoring (Figure 1). Particle number concentrations were monitored at each location using a water-based
concentration particle counter (WCPC) model 3785 (TSI, USA). A nano-MOUDI model (125a MSP, USA) was
used to collect particles at a selected location for side-distributed mass and PAH measurements.
Preliminary experiments show that in general particle number concentrations are 2 times higher for biodiesel fuels
(B100) (3.0 E+07 #particles/cc) than diesel (B0) (1.4E+07 #particles/cc) when run at low speeds, but similar
concentrations are observed at higher speeds. Size-distributed mass profile showed a tri-modal distribution with
peaks at around 10nm, 80nm and 180nm.
These preliminary results suggest that engines using biodiesel fuels may be higher emitters than engines running on
diesel under certain driving conditions.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
11SQ3.T1.357
A Lasting Legacy: Using AERMOD to Estimate Historical Atmospheric Concentrations of Mercury from
Silver Mining in Potosi, Bolivia. NICOLE HAGAN (1), Nicholas Robins (2), Mark Morris (3), George Woodall
(4), Daniel Richter (5), John Vandenberg (4), (1) Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education, (2) North Carolina
State University, (3) U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, (4) U.S. EPA, National Center for
Environmental Assessment, (5) Duke University
Potosi, Bolivia was a site of large-scale silver mining dating back to 1545, when silver deposits were first discovered
at Cerro Rico, the hill which overlooks the city. With the development in 1563 of a rich cinnabar mine near
Huancavelica, Peru, mercury became readily available for use in silver production in Potosi through mercury
amalgamation. Mercury and other ingredients were combined with crushed silver-bearing ore in Potosi, resulting in
a silver-mercury amalgam. The amalgam was processed through heating, thus volatilizing the mercury out of the
amalgam, resulting in high-grade silver. While this method allowed Potosi to become one of the largest sources of
silver in an expanding global economy, it also resulted in the emission of at least 35,000 tons of mercury into the air
and watershed of the city thus creating a legacy of mercury contamination which continues to this day.
We evaluated detailed Spanish records of mercury use and silver production during the colonial period in Potosi.
Mercury was recycled and reused in all parts of the silver production process in Potosi, resulting in significant
releases of mercury into the atmosphere. Mercury emissions from Potosi silver smelters were calculated using
archival data on mercury use and silver production taking into account area sources away from the primary site of
silver production and losses to contraband.
AERMOD, a state-of-the-art air dispersion model, was used in combination with historical mercury emissions data
from silver production in Potosi, Bolivia to estimate historical ambient air concentrations of mercury from colonial
mining operations. AERMOD was used to predict plume dispersion based on source characteristics such as stack
height, stack diameter, emission temperature, contaminant exit velocity, and meteorological conditions.
Model sensitivity was analyzed by varying AERMOD input parameters to determine which source characteristics
were most influential on plume dispersion. Stack height, stack diameter, exit velocity, and temperature were all
analyzed to evaluate uncertainties associated with the use of historical emissions data. In addition, source type (i.e.,
point, volume) and release type (i.e., vertical, horizontal, capped) were investigated to characterize uncertainties
associated with the structure of the silver smelters. The sensitivity analysis was performed using indices of
maximum impact, and community exposure at 1806 receptor sites, in Potosi. The results will inform collection of
additional data to reduce model uncertainty and estimation of population exposures.
The model was run using emissions data from 1715 on the amount of mercury used in 34 silver smelters along the
river in Potosi. Estimated 1-hour maximum concentrations within 500 meters of the silver mills consistently
exceeded present-day occupational inhalation reference values. Additionally, the index of community exposure
consistently exceeded present-day acute inhalation reference values for the general public. When the model results
are extrapolated to estimate long-term maximum concentrations, the areas within 600 meters of the silver mills were
predicted to substantially exceed the EPA RfC.
Disclaimer: This is an abstract or a proposed presentation and does not necessarily represent EPA policy. Mention
of trade names and commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
13C.6
Size fractionated PM chemical composition characteristics at microenvironments with contrasting local
emission scenarios. KRYSTAL J. Godri (1,2), Roy M. Harrison (2), Ian S. Mudway (1), Frank J. Kelly (1), Maciek
M. Strak (3), Maaike Steenhof (4), Paul H.B. Fokkens (3), A. John F. Boere (3), Daan L.A.C. Leseman (3), Kaas
Meliefste (4), G. Hoek (4), Bert Brunekreef (4), Erik Lebret (3), Ilse Gosens (3), Flemming R. Cassee (3), Nicole
A.H. Janssen (3), (1) MRC-HPA Center for Environment and Health, King’s College London, London, United
Kingdom, (2) Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United
Kingdom, (3) RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), Bilthoven, the Netherlands, (4)
IRAS (Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Background: Exposure to elevated ambient particulate matter (PM) concentrations has been associated with
negative cardio-respiratory health effects. It has been hypothesised that the magnitude and type of response
observed is a function of PM physical and chemical characteristics; with certain PM components identified as
contributing to the observed toxicity: transition metals, surface adsorbed organics and endotoxin. The Risks of
Airborne Particles: a hybrid Toxicological- Epidemiological Study (RAPTES) seeks to investigate how
heterogeneities in PM composition affect the magnitude of acute airway and systemic responses in humans exposed
to ambient PM in microenvironments with source specific emissions.
Objective: To characterise the chemical characteristics of size fractionated PM at selected microenvironments with
contrasting air pollution sources including traffic (urban intersection, carriageway, diesel), background (farm, urban
background) and industrial (steel mill, harbour) locations.
Methods: Fine and coarse PM samples were collected at seven locations with a high volume cascade impactor. Sites
were visited 4 to 10 times for six hour sampling campaigns running approximately between 9:00 and 15:00.
Chemical composition characterisation included water soluble inorganic ions (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, PO43-, NH4+, Na+,
K+, Ca2+), total and water soluble trace metals (Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hf, Ni, Sb, Ti, V, Zn), organic (OC) and
elemental (EC) carbon, plus endotoxin. A total of 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 16 quinones
(including 1,4-benzoquinone, 1,2-naphthoquinone, 1,4-naphthoquinone, 9,10-phenanthrene quinone, 9,10anthraquinone) were also quantified.
Results: Total trace metal concentrations of Fe, Cu, Sb, Cu and Cr were the greatest at the traffic microenvironments
in both the fine and coarse fractions indicative of non-tail pipe vehicular emission contributions. Equivalent trends
in PM2.5 OC/EC ratios were found across the traffic sites (0.59+/-0.02) suggestive of diesel emissions. Significantly
decreased EC concentrations were observed at the background sites yielding OC/EC ratios of 1.53+/-0.42. This
carbonaceous material ratio was further increased at the industrial microenvironments (2.22+/-0.02) given elevated
OC concentrations. Total PAH concentrations across site types were not significantly different (mean 3.44+/-0.88 ng
m-3); urban background site excluded (8.18 ng m-3) due to a local combustion source rich in low molecular weight
(LMW) PAHs. Concentrations of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs at the carriageway and diesel traffic sites
were 2.5 times greater than LMW PAH concentrations. Elevated LMW PAH concentrations (specifically
fluoranthrene and pyrene) occurred in parallel with enrichment of Ni and V concentrations at the intersection site.
This compositional signature allied to the proximity of shipping waterways implicated fuel oil combustion as a
potential emission source. The steel mill site was also confounded by shipping related emissions noted by elevated
concentrations of these representative trace metal and PAH species.
Conclusions: Non-tail pipe emissions yielded elevated total trace metal concentrations at all traffic sites compared to
other sampling locations. Microenvironments were not isolated to a single emission source. Proximity of sites to
shipping waterways resulted in a PM enrichment with Ni, V and LMW PAHs.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T1 - Source
13D.5
Atmospheric Transformations of Fine Particle Emissions from Combustion Systems. ALLEN L. ROBINSON
(1), Albert A. Presto (1), Marissa A. Miracolo (1), Chris J. Hennigan (1), Ngoc T. Nguyen (1), Neil M. Donahue (1),
(1) Carnegie Mellon University
Atmospheric aerosols are a complex mixture of organic and inorganic materials emitted by numerous sources.
Given this complexity, regulators have focused on understanding the linkage between sources and health effects.
However, recent research has demonstrated that emissions from combustion systems are rapidly transformed in the
atmosphere, altering the size and composition distribution of the particulate emissions. These transformations
complicate interpretation of health studies that focus on fresh emissions and must be understood if one is to connect
health effects to sources.
This talk focuses on atmospheric transformation of organic aerosol emissions from combustion systems. Organic
aerosols comprise a large fraction submicron particle mass. In urban environments motor vehicles, biomass
burning, and industrial sources are important sources of organic aerosols. We present data from dilution sampler
and smog chamber studies that illustrate how emissions from internal combustion engines (diesel and gas turbine)
and biomass burning are transformed in the atmosphere. The results reveal a dynamic picture in which lowvolatility material evaporates, oxidizes, and recondenses over time. This processing rapidly alters the chemical
composition of the organic aerosols, making them more oxidized. The chemical variability between different
sources also decreases with aging. Accounting for these transformations in a chemical transport model alters our
understanding of population exposures to organic aerosols. For example, the physical and chemical processes acting
on short timescales (minutes to hours) may have a significant role in the evolution of human exposure downwind of
major sources, such as roadways, and could govern some observed trends in health effects.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
2B.2
Long Term Study of Urban Ultrafine Particles in Rochester, NY. Yungang Wang (1), Philip K. Hopke (1),
David C. Chalupa (2), Mark J. Utell (2), (1) Center for Air Resource Engineering and Science, Clarkson University
(2) University of Rochester Medical Center
Particle number size distributions in the size range of 0.011 – 0.470 micro-meter have been continuously measured
since late November 2001 at New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) sites in
Rochester, NY. From 2001 to March 2004, a downtown site (latitude 43°09'40” N, longitude 77°36'12” W)
surrounded by an inner loop road within 0.5 miles was employed. In May 2004, a new site was established in
eastern Rochester (latitude 43°08'46” N, longitude 77°32'53” W) adjacent to Interstate Highways I-490 and I-590.
These are major traffic routes into downtown Rochester. The particle size distributions were measured using a
scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Hourly PM2.5 mass, SO2, CO, O3 concentrations, and meteorological
parameters (wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature and relative humidity) were also measured at the NYS
DEC site throughout the study period. Ambient particle size distributions were also measured using a Wide-Range
Particle Spectrometer (WPS, model M-1000XP, MSP Inc) since May 2004 at the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center
(CRC) site located on the south side of Rochester.
The sites are approximately 5 miles apart. Correlation coefficients were calculated between the hourly particle
number and ambient pollutant concentrations as well as the meteorological parameters measured at the DEC site.
The correlations between particle number concentrations from both sites were also examined.
The average particle number concentration in the size range of 0.011 – 0.470 micro-meter in Rochester decreased by
36% from 2005 to 2008. The greatest reduction, 41%, was in the range of 0.011 – 0.050 micro-meter. Average
PM2.5 mass concentration, SO2 concentration and CO concentration also decreased by 29%, 34%, and 20%,
respectively. The monthly average particle number concentrations (Dp = 0.011 – 0.470 micro-meter) were higher in
winter and early spring than the averages in summer months except for 2006 (no data in summer). However, the
highest hourly average concentrations were generally observed in summer or early fall probably in the plume
nucleation events (Dp = 0.011 – 0.100 micro-meter) in the presence of strong photochemical activity in summer
months. There was a decrease in the afternoon concentrations of the 0.011 - 0.050 mirco-meter range that is likely
related to the closure of Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) coal-fired power plant between February and April 2008.
Morning nucleation and growth events were more common in winter and spring than summer and fall. Similar
meteorological conditions and relatively steady traffic volumes on both I-490 and I-590 were observed from year to
year. A large decrease in 0.011 – 0.050 micro-meter particles during morning rush hour was observed. It can be
hypothesized that this reduction is largely due to the transition to ultra-low sulfur (< 15 ppm sulfur) diesel fuel in the
U.S. as of October 1, 2006. The weaker correlation of 0.011 – 0.050 micro-meter particle number concentrations (r
= 0.44) than 0.050 – 0.100 micro-meter (r = 0.61) and 0.100 – 0.470 micro-meter particles (r = 0.74) between the
DEC site and the CRC site shows that there may be some potential local UFP sources near the one or both sites.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
2B.4
Particulate Matter Mass Size Distribution in the 2008 winter in São Paulo – Brazil. Caroline Mazzoli (1),
Beatriz Oyama (1), MARIA DE FATIMA ANDRADE (1), (1) University of São Paulo, Brazil.
During an intensive campaign occurred in São Paulo in August 2008, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter
between 0.1 and 10 micrometer data were collected by a Microorifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI)
equipment. A total of 20 samples with duration of 12 hours each were sampled. The experiment took place I in a site
at the University of São Paulo campus which is located in Southeast of the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP).
Nowadays MASP is one of the biggest urban centers of the world and suffer with high values of some regulated
pollutants, as particulate matter and ozone that are routinely observed, mainly during the winter and spring time
respectively.
The particulate matter samples have been analyzed through different methodologies consisted in: gravimetric, in
order to estimate the mass concentration of each fraction of the MOUDI impactor, reflectance, to estimate the
amount of Black Carbon present in the samples, X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) that were used to determinate the
inorganic speciation of the sample, and liquid chromatography which was used to determine the ionic composition
of the particulate matter.
The results showed that major mass concentrations were obtained in the stage with aerodynamic diameter of 0.32
micrometer. Black Carbon mass concentration was mostly found in the samples in the small fractions of the
particulate matter in the nanometer size as expected. Fine particles mass were found to be with higher concentrations
than the coarse fraction for every day of the experiment, even during one cloudy and rainy day that happened during
the measurements as expected. Through the X-Ray fluorescence Analysis, the major species founded in the samples
were sulfur followed by sodium, potassium, and silicon as typical of an urban area that contemplates soil resuspension, gas-particle conversion, biomass burning, and others.
The high mass concentrations in small size distributions of the particulate and with significative participation of
Black Carbon in it composition is of great concern because of the impact on the climate process and to human
health. Other results and major conclusions regarding the ionic composition and detailed analysis of the collected
data are conducted in this work. This information is also important since the data can be used as initial and boundary
conditions in numerical models and to provide the validation data of the simulations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
2B.7
Seasonal and Diurnal Variations of PM and its composition at Southern Taiwan Supersites. YEE-LIN WU
(1), Ching-Ho Lin (2), (1) Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan,
Taiwan (2) Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
The seasonal and diurnal variations of the PM and its major composition are studied from the Southern Particulate
Matter Supersite in Taiwan. The Supersite has one core station and three satellite stations for monitoring the
properties of particulate matter (PM) and its precursors in southern Taiwan. The Supersite will increase an
understanding of PM characteristics in southern Taiwan. Information provided is related to (1) PM composition, (2)
PM optical properties (e.g., light scattering and absorption), (3) PM number concentrations in various size fractions
from 10 nm to 20 micro-m, and (4) PM precursors gases (NOy, NH3 and H2O2). The seasonal analysis reveal that
PM2.5 and its main composition are high in winter and low in summer; main compositions of PM2.5 are
S>OC>N>>EC; OC and EC are more important in summer; and PM2.5 and its composition did not peak at the same
time. NH3 concentrations are low in the summer and high in the winter, and CZ (downwind, rural) is considerably
higher than other sites. PM10 violate annually standard in winter and urban-site (TZ) levels are higher than
downwind site (CZ); PM2.5 violates U.S. annually standard at all seasons, and urban site (TZ) is relatively high.
Comparisons among the four sites find that (1) for sulfate, relative site differences are time-dependant and TO
(upwind site) is relatively high; (2) for nitrate, no stable trend of site difference is found; (3) for OC, TZ (urban site)
is relatively high and CZ (downwind, rural) is relatively low; (4) for EC, CZ (downwind, rural) site is relative low.
Diurnal analysis of PM and its composition at TO (upwind) revealed that (1) Sulfate only have one high peak, others
have two peaks daily; (2) Two minor high peaks were found in the morning at 7 h (OC and EC) and at 10 h (sulfate,
nitrate, and OC); (3) Low peaks were found in the afternoon but different times for different pollutants, nitrate at 17
h, OC at 15 h; (4) Only OC have remarkable evening peak at 18-22 h. Diurnal variations of PM and its composition
at the other three stations are also presented and discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
2D.5
Investigation of the Relationship Between Time Resolved Indoor and Outdoor Particulate Matter
Concentrations Across the Urban Area of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. HEATHER HOLMES (1), Scott Speckart
(1), Eric Pardyjak (1), (1) Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah
A field study designed to investigate indoor and outdoor air quality in homes near the U.S.-Mexico border was run
in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico from March 14 through March 30, 2009. The experiment was designed to compare
emissions from cooking fuels (i.e., gas and biomass) used in household stoves and to investigate the spatial
distribution of outdoor particulate matter (PM). Six homes were included in the study, each equipped with one
GRIMM 1.108 aerosol monitor to measure PM mass concentrations in 15 size bins. A valve switching system
provided for a monitoring schedule of indoor air for 12 minutes followed by outdoor air for 8 minutes. Prior to the
study all GRIMM 1.108 aerosol monitors were collocated with Beta-Attenuation Mass (BAM) monitors deployed
by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. At two of the home locations, one with a gas stove and one
with both biomass and gas stoves, aerosol collection equipment was set up to collect PM2.5 (particulate matter with
an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) on quartz filters collocated inside and outside of the home.
Thermal optical carbon analysis was performed on the filters to compare elemental and organic carbon content
during cooking and non-cooking times. In addition to continuous PM concentration and aerosol collection, a sonic
anemometer was deployed in Nogales, Arizona so meteorological and turbulence parameters governing the
distribution and concentration of PM could be evaluated. The focus of the work to be presented will be comparing
time resolved indoor and outdoor PM concentrations for each of the homes in the study, specifically comparing
cooking versus non-cooking time periods. Additional information regarding the interaction between local
atmospheric conditions and the particulate distribution and mixing will be presented.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5A.2
Temporal-spatial evolution and chemical characterization of particulate matter from vehicular exhaust near
major roadways: results from the 2009 Queens College Air Quality study. PAOLA MASSOLI (1), John Jayne
(1), Edward Fortner (1), Leah Williams (1), Nga L. Ng (1), Manjula Canagaratna (1), Timothy Onasch (1), James
Schwab (2), Kenneth Demerjian (2), and Douglas Worsnop (1), (1) Aerodyne Research Inc., Billerica MA (2)
SUNY Albany
The Queens College Air Quality study (Queens, NYC July 2009) was conducted to characterize the emissions from
major city roadways and the impact on the air quality of neighboring areas. The Aerodyne Research, Inc. (ARI)
mobile laboratory was deployed with state-of-the-art instruments to measure gaseous pollutants as well as
concentrations, optical property and chemical composition of aerosol particles. Aerosol light extinction and light
absorption were respectively measured by the recently developed ARI cavity attenuated phase shift spectrometer
(CAPS) and by multi angle absorption photometer (MAAP) to provide an estimate of the single scattering albedo of
the ambient aerosol particles. The ARI Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SP-AMS) measured refractory
soot particles and provided details on the overall chemical composition of particles from vehicular exhaust.
We conducted gradient studies with the ARI mobile facility to determine how concentration and properties of
pollutants vary with distance and time of the day from the Long Island Expressway, LIE (>200,000 vehicles per day
in Queens) for both downwind and upwind locations. We chose the time frame 0430 - 1000 (local time) to
characterize the pollution build-up during the morning traffic rush hours and to investigate the effects of changes in
the boundary layer height on the pollution levels. The highest pollutant concentrations (and the lowest albedo
values) were measured within 50 meters from the LIE at any given time; away from the LIE, pollutants
concentrations initially decreased overtime, peaking around 0700 while still decreasing with distance. After 0800,
we measured lower pollutants levels as the increase of the boundary layer height allowed vertical mixing and
dilution
We also present results from chase studies in which on-road emissions from individual vehicles were measured in
real time. The SP-AMS provided size and chemically resolved characterization of the particulate matter associated
with the exhaust of gasoline and diesel vehicles as well as various NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)
diesel, natural gas and continuously regenerated technology-based buses.
Finally, we combine on-road and stationary data taken by the ARI mobile laboratory in Queens College, south of
LIE, to build a coherent picture of the impact of traffic emissions in the area.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5C.1
Organic Aerosol Formation at the Regional Scale: Bridging Lab Measurements with Ambient Observations
and Human Exposure. BEN MURPHY (1), Spyros Pandis (1,2), (1) Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, (2)
University of Patras, Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes (ICE-HT),
Foundation of Research and Technology (FORTH), Patra, Greece
Organic compounds contribute significantly (20-80%) to the total fine particulate mass suspended in the atmosphere.
There are numerous atmospheric release mechanisms, both anthropogenic and biogenic, for these compounds, and
their ensuing oxidation chemistry is complex, making the resulting human exposure hard to quantify. We present
results from a chemical transport model simulating organic aerosol (OA) emissions, transport, processing, and fate
in two regional-scale domains, the eastern United States and western Europe, using up-to-date theory regarding its
volatility and multi-generation chemical aging.
This model, PMCAMx-2008, incorporates several improvements in describing organic aerosol formation. Primary
organic aerosol (POA), traditionally treated nonvolatile, is treated as semivolatile, while yields for secondary
organic aerosol (SOA) have been updated with results from recent smog chamber experiments. We have also
incorporated secondary organic aerosol mass formed from intermediate volatility organic compounds (nontraditional SOA). All of these sources are unified under the volatility basis-set framework which describes organic
aerosol absorptive partitioning using a number of surrogate species spanning a range of atmospherically relevant
saturation concentrations. Moreover, we have implemented an explicit gas-phase chemical aging mechanism to
simulate the multi-generation oxidation chemistry influencing these compounds. The model has been found to
perform well for predicting inorganic and organic aerosol mass when compared to ambient observations in cities as
well as rural locations in both the US (all seasons in 2001) and European domains.
We further investigate the seasonal dependence of our model’s organic aerosol mass predictions. Both aerosol
volatility and the extent of chemical aging are affected by meteorological conditions. Colder temperatures during
winter-time directly lead to lower organic compound vapor pressures and more aerosol mass, but less sunlight and
colder temperatures diminish photochemical activity as well. Thus, we explore how model estimates of human
exposure to various chemical forms of OA change when these meteorological inputs change.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5C.2
A comparison of Organic Aerosol Components observed in Worldwide Datasets measured with Aerosol Mass
Spectrometry. NGA LEE NG (1), Manjula Canagaratna (1), Qi Zhang (2), Jian Tian (2), Ingrid Ulbrich (3), Jose
Jimenez (3), Doug Worsnop (1), (1) Aerodyne Research Inc., Billerica, (2) SUNY, Albany (3) CU, Boulder
Organic aerosol species account for a large fraction of the aerosol mass measured in urban environments. The
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) provides real-time quantitative mass concentrations of the non-refractory
organic species in/on ambient aerosol. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) and a custom hybrid principal component
analysis-based technique have been used for the analysis of worldwide AMS organic mass spectra including 15
urban sites, and 13 urban downwind and rural/remote sites.
While the OA at most sites was dominated by hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA) and oxygenated organic
aerosol (OOA) components, at some sites contributions from local organic aerosol and biomass burning organic
aerosol were also observed. HOA has been linked to primary organic PM from mobile emissions and other sources
while OOA has a major contribution from secondary organic aerosol. In this work the HOA and OOA components
from the different sites are compared with each other and general trends are identified. The mass spectra of HOA
components from different sites correlate well with each other as well as with fuel, lubricating oil, and diesel
exhaust. Mass spectra of the OOA components, on the other hand, show more variability between sites. At many
sites two types of OOA components (a more oxidized OOA and a less oxidized OOA component) are observed.
The differences are characterized in terms of the two main ions mz 44 (CO2+) and mz 43 (C2H3O+ or C3H7). The
more oxidized OOA components have higher 44/org and lower 43/org ratios than the less oxidized OOA. The OOA
components become increasingly similar to each other as the 44/org (a surrogate for O/C) increases. This suggests
that while OOA components in photochemically young air masses can appear significantly different from each other
due to different SOA sources and meteorological conditions, these OOA components will become increasingly
similar to each other with photochemical aging. Taken together, the OOA components from the multiple sites
provide a generalized view of the evolution of ambient SOA.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5C.4
Comparison of Protein and Carbohydrate Associations with Fine Particulate Matter in Sub-Alpine Aerosols
from Pristine and Urban Environments. ALINA M. HANDOREAN (1), Kevin McCabe (1), Alison Ling (1),
Jim Smith (2), Christine Weidenmeyer (2) and Mark Hernandez (1), (1) College of Engineering and Applied Science
The University of Colorado at Boulder (2) National Center for Atmospheric Research
Airborne particulate matter from the Colorado Manitou Experimental Forest in the Rocky Mountain Front Range
and from City Park in central Boulder, Colorado was captured by impaction on polycarbonate and quartz filters and
analyzed for its carbohydrate and protein content. A conglomerate of polysaccharides, and water soluble and
hydrophobic protein fractions were analyzed in PM10 and PM2.5 size ranges. The contribution of these biopolymers
in relation to other pools of organic carbon, as judged by the parallel factor analyses of fluorescence (PARAFAC),
will be presented. Particulate matter was eluted from filters into sterile, pyrogen-free water. Carbohydrate was
measured with a colorimetric sulfuric acid digestion using glucose as a standard. Protein was eluted into both
pyrogen-free water and sodium dodecyl sulfate (surfactant solution) using bovine serum albumin as a standard.
Carbohydrate was detectable and associated with airborne particulate matter (detection limit ca. 0.001 micro-g/m3)
during most of the sampling campaign and seasonal trend emerged where levels monitored during the summer were
markedly higher than those monitored in the winter. These same trends appeared to apply to proteins regardless of
their solubility properties (detection limit ca. 0.01 micro-g/m3). These results suggest that primary biological
materials may be seasonally associated with airborne particulate matter in both rural and urban areas of this subalpine region.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5C.5
Spatial and seasonal variability in urban and rural PM2.5 speciated aerosol composition data from the
IMPROVE and CSN networks. Jenny Hand (1), Bret Schichtel (2), William Malm (2), Warren White (3), Lowell
Ashbaugh (3), Chuck McDade (3), Marc Pitchford (4), (1)CIRA, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (2)
National Park Service, Air Resource Division, CIRA, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (3) Crocker
Nuclear Laboratory, University of California, Davis, CA (4) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Air Resource Laboratories, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV
Characterizing the spatial and seasonal variability in the composition of key aerosol species is essential for
estimating their contribution to visibility degradation and to PM2.5 total mass concentration. Previous analyses
using IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) data have shown that the seasonal
distribution of aerosol composition varies significantly as a function of species and geographic region. Data from the
IMPROVE network are particularly useful for this type of analysis as the network operates over 170 monitoring
sites throughout the United States in mostly remote/rural areas. The Chemical Speciation Network (CSN), operated
by the Environmental Protection Agency, collects PM2.5 speciated aerosol data at over 200 urban/suburban
monitoring sites. By combining data from the IMPROVE and CSN networks, the seasonal distribution of key
aerosol species is explored as a function of geographical region, specifically the differences in seasonality between
urban versus rural locations. We examine the monthly mean mass concentrations of ammonium sulfate, ammonium
nitrate, particulate organic matter (POM), light absorbing carbon (LAC) and mineral soil aerosols, and their
contribution to PM2.5 mass concentrations from 2005-2008.
The major difference in seasonal patterns between urban and rural sites is observed for POM. Summer maxima in
concentration are observed in rural regions (especially in the west and northwest U.S.), probably due to wildfire
activity and biogenic emissions, compared to winter maxima observed at many urban sites. LAC concentrations
follow similar patterns as POM concentrations, with winter maxima observed at many urban sites. Both CSN POM
and LAC concentrations are significantly higher than those measured by the IMPROVE network. Ammonium
sulfate seasonal patterns and concentrations are similar for both the IMPROVE rural and CSN urban sites, with
higher levels in the eastern half of the country, especially in summer. This pattern reflects the higher emissions of
SO2 in this region and favorable conditions for aerosol formation in summer. Seasonal patterns in ammonium nitrate
are consistent between CSN and IMPROVE regions. Winter maxima are observed for urban locations and for sites
in the central U.S., demonstrating the regional impacts of agricultural sources in that area, and favorable aerosol
formation conditions during that season. CSN nitrate concentrations are significantly higher than IMPROVE
concentrations. Besides the impacts of seasonal long range transport of soil, both networks have many “hot spots” of
high soil concentrations that are similar in some seasons and not in others, suggesting additional fairly localized
fugitive dust sources. Soil concentrations for regions in both networks are comparable. Evaluating the differences in
monthly mean distributions for key aerosol species as a function of geographic region (especially urban versus rural)
is necessary for understanding the effects of emission sources, regional transport and atmospheric processes
governing their concentrations in the atmosphere.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
5C.6
Chemical characterization of fine particulate matter in North central part of India. ADITI KULSHRESTHA
(1), Ajay Taneja (1), (2), (1) School of Chemical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, St. John’s College, Agra
282002, India, (2) Department of Chemistry, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra 282002, India
Continuous 24h sampling for PM2.5 was done for one year (April 2007-March 2008) at a semi-urban site using fine
particulate dust sampler (APM 550) at North central part of India i.e. Agra. Water soluble aerosols in PM2.5 were
analyzed which included seven cations and four anions. The measured chemical composition includes F-, Cl-, NO3-,
SO42-, Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, Al3+, Mg2+ and Ba2+. PM2.5 ranged from 16.1µgm-3 to 204.6µgm-3 during the
year with an average yearly concentration of 85.8±61.8µgm-3. On comparing with air quality guidelines by of WHO
PM2.5 concentrations were found to be 8 times higher at the sampling site. The average total water soluble
particulate load is 56.8 µgm-3 including 21.8 % anions and 44.3 % cations of the total aerosol mass. Remaining
unanalyzed components included metals, organics, carbon, silicates and phosphates. PM2.5 concentration was
maximum during winter season and minimum during the monsoons. The winter to monsoon ratio was
approximately two times higher than that of summer to monsoon ratio of PM2.5 mass concentration. Analyzed
water soluble components also showed the same seasonal trends. High concentration during winters is attributed to
temperature inversion and low mixing height. Among anions NO3- contributed maximum (7.3±6.2 µgm-3)
suggesting that anthropogenic activities play important role in controlling particulate concentration, while among
cations Al3+ contributed maximum 17.2±13.4 µgm-3 which is again attributed to anthropogenic activities leading to
resuspension of road dust due to vehicular activities. The calculated 'sum of cation/sum of anion’ ratio (2.0)
indicates that particulate matter is alkaline in nature and suggests that SO42-, NO3-, Cl-, and F- are neutralized.
However without considering Al, Mg and Na, the calculated ‘cation/anion’ ratio reduces to 0.6 indicating that Al,
Mg and Na ions act as neutralizers of particulate acidity. The results obtained from inter-ionic correlation and factor
analysis reveal that aerosols in this region are complex and heterogeneous.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.16
Use of Carbon Nanotube Filter in Removing Bioaerosols. Tianjia Guan and MAOSHENG YAO, State Key Joint
Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and
Engineering Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
In this study, the carbon nanotube (CNT) filters were created by depositing both single-walled and multi-walled
CNT with loadings of 0.2-1.6 ug/cm2 on polypropylene and polyamide membrane supports with pore size of 5 and
10 um. Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens and NaCl were aerosolized and collected using a Button Aerosol
Sampler loaded with the CNT filters. The physical efficiencies of the CNT filters with different CNT loadings when
removing the aerosols were studied using an Optical Particle Counter. The influences of acid washing on the
efficiencies of CNT filters were also investigated.
The removal efficiencies of CNT filters prepared on polypropylene membrane supports when collecting B. subtilis
aerosols were shown to range from 10 to 95% in average for the CNT loadings of 0.2-1.6 ug/cm2 . When collecting
aerosolized P. fluorescens, the efficiencies were shown to range from 5 to 60% given similar CNT loadings on the
membrane support. The results revealed that membrane types and pore sizes tested as well as CNT types did not
significantly affect the performance of CNT filters. When collecting aerosolized NaCl, the efficiencies were
observed relatively lower, i.e., below 50% for loadings of 0.3-1.5 ug/cm2 . Acid-rinsing was shown to exhibit some
influences on the removal efficiency of single-walled CNT filters when collecting aerosolized NaCl. On the other
hand, the membrane supports used in this study were shown to have stable passage efficiency of about 70% after 30
min sampling of B. subtilis aerosols. The performances of CNT filters prepared were shown to vary greatly, which
was likely due to the CNT loading efficiency, membrane support filtration variance and the CNT uniformity on the
support.
This study was the first to report efficiencies of CNT filters in removing biological aerosols and the information here
is useful in both bioaerosol study and air cleaning technology.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.71
Concentrations of Air Pollutants in the Atmosphere of Basrah Governorate. HAMID T.AL-SAAD (1) FARIS
J.AL-IMARAH (2) kHADIUM AL-ASADI(3), Department of marine environmental chemistry and pollution
Marine Science Centre Basrah University Basrah-Iraq
During the period May- June 2005 air samples were collected from 16 sites covered the most crowded cities within
the governorate of Basrah. Samples analysed for the determination of Concentrations of polluted gases in the
atmosphere . gases analysed were carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, chlorine,
hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. The highest concentrations measured were in Ashar site as 0.06, 10 and 15 ppm for
CO2, CO and SO2 respectively, while The lowest concentrations were found in Qurnah and Mudainah for all gases
except CO2and CO which recorded 0.02 and 5 ppm respectively. - Comparision between the present results and
those conducted in previous study (1997- 1998) shown that CO2 is higher in this study while CO and NH3 were
lower. Compared with unpublished work conducted during early 2005 most of the studied gases reported in this
study are less, H2S decreased from 3-5 ppm to 3 ppm, NH3 from 10-15 ppm to 5-10 ppm , Cl from 10-20 ppm to 5
ppm, CO2 from 0.08 ppm to 0.006 ppm and CO from 80ppm to 10 ppm. This represent a clear factor for the effect
of closed industries in decreasing the concentrations of polluted gases and the capability of environment to returned
to its natural situation if most released gases are stopped.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.73
Source Identification of Coarse and Fine Particulate Matter in Trombay, Mumbai, India by Positive Matrix
Factorisation. G.G. Pandit, I.V. Saradhi, P. Kothai, V.D. Puranik and H.S. Kushwaha, Environmental Assessment
Division Health Safety & Environment Group Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Mumbai, INDIA
INTRODUCTION
Air quality has been a complex issue in most urban areas due to a variety of source contributions through particulate
emissions. Of many pollutants, particulate matter (PM) in recent is considered as one of the most potent pollutants
due to its effect on human health. Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micro m, especially the
finer particle fraction less than 2.5 micro m, has been shown to be associated with increases in mortality. In the
present study an attempt has been made to examine the contribution of the sources to coarse (PM10-2.5 micro m)
and fine (PM less than 2.5micro m) fractions of particulate matter using Positive Matrix Factorization.
STUDY AREA
The sampling location Trombay is located about 15km from the Mumbai main center, 190 2’ North latitude and 750
53’ East longitude, bordered by the Mumbai Harbour Bay on the East, Mumbai-Pune National Highway on the
North-East at about 5km. There are several other industries such as petrochemical, automobile, metallurgical,
fertilisers and chemical in the near by area. The sampling site has no obvious source of particulate matter near by,
except for the resuspended road dust due to vehicular movement.
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
Nucleopore polycarbonate filters are used for collecting particulate matter using Gent’s air sampler with an average
flow rate and collection time 16 lpm and 24 h respectively. Black Carbon (BC) measurements are carried out using
reflectance based Smoke Stain Reflectometer. The elemental analysis of filter samples collected is carried out by
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and EDXRF (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence
Spectrometer). The elements analyzed include Na, Si, S, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Zn, Pb, Co, Sb, Ti, Sc and Ni apart from
Black Carbon.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The average values of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 at Trombay site are 45.26 micro gram per cubic meter and 79.9 micro
gram per cubic meter respectively and the average BC value in fine particulate matter at Trombay is 8.65 micro
gram per cubic meter.
Elemental data generated from the analysis of filters is subjected to Multivariate analysis to determine the sources
contributing to the particulate matter collected. For this purpose Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) is used. A
total of 96 samples are used for the analysis of PMF in each fraction. For coarse fraction seven sources have been
identified viz,, four industrial sources, crustal source, sea salt and a separate sulphur source. For the fine fraction a
crustal source, sea salt, vehicular source and three industrial sources are identified.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.74
Concentration of CO, CO2 and Environmental Aerosol in Gaborone, Botswana and Their Impact on Human
Health. T.S.Verma(1), Shibu K.John(2), (1) University of Botswana, (2) University of Botswaan
In Southern Africa, savanna fires, domestic cooking, heating during winter in particular, and vehicular traffic are the
major contributors to environmental aerosol concentration. The savanna fires in Africa account for almost one half
of the total biomass burned worldwide (1993). The average daily consumption of firewood and other biomass for
domestic use is about 0.5 - 1 kg of dry biomass per person (1986).The impact of biomass burning on the
environmental aerosol concentration in Gaborone, Botswana is studied by Jayaratne and Verma (2001). The
vehicular population in Gaborone has also increased abundantly during the past few years and also contributes to the
increase in environmental aerosol concentration. Human health is affected by air quality. The resident in urban area,
in general breathe unhealthy air which causes several illnesses from minor to major one. Rough estimate reveals that
mortality rate on a global scale ranges from about 0.2 to 0.6 million.
Knowledge about the regional deposition of aerosols particles is essential in order to minimize health risks due to
environmental aerosol particles. The study reported here was an ongoing research in the department of Physics,
University of Botswana. The aim of this research was to observe the relationship between particle concentration and
gas concentrations and its impact on human health. To monitor aerosol concentration, two automatic particle
counters from RION, Japan were used. These counters work on the light scattering principle. The Scanning Mobility
particle sizer (SMPS) was also used which could detect particles of size 0.01 µm and above.
Carbon dioxide and Carbon monoxide gas concentration measurements were made using Horiba VIA-510 and
APMA 360 gas analyzers respectively. These analyzers use an infra red absorption method which offers superior
sensitivity, selectivity and stability.
The mean monthly concentration of aerosols of size larger than 0.1µm was compared for the years 1999-2000,
2002-2003, and 2003-2004. Similarly the mean monthly gas concentrations of CO and CO2 for those years were
also analyzed. To detect the lead concentration, the ESEM stubs were exposed to environment and later analyzed
using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope. Data of lung related illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis
were collected from ministry of health, Government of Botswana.
The noticeable observation was that the aerosol concentration was found to be the highest in the winter season (May
- September). As stated earlier, an increased biomass burning takes place during this period in Southern Africa and
may contribute for increase in particle counts. It has also been observed that the lung related illnesses such as asthma
and bronchitis were also found to increase during winter season.
This study is ongoing and more results will be presented in the conference.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.75
Impact of Smoke from Prescribed Burning and Wildfires on Rural Communities. FABIENNE REISEN (1),
C.P. (Mick) Meyer (1), Lachie McCaw (2), Kevin Tolhurst (3), Jennifer Powell (1), Melita Keywood (1), (1) CSIRO
Marine and Atmospheric Research, Aspendale, VIC (2) Department of Environment and Conservation, Science
Division, Manjimup, WA (3) Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Creswick, VIC
In general, air quality in rural areas is considered good in comparison to cities, however there are occasions when
this is clearly not the case. Pollution mostly results from agriculture and forestry activities, and often involves smoke
from biomass combustion. In these cases the pollution events can be severe, if short-lived and leave a strong
perception of poor air quality in residents they impact. However quantitative information on long term air quality in
rural regions is sparse. The challenge is to quantitatively assess the air quality of rural regions in absence of biomass
smoke against which the significance and the impact of smoke pollution can be determined.
Monitoring was conducted over a 1-year period in 2 locations of rural Australia, Manjimup, WA, where smoke
disperses readily and smoke plumes are short-lived and Ovens, NE VIC, which is characteristic of locations
impacted by smoke trapped in valleys. The air quality parameters assessed were (a) fine particle mass PM2.5, which
is the major component of smoke, (b) surface ozone concentration, which is a measure of the reactivity of the
atmosphere and therefore the extent to which chemistry within smoke plumes lead to the formation of secondary
products and (c) the concentration of the toxic gas species benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX)
which can both pose a health risk and are the precursors for reactive atmospheric chemistry. Additionally, in order to
distinguish PM2.5 associated with smoke from particulate pollution from other sources, particle samples were
analysed for specific smoke tracers, non sea salt potassium (NSS K) and laevoglucosan.
The monitoring program clearly showed that, on occasions, air quality in rural areas is significantly affected by
smoke from biomass combustion sources. The main pollutant of concern was PM2.5. Significant increases of PM2.5
concentrations above background occurred at both sites during periods of wildfire and prescribed fire leading to
exceedences of the 24 h PM2.5 Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) National Environment Protection Measures (NEPM)
standard on some occasions. The ozone NEPM standard was exceeded only during protracted forest wildfires.
Concentrations of the BTEX species were low and never approached the NEPM standard at any site.
The study also investigated the extent to which ambient pollutants from prescribed burning penetrate into houses.
The impact of prescribed burning on the indoor air quality of residences depended on the duration of the smoke
event and the ventilation rate of the houses. During short-duration events indoor air quality was determined by
household activities. During events that persisted for several days, which occurred at Booralite, Vic during wildfires
in January 2007, indoor air quality was determined by external conditions coupled with management of household
ventilation rate. Therefore remaining indoors is an effective strategy for avoiding exposure to smoke, only during
smoke events lasting less than 1 day.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.76
Fine Particulate Matter Trends in Major Urban Regions of Tamilnadu, India with emphasis on source
apportionment of toxic metals. Mohanraj R (1), Solaraj G (1), Dhanakumar S (1), (1) Department of
Environmental Management, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli – 620024, India
The linkage between airborne fine Particulates and public health is an important concern in India. In recent years,
there has been unprecedented increase in airborne particulate concentrations in urban regions of India as a result of
globalization. In addition, inadequate transportation infrastructure had further aggravated the air pollution. Alarming
levels of ambient total suspended particulate concentrations has reported across India. However, fine particulate
concentrations, particularly in cities of Southern India are largely unknown. This research attempts to unveil the
scenario of airborne PM 2.5 in select major cities viz. Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli of Tamilnadu State,
Southern India.
PM 2.5 assessment was carried out using fine particulate sampler (Make Envirotech India, based designs
standardized by US EPA) at 13 stations, 4 each at Chennai and Tiruchirappalli and 5 stations at Coimbatore during
from February 2009 – September 2009. Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu state with population of 4.3 million
is the fourth largest metropolis in India, while Coimbatore City is an important industrial city with an urban
population of 14 lakhs occupying 15th position among the principal urban agglomerations of India. Tiruchirappalli
city is third major City of Tamilnadu with a population of 0.75 million.
PM 2.5 concentrations varied between: 59.2 to 190.2 microgram per cubic meter with an average of 102.96
microgram per cubic meter in Chennai; 36.2 to 80 microgram per cubic meter with an average of 58.18; 13.66 to
227.97 microgram per cubic meter with an average of 73.06 in Tiruchirappalli. Current study revealed alarming
levels exceeding the USEPA limits of 65 microgram per cubic meter (for 24 hour sampling). An attempt was also
made to understand the source apportionment of select heavy metals associated with PM 2.5.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.77
Study of Fine Aerosols by In-Situ Monitoring in Karachi-Pakistan and their correlation with MODISDerived Fine Mode Fractions. BADAR GHAURI (1), Dieter Schwela (2), Jawad Nasir (1), (1) Pakistan Space
and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Karachi, Pakistan (2) Stockholm Environmental
Institute (SEI), University of York, Heslington, York, UK
Particulate matter (PM) is an important component of air pollution, having both long-term as well as short-term
effects on human health such as cardiovascular, lung and skin diseases, which sometimes leads to premature deaths.
Particulate Matter assessment is one of major concerns of the world and many environmental protection agencies are
working towards continuous monitoring and assessment of air quality from surface-based stations. Variations in fine
particulate matter (PM 1.0 and PM 2.5) concentrations from September 2007 to August 2008 were investigated in,
Karachi ,the biggest city of Pakistan. We compared the DustTrak 8520 Aerosol Monitor in-situ measurements of
PM with remote sensing satellite data obtained from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on
board Terra and Aqua satellites fine mode fraction (FMF) data. Frequency distribution of PM and FMFs are
consistent, showing similar trends of variations in different seasons. Seasonal variations of particulate matter were
significant, with the highest concentrations observed from mid-November through January and the lowest from May
through September. Concentrations were maximum (PM 2.5 179.6 microgram per cubic meter, PM 1.0 179.6
microgram per cubic meter, FMF 0.754) during mid of winter, while lowest concentrations were observed in
monsoon (May 08 to August 08). Both maximum and minimum concentrations of fine PM 2.5 were found 2 ~ 5
times that of USEPA standard (35 microgram per cubic meter). Similarly Black Carbon (BC) concentration
measured at 5 min intervals with an Aethalometer in Karachi shows short term spikes exceeding 40 microgram per
cubic meter which were common during morning and evening rush hours. Non availability of in-situ data could
therefore be compensated with satellite data, thus satellites can be used to forecast air quality in an area. As the fine
fraction (diameters below 2.5 micro-meter) are mainly generated from the anthropogenic activities involving
combustion processes or as secondary aerosols produced through atmospheric processes, i.e. due to chemical
interaction in the atmosphere involving gases again released mainly from anthropogenic activities. Thus PM
observed in Karachi is mainly due to the industrials activities and the road transport.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.78
Gaseous/Particulate bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Seasonal variation in North central
part of rural India. JAMSON MASIH (1), RAJ SINGHVI (2), AJAY TANEJA (1), (1) School of Chemical
Sciences, Department of Chemistry, St. John’s College, Agra, India (2) Environmental Response Team, USEPA,
Edison, New Jersey, USA
The concentration of twenty-three Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the ambient air of
rural homes having open kitchens in the North central part of India during three consecutive season winter, summer
and rainy (November 2006 - September 2007). The gaseous phase PAHs were collected by using XAD-2 resin tubes
(600 mg) followed by a PTFE filter paper (37 µm dia) for particulate bound PAHs at a flow rate of 3 Lpm for 24
hrs. The individual PAHs were identified by using a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometry detector (GC/MS).
The results show that average concentration of (gas + particulate) PAHs varied with season. It ranged from (21.91 1290.50 ng/m-3) being the highest in winter, lower in summer (11.18 – 613.00 ng/m-3) and lowest in the rainy
season (13.10 – 272.50 ng/m-3) respectively. The total PAHs concentrations in the air were 52% and 80% higher in
winter season from summer and rainy seasons respectively. It was indicated that the two, three and four rings PAHs
were predominantly in gaseous phase while the five and six rings PAHs were primarily associated with the
particulate phase. Among the 23 PAHs, naphthalene was the most abundant PAH. It contributed 29-55% to the sum
of PAHs in three different seasons. The trend of the concentrations of the major PAHs found in present study were
Nap>2 Methyl Nap>1 Methyl Nap>Biphenyl>Acenapthylene at all the sampling locations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.79
Wind Tunnel Study of Dust Particles Resuspension from Common Flooring. Iman Goldasteh (1), Andrea Ferro
(2), Goodarz Ahmadi (3), (1) Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University,
13699, Potsdam, NY, U.S.A. (2) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, 13699,
Potsdam, NY, U.S.A. (3) Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University, 13699,
Potsdam, NY, U.S.A.
Particle resuspension is believed to be one important source of additional indoor air pollution and the corresponding
human exposure. However, the mechanisms that drive resuspension of dust particles from floors are not well
understood. Earlier effort hypothesized the during the gait cycle, high speed airflow is generated at the floor level
that could lead to particle resuspension. There is, however, uncertainties on the role of air speed on dust particle
resuspension and their dependence on particle size and shape. In particular, dust particles are irregular in shape and
have a wide size distribution. A wind tunnel study of dust particle resuspension form common flooring was
performed and the critical air velocity for particle detachment from common flooring was measured and the results
are compared with the available theoretical models. The main goal of the work is to understand dust particle
resuspension under real environmental condition by systematically investigating a range of flow speeds. Several
common floorings were used in the experimentation. Dust particles are then deposited on these different flooring
samples. The sampled was then place in a laminar flow wind tunnel and for range speed the resuspension of dust
particles was analyzed. For each flow velocity, images of dust distribution on the flooring were obtained and
compared with the original zero velocity condition. The data was used to estimate the critical velocity needed to
detach dust particles from various surfaces. The study provided important information on the role of the airflow on
dust particle detachment from common floorings.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.81
Transient Peak Profiling of Urban Air Pollutants. TERESA MORENO (1), Xavier Querol (1), Andrés Alastuey
(1), Mar Viana (1), Javier Lavín (2), Wes Gibbons (3), (1) Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water
Research, IDAEA, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain (2) Consejería de Medio Ambiente de Cantabria, CIMA, Torrelavega,
Spain (3) AP 23075, Barcelona 08080, Spain
There is evidence that health problems such as asthma attacks, myocardial infarction and myocardial ischaemia can
be triggered by exposure to transient rises in urban air pollutants. In such cases, acute health impacts of air pollution
relate less to average concentrations inhaled over an extended period, but more to times when contaminants briefly
climb to peaks when concentrations become high enough to overwhelm lung defences. Those people with defences
compromised by age and/or preexisting disease are more likely to have a correspondingly increased chance of
hospitalisation hours or a few days after a given transient pollution peak. Such pollution peaks occur regularly and
often predictably in the urban environment, as demonstrated by our large monitoring and source apportionment
databases recording meteorological conditions, traffic rush hour emissions, midday industrial SO2 maxima,
afternoon O3 maxima, industrial metalliferous plumes and so on. Averaged annual and daily limit values imposed
for the protection of human health from urban air pollutants fail to address the potential influence of these variations
in personal exposure, which are commonly greatest during the daytime when most of the urban population is awake
and active.
Comparisons between urban background and traffic hotspot monitoring stations in particular reveal strikingly large
and rapid changes in the flux of daytime air pollutants, especially NOx gases, which are sensitive indicators of air
quality in traffic congested areas. Concentrations of inhalable particulate matter are similarly highly variable, being
controlled primarily by traffic resuspension, the presence of dust plumes (e.g. desert intrusions, construction work),
and Hewson-type fumigation effects trapping particles near ground level prior to solar-driven convection, dilution
and dispersion of the polluted mixing layer. The problem of prominent and rapid transient variations in air pollutants
is pervasive and unlikely to improve in the medium term: annual average NO2 levels in many European cities, for
example, currently hover around the limit value of 40 µg m-3 due to be imposed in 2010, and show little sign of
future decline, especially given current predictions concerning likely road traffic emissions over the next decade.
Greater emphasis on short-term rises in urban atmospheric pollutants, an approach we term transient peak profiling,
offers a higher degree of spatial and temporal data resolution for use in epidemiological studies because it moves us
closer to the reality of personal outdoor exposure to inhalable pollutants. We argue that such an approach to
monitoring data potentially offers more to air pollution health effect studies than using only 24hr or annual averages.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.82
Redox and electrophilic Properties of Vapor- and Particle-phase Components of Ambient Aerosols.
Arantzazu Eiguren-Fernandez (1,2), Masaru Shinyashiki (1,2), Debra A. Schmitz (1,2), Emma DiStefano (1,2),
William Hinds (1,2), Yoshito Kumagai (1,3), Arthur K. Cho (1,2), and John R. Froines (1,2), (1) Southern
California Particle Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (2) Center for
Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (3)
Doctoral Programs in Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of
Tsukuba, 1-2-2 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
Particulate matter (PM) has been the primary focus of studies aiming to understand the relationship between the
chemical properties of ambient aerosols and adverse health effects. Size and chemical composition of PM have been
linked to their oxidative capacity which has been postulated to promote or exacerbate pulmonary and cardiovascular
diseases. But in the last few years, new studies have suggested that volatile and semivolatile components may also
contribute to many adverse health effects. The objectives of this study were to: i) assess for the first time the redox
and electrophilic potential of vapor-phase components of ambient aerosols, and ii) evaluate the relative contributions
of particle- and vapor-fractions to the potential toxicity of a given aerosol. To achieve these objectives vapor- and
particle-phase samples were collected in Riverside (CA) over a 6-day period for a total of ~40hrs. The redox and
electrophilic capacities of both vapors and PM2.5 were assessed by subjecting the samples to three chemical assays:
the DTT assay, the DHBA assay, and the GAPDH assay. Vapor-phase components were extracted using
dichloromethane and solvent exchanged to DMSO prior analysis. PM2.5 samples were analyzed as water suspensions
and dichloromethane extracts. An in-vitro assay was also conducted to evaluate the ability of the samples to induce
the stress responding protein heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Aqueous suspensions of PM2.5 were 10 to 40 times more
active than the organic extracts, suggesting that redox active organic compounds and transition metals associated
with the particles, and not extracted by DCM, had a significant contribution to the overall oxidative activity. On the
other hand, organic compounds associated with the vapor-phase exerted a higher inhibition of thiol proteins than
PM2.5. HO-1 was also induced by vapor-phase components; after six hours of exposure a 2-fold increase in HO-1
expression was observed for all samples over the control sample.
The results of this study demonstrate the importance of volatile components in the overall oxidative and
electrophilic capacity of aerosols, and point out the need for inclusion of vapors in future health and risk assessment
studies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: ^YϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.83
Mass concentration and seasonal variation of water soluble ionic species in aerosol. Raj Deshmukh (1), Satish
Roy (2), (1) Govt. V.Y.T. PG. College, Durg.
This study conclude that the air quality in the city of Durg is much inferior to the compare of other cities in India
and over the world.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.84
A representative survey of urban air pollution in six Brazilian capital-cities. R.M. MIRANDA (1), M.F.
Andrade (1), A. Fornaro (1), R. Astolfo (1), P.A. André (2) and P.H. Saldiva (2), (1) University of Sao Paulo. IAGInstitute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (2) University of Sao Paulo. FM-Medical School
Brazilian capital-cities are highly affected by the air pollution. Particles are a common pollutant and can lead to
health problems which justify the exhaustive studies concerning mass concentration and composition of aerosols. In
fact, increased particulate material (PM) concentrations can affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In
Brazil, the Air Quality National Standard (AQNS) establishes 150 ug m-3 for 24 hours as limit of inhalable
particulate material (PM10). However, for fine particles (PM2.5) there is not an AQNS. It is important to highlight
that PM2.5 can penetrate more deeply in the human respiratory system, inducing some diseases like asthma and
even cardiac problems. For most urban areas in Brazil, vehicles are considered the principal source of fine particles
emitted to the atmosphere. In a joint collaboration of many institutions in Brazil coordinated by the University of
Sao Paulo Medical School, the PM2.5 has been monitored in six Brazilian state capitals in areas with high
circulation of vehicles from June 2007 to August 2008. This is the first study carried out in Brazil with simultaneous
measurement in different states. These particles were analyzed for mass concentration and trace-substances
composition. The sampling sites were distributed mainly in the most populated cities: P. Alegre (30.03°S; 51.22°W),
capital of Rio Grande do Sul State, Curitiba (25.45°S; 49.23°W), capital of Paraná State, São Paulo
(23.56°S;46.67°W), capital of Sao Paulo State, Rio de Janeiro (22.84°S; 43.24°W), capital of Rio de Janeiro State,
Belo Horizonte (19.92°S;43.93°W), capital of Minas Gerais State, and Recife (8.05°S; 34.95°W), capital of
Pernambuco State. These samples were analyzed by gravimetry for fine mass concentration, optical reflectance for
Black Carbon concentration and X-ray Fluorescence for elementar characterization. Average concentrations for the
whole period for PM2.5 and Black Carbon percentage were: São Paulo: 28.1±13.6 ug/m3 (38% BC), Rio de Janeiro:
17.2±11.2 ug/m3 (20% BC), Belo Horizonte: 14.7±7.7 ug/m3 (31% BC), Porto Alegre: 13.4±9.9 ug/m3 (29% BC),
Curitiba: 14.4±9.5 ug/m3 (30% BC), Recife: 7.3±3.1 ug/m3 (27% BC). The black carbon (BC) percentage is
presented in accordance with total fine mass. While São Paulo city presents the highest pollutants concentration,
Recife, in the Northeast part of the country, has the lowest concentrations among the monitored capitals. Concerning
BC contributions, Rio de Janeiro and Recife, both coastal cities, present the lowest values. Elementar
characterization showed that soil particles (Al, Si, Ca, Fe) and sulfur are the principal elements in fine particulate
matter, derived from soil resuspension and fuels, respectively. Potassium also appeared with high concentrations
probably due to the use of alcohol derived from sugarcane as a fuel in Brazil.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.85
Characterization of Spatiotemporal Patterns in Air Pollutant Concentrations within Complex Urban
Environments. JENNIFER RICHMOND-BRYANT (1), Sastry S. Isukapalli (2), Daniel A. Vallero (3), (1)
National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (2) Environmental and
Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, (3) National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
Substantial variability exists in air pollutant exposures at neighborhood scales. Factors driving exposure variability
include pollutant source variability, chemical composition of the pollutant mixture, meteorology, layout of the built
environment, building dimensions, and human time-activity patterns. States and cities do not typically have
sufficient monetary and human resources to perform the saturation sampling necessary to obtain temporally and
spatially resolved pollutant concentration data. Moreover, emergency responders may require guidance on safe
procedures in the case of an intentional or accidental contaminant release. Thus, short-term high spatiotemporal
resolution studies can be valuable for providing insight into the complex relationships between pollutant levels and
relevant factors such as meteorology and building dimensions. Scaling relationships derived from such studies may
help cities understand spatially resolved estimates of concentration decay using current meteorological and built
environment data in the absence of dense contaminant sampling networks.
The URBAN 2000, Joint Urban 2003, and Urban Dispersion Program studies held respectively in Salt Lake City,
Oklahoma City, and New York City (jointly referred to here as the Urban Dispersion Program, or UDP) were
designed and implemented to collect spatiotemporally resolved ambient concentration, personal exposure, and
meteorology data. Perfluorocarbon (PFT) tracers were released at several locations within the study sites and then
sampled at gridded locations using time-programmable gas capture devices to attain a time-evolving concentration
surface. Programmable capture devices were worn by subjects who walked on scripted paths during the campaign.
Roof-top and ground-level mean and turbulent wind data were obtained using sonic anemometers and SODAR
systems to profile the wind.
In this current work, UDP concentration and microscale turbulent wind data were reanalyzed to examine scaling
relationships. Street-level PFT concentration time-series were reviewed to find time periods that included a peak
and decay. Exponential decay curves were fit to each period, and a characteristic residence time was derived from
each model slope. That residence time was nondimensionalized by the ratio of mean wind speed to height of the
downwind building bounding the street canyon in which the concentration was measured. SODAR data were used
to assess atmospheric turbulence conditions at times concurrent with the concentration decay measurements.
Reynolds number and freestream turbulence intensity were calculated from the 15-minute average and standard
deviation of velocity. An inverse relationship was observed between the nondimensionalized residence time and
turbulence intensity computed from the wind data, although no apparent relationship could be discerned regarding
Reynolds number. These data suggest that atmospheric turbulence plays a role in ventilating urban street canyons
even within a dense urban environment and that contaminant residence time can be predicted with turbulence
intensity data. In addition to providing information on contaminant exposure, these results can provide guidance for
emergency response protocols. Validation work is needed at sites with concurrent ambient concentration monitors to
determine if trends in concentration can be predicted using this approach and, if so, for which distribution of
pollutants such an approach could be applicable in every-day or emergency response scenarios. (This presentation
does not necessarily reflect the policy of the U.S. EPA.)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.87
Regional Impacts of Oil and Gas Development in the Western United States. MARCO RODRIGUEZ (1),
Michael Barna (2), Tom Moore (3), (1) Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Fort Collins, (2)
National Park Service, Fort Collins, (3) Western Regional Air Partnership, Western Governors’ Association, Fort
Collins
As population in the Western United States grows, electricity generation and fossil fuel production increase, leading
to significantly higher NOx emissions from energy generation. The oil and gas development in recent years has the
potential to affect both the visibility and air quality of various Class 1 areas in the region. The following work
presents an analysis of these impacts using the Comprehensive Air quality Model with extensions (CAMx). CAMx
is a state-of-the-science 'one-atmosphere' Eulerian photochemical dispersion model that has been widely used in the
assessment of gaseous and particulate air pollution. Meteorology and emissions inventories developed by the
Western Regional Air Partnership Regional Modeling Center are used to establish a base line simulation for the year
2002. The predicted range of modeled concentrations is then evaluated with available observations in the Western
U.S. This evaluation demonstrates the model suitability for subsequent planning, sensitivity, and emissions control
strategy modeling. Once the base line simulation has been established, an analysis of the model results is performed
to investigate the regional impacts of oil and gas development on pollutant concentrations with the potential to affect
visibility as well as gas species that affect the air quality of Class 1 areas.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.88
Quantification of Select Nitro-PAHs in a NIST Diesel SRM and Ambient Particulate Matter and Their
Isomer Distributions from Gas-Phase Radical-Initiated Chamber Reactions. KATHRYN ZIMMERMANN(1)
Janet Arey (1) Roger Atkinson (1), (1) Air Pollution Research Center, University of California, Riverside
Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) are of interest to human health due to their mutagenic
properties and presence in ambient particulate matter. Ambient nitro-PAH concentrations can be a result of direct
emissions, as well as atmospheric formation via radical initiated gas-phase reactions of parent PAHs with the OH or
NO3 radical. Isomer distributions of nitro-PAHs have been used to distinguish between their sources. For example,
1-nitropyrene (1-NP) and 3-nitrofluoranthene (3-NF) are attributed to direct emissions, such as diesel exhaust, while
2-nitrofluoranthene (2-NF) and 2-nitropyrene (2-NP) are formed by ambient gas-phase reactions1,2. Although the
sources and formation of nitro-PAHs of molecular weight 247 are well characterized, those of molecular weight 273
are less so. This includes nitro-PAHs such as 1- and 2-nitrotriphenylene (NTP), which have been quantified from
ambient particulate matter in Tokyo, Japan, in concentrations similar to those of 1-nitropyrene3.
In this study, nitro-PAHs of molecular weight 247 and 273 were quantified in the NIST diesel Standard Reference
Material 1975. Seasonal ambient filter samples from Riverside, CA, Tokyo, Japan, and Mexico City, Mexico were
also analyzed. 1- and 2-Nitrotriphenylene were quantified in all samples and were observed for the first time in
southern California ambient filter samples. Differing concentrations of NTP among the three ambient sites led to
further investigations of NTP formation.
Possible atmospheric formation of NTPs has been previously reported, and results have shown a preferential
production of 2-NTP to 1-NTP in both the OH and NO3 radical reaction4. In the presented study, nitro-PAH
products from gas-phase reactions of OH and NO3 radicals with pyrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, benz[a]anthracene,
and triphenylene simultaneously were studied and compared to isomer distributions from ambient analyses. Results
of isomer formation and distribution from these chamber reactions show that ambient NTPs are most likely formed
via the gas-phase OH radical initiated mechanism.
1
R. Atkinson, and J. Arey. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds 2007, 27, 15-40
H. Bamford, D. Bezabeth, M. Schantz, S. Wise, and J. Baker. Chemosphere 2003, 50, 575-587
3
S. Ishii, Y. Hisamatsu, K. Inazu, M. Kadoi, and K. Aika. Environ.Sci.Technol. 2000, 34, 1893-1899
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T. Kameda, K. Inazu, Y. Hisamatsu, N. Takenaka, and H. Bandow. Atmospheric Environment 2006, 40, 77427751
2
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.89
Physico-chemical and Toxicological Characteristics of Semi-volatile Particulate Matter in an Urban
Environment. PAYAM PAKBIN (1), Vishal Verma (1), Ka Lam Cheung (1), James Schauer (2), Constantinos
Sioutas (1), (1) University of Southern California (2) University of Wisconsin-Madison
Physico-chemical and Toxicological Characteristics of Semi-volatile Particulate Matter in an Urban Environment
Heavy and light duty vehicle emissions are the major contributors of ambient particulate matter (PM) in urban
environments. These combustion-generated aerosols contain both non-volatile and semi-volatile components. Semivolatile compounds shift between gas and particle phases depending on the vapor pressure, ambient temperature and
atmospheric dilution. Several studies have shown that the semi-volatile PM fraction of vehicular exhaust is
responsible for majority of the overall redox activity of the emitted PM. Understanding the partitioning of these
semi-volatile compounds between gas and aerosol phases is crucial for providing an insight in their physicochemical and toxicological properties. In this study, quasi-ultrafine particles (<180 nm) are analyzed with
differentiation to their non-volatile and semi-volatile components at a site close to the University of Southern
California (USC) in downtown Los Angeles. A thermo-denuder is used for shifting the gas-particle partitioning of
the semi-volatile component of these aerosols. The volatility of PM is investigated in the 50-200ºC temperature
range. The semi-volatile particles evaporate in the heating section of thermo-denuder before being adsorbed on the
activated carbon in adsorption/cooling section. The particles are collected on Teflon and Quartz filters before and
after the thermo-denuder. Our preliminary findings indicate that about 35%, 50% and 63% of PM mass is lost after
the thermo-denuder at 50ºC, 100ºC and 200ºC, respectively. Detailed chemical and toxicological characteristics of
PM samples collected before and after the thermo-denuder, including water soluble organic carbon, inorganic ions
and elements, and organic compounds would be evaluated and compared. The redox activity of the samples would
be quantified by consumption of dithiothreitol in a cell-free system (DTT assay). A qualitative analysis correlating
the redox activity profiles with the chemical components present in non-volatile and semi-volatile fractions of PM
will be conducted to evaluate the relative contribution of semi-volatile species to the overall PM toxicity.
Keywords: Particulate matter; Volatility; Semi-volatile; Thermo-denuder
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.90
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA): a potent carcinogen in clouds and fogs. James Hutchings (1), PIERRE
HERCKES (1), Barbara Ervens (2,3), (1) Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, (2) CIRES, University of Colorado,
Boulder, CO, (3) NOAA, ESRL/CSD, Boulder, CO
Air pollution events including photochemical smog and high particulate matter episodes have been associated with
adverse health effects. Many carcinogenic and mutagenic species have been detected in the atmospheric gas or
particle phase. In recent work, carcinogenic nitrosamines have been detected in cloud and fog water. In particular,
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potent carcinogenic species that is very water soluble. NDMA is currently
under scrutiny for its occurrence as a disinfection byproduct in drinking water. NDMA has been shown to occur in
the atmosphere; however these measurements were mostly in industrial and manufacturing areas. Overall, very few
measurements of NDMA in the atmosphere have been conducted as it is believed that NDMA photolyzes quickly
during the day time.
The occurrence of NDMA has been investigated in radiation fog and cloud samples. NDMA concentrations ranging
from 243ng/L (Fresno, CA) to 362ng/L (Selinsgrove, PA) to 208ng/L in clouds in northern Arizona have been
observed. The source of NDMA in atmospheric droplets has been investigated through field and laboratory studies.
Laboratory studies on aqueous phase cloud chemistry suggest that homogeneous aqueous phase formation, while
possible, is not able to explain the high concentrations found in atmospheric droplets. Substantial (greater than
1ppm) concentrations of the precursor species dimethylamine and nitrite would be required to achieve the observed
concentrations of NDMA. The observations made suggest that the source of aqueous NDMA would be gas phase
NDMA that forms either through gas phase or heterogeneous reactions followed by partitioning into the aqueous
phase.
To explore the possible formation and loss pathways for NDMA in the atmosphere, a chemical box model was used.
This model includes aqueous and gaseous formation pathways including the exchange between the phases. The
results suggest that gas phase formation of NDMA followed by partitioning is the predominant pathway to the
aqueous NDMA.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.91
Seasonal Variation of Airborne Particulate Matter Size and Composition in Central California. WALTER
HAM (1), Jose Zavala Mendez (1), Peter Green (1), Steven Cliff (2), Anthony Wexler (1), Kent Pinkerton (1),
Michael Kleeman (1), (1) University of California, Davis (2) California Air Resources Board
Epidemiological studies have identified seasonal variations in the toxicity of airborne particles with diameter less
than 2.5 micro-meters (PM2.5) at multiple locations across the United States including cities in central California.
The underlying cause for this variation in toxicity could be related to seasonal changes in airborne particle size,
composition, and number distribution. The current study presents size resolved composition and number distribution
measurements of PM1.8 at an urban site (Fresno, CA) and rural site (Westside, CA) in central California during the
winter and summer months conducted in tandem with health effects studies. Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit
Impactors were used to collect PM1.8 samples in six size fractions to determine size distributions for 23 trace
species (Li, Na, Mg, Al, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Sn, Sb, Ba), elemental carbon
(EC), organic carbon (OC), and 8 major water-soluble ions (Cl, NO3, SO4, Na, NH4, K, Mg, Ca). Average PM1.8
MOUDI mass concentrations for Fresno summer and Fresno winter were 15.4 micro-grams per cubic meter and 14.5
micro-grams per cubic meter while Westside summer and winter mass concentrations were 7.6 micro-grams per
cubic meter and 15.1 micro-grams per cubic meter, respectively. OC was the dominant PM1.8 species during the
summertime and NO3 was the dominant species in the wintertime. Total number concentrations were larger during
the summer sampling events. Fresh particles with electrical mobility diameters of 100 nm were emitted directly from
combustion sources at the Fresno site from 9am-12pm each day while number concentrations at Westside were
dominated by nucleation events. Most PM1.8 and PM0.1 metal concentrations were greater during the summer
events than the winter events for both sampling sites. PM1.8 Br, Cu, K, P, Sn, Sb, S, and Zn concentrations were
greater at the urban Fresno site than the rural Westside site with most of these species having size distribution peaks
in the 0.16 – 0.61 micro-meter range. The urban site exhibited enrichment (12% - 17%) of As and Se in PM0.1
relative to PM1.8 while the rural site exhibited enrichment (11% - 30%) of K, Fe, Rb, and Ca in the PM0.1 size
fraction.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.92
Source Apportionment of Fine (PM1.8) and Ultrafine (PM0.1) Particulate Matter in the San Joaquin Valley:
Urban vs. Rural and Winter vs. Summer Contrasts. WALTER HAM (1), Chris Ruehl (1), Michael Kleeman (1),
(1) University of California, Davis
Epidemiological studies have identified exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) with diameters smaller than 2.5
micro-meters (PM2.5) as a public health risk. The mechanisms of injury associated with airborne particles are still
poorly understood but several leading hypotheses focus on ultrafine particles (Dp<0.1 micro-meter; PM0.1) since
they may be able to cross cell membranes more easily than larger particles. Very little is currently known about the
relationship between PM0.1 source origin and toxicity. The majority of the PM0.1 mass is composed of
carbonaceous material and so molecular markers must be used to identify PM0.1 source origin and quantify source
contributions. The current study presents size resolved measurements of PM molecular markers at an urban site
(Fresno, CA) and rural site (Westside, CA) in central California during the winter and summer months conducted in
tandem with health effects studies. Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactors were used to collect ambient PM in
six size fractions (0.056, 0.1, 0.18, 0.32, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8 micro-meters) to determine size distributions of organic
carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and a number of trace molecular markers including PAHs, levoglucasan,
cholesterol, hopanes, steranes, and long alkanes via GC-MS analysis. Source profiles developed in previous studies
were utilized in a chemical mass balance (CMB) model and used to calculate size-resolved source contributions to
OC and EC during each sampling event. The differences between source contributions in the PM1.8 and PM0.1 size
fractions between the urban vs. rural locations and winter vs. summer seasons will be highlighted. PM1.8 and
PM0.1 deposition totals in the nasal, tracheo-bronchial, and pulmonary regions of the respiratory system will be
shown for each location and season to highlight potential differences in toxicity.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.93
Concentration Characteristics of VOCs and Acids/Bases in the Gas Phase and Water-Soluble Ions in the
Particle Phase at an Electrical Industry Park. Chiang Hung-Lung, Huang Yao-Sheng, Shieh Zhu-Xin,
Department of Health Risk Management, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan
The electronics industry is a major business in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP). Particulate samples and 11
water-soluble ionic species in the particulate phase were measured by Ionic Chromatography (IC). Additionally,
acid and base gases were sampled by denuder absorption and analyzed by IC. VOCs were collected in stainlesssteel canisters four times daily and analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Ozone formation potential
(OFP) was measured using maximum increment reactivity. In addition, airborne pollutants during (1) construction
and (2) mass production were measured. Particulate matter concentration did not increase significantly near the
optoelectronic plant during construction, but it was higher than during mass production. SO2, HONO and NH3
were the dominant gases in the denuder absorption system. Nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium ions predominated both
PM2.5 and PM10-2.5; but calcium ion concentration was significantly higher in PM10-2.5 samples during
construction. Toluene, propane, isopentane, and n-butane may have come from vehicle exhaust. Construction
equipment emitted high concentrations of ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene, p-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and toluene.
During mass production, methyl ethyl ketone), acetone and ethyl acetate were significantly higher than during
construction, although there was continuous rain. The aromatic group constituted > 50% of the VOC concentration
totals and contributed >70% of OFP.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.95
Mobile source emissions estimation and dispersion modeling toward high spatial resolution distributions of
nitrogen oxides and select urban air toxics. HAOFEI YU (1), Amy Stuart (1), (1) University of South Florida,
Tampa
To assess the health risk and impact of urban air pollution, understanding and characterization of pollutants
concentration variability at neighborhood scales are needed. Additionally, to understand and mitigate health impacts
that may result from alternative urban growth patterns, tools and methods capable of prognostic investigation are
needed.
Here we develop and apply methods for the estimation of mobile source emissions and dispersion modeling in order
to calculate and predict high-resolution distributions of urban air pollution in the Tampa area. Three air pollutants,
NOx, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, were chosen for this work, as they have been identified as important urban air
pollutants with substantial mobile-source emissions. A bottom-up mobile sources emissions estimation approach
was used for roadways with available 2002 traffic count data from the Florida Department of Transportation. These
roadways were discretized into approximately 3700 segments of 20 to 500m in length, with higher resolution for
higher curvature sections. Emissions for each segment were calculated by combining measured traffic count data
with MOBILE6.2 generated emissions factors. Emissions factors were resolved by monthly average meteorological
parameters, roadway type, and speed. For the remainder of the roadway network, emission were estimated using a
top-down approach, by allocating the remaining 2002 National Emission Inventory county mobile source emissions
value. A few different allocation approaches were explored, based on population density, roadway density, and land
use. Roadway source emissions data, combined with point sources data from the National Emissions Inventory,
were used for CALPUFF dispersion modeling. Both line source and area source representations of roadway
emissions within CALPUFF were investigated. Distributions of pollutant concentrations for 2002 were estimated
for a 1 km resolved receptor grid within Hillsborough County, using 4-km resolution meteorological data. Model
results were compared with values measured by the county monitoring network and previous literature to evaluate
and investigate the performance of the model.
Modeling results compared well with available monitoring data. Results showed a roadway dominated pattern of
concentrations for all pollutants. These results will be used in future work to investigate the social distribution of
urban air pollution in Tampa. Furthermore, the methods developed here will be used to investigation the potential
impacts of urban growth patterns on health and its social distribution.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.96
Investigation of chemical properties of dew water in an coastal urban area, South Korea using principal
component analysis. HEE-JONG YOO (1), Young-Kyo Park (2), Hyoung-Dae Lee (3), Hyun-Ju Kim (1), HyunSup Ha (1), Choon-Suck Choe (1), Yong-Hee Kim (1), Kyung-Duk Zoh (4), (1) Incheon Institute of Public Health
and Environment, Incheon, Korea, (2) Bupyong High School, Incheon, Korea, (3) Jakjeon High School, Incheon,
Korea, (4) Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
We investigated the chemical characteristics of dew water collected at two sampling sites from March to June, 2009
in Incheon, South Korea. Three anions (Cl-, NO3- and SO42-), five cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and pH
were analysed by IC(Metrohm), ICP/MS(Agilent 7500i) and pH meter(Orion 828) respectively. Principal
component analysis(PCA) (SPSS ver. 12.0) was applied to identify the sources of dew water components and
analyze the relationship of chemical components. The mean dew pH (6.3) was higher compared with rain pH (5.2).
Major ions were in the following order with SO42- > NO3- > Cl- > Ca2+. The concentrations of SO42- and NO3- for the
predominant acid anions by the site were much higher in urban than in rural site, implying anthorpogenic air
pollution has been a much more serious problem in urban area. The equivalent ratio of (Ca2+ + NH4+)/(SO42- + NO3-)
in dew water in Incheon (0.88) was much lower than in rain water of Lhassa (15.5) and Shanghai (1.3), suggesting
the degree of anthropogenic activity. PCA results showed that three principal components were extracted, and the
contribution of PC1, PC2 and PC3 were 46.8%, 24.9% and 23.0%, respectively. Finally, chemical components in
dew water can be categorized as having three origins: i) sea salt generated from local surrounding ocean (Na+, Cl-,
K+ and Mg2+), ii) soil generated from local land (NH4+ and Ca2+), iii) anthropogenic source (SO42- and NO3-).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.97
Nucleation as a Source of Fine Particles: Particle Formation Event Characteristics Predicted with the
Regional 3D-model PMCAMx-UF in the Eastern United States. ILONA RIIPINEN (1,2), Christos Fountoukis
(3), Benjamin N. Murphy (1), Peter Adams (1), Spyros N. Pandis (1,4), (1) Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, USA (2) University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (3) Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, Patras, Greece (4) University of Patras, Patras, Greece
Particle formation via nucleation of atmospheric vapors followed by the condensational growth of the freshlyformed clusters has been observed in a variety of high- and low-altitude environments around the world. Particles
formed in these nucleation events are likely to contribute significantly to atmospheric particle numbers. To correctly
predict the magnitude of the particle source provided by nucleation and the subsequent growth, air quality models
need to capture 1) the particle formation rates; 2) the survival probabilities and lifetimes of the freshly-formed
particles with a reasonable accuracy.
In this work we compared the characteristics of particle formation events predicted by the regional 3-D model
PMCAMx-UF to atmospheric particle size distribution measurements collected with a Scanning Mobility Particle
Sizer (SMPS) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The evolution of the measured and modeled size distributions were
compared over a 17-day period during July 2001. Particular attention was paid to variables determining the
contribution of nucleation to average particle numbers. Nucleation rate predictions obtained using different
theoretical parameterizations were compared to atmospheric particle formation rates. To assess the model’s
capability to capture the lifetimes of the freshly-nucleated particles, we also compared the model predictions for
coagulation sinks and particle growth rates with atmospheric observations – as the competition between coagulation
scavenging and condensational growth is the main factor determining how long the newly-formed particles survive
in the atmosphere.
It was found that PMCAMx-UF succeeded well in predicting particle formation rates and the coagulation sink
provided by the background aerosol distribution. In the sulfur-rich atmosphere of Pittsburgh, the growth rates
predicted from the condensation of sulphuric acid and ammonia also agreed with the observations. It is known,
however, that sulfuric acid condensation is usually not enough to explain observed particle growth rates. In most
locations where data on ambient sulfuric acid concentrations have been collected and compared to the
condensational growth of particles, the results suggest that organic compounds are responsible for a large fraction of
nanoparticle growth. To assess the effect of the organic condensation on the lifetimes of the nucleation mode
particles in Eastern United States, we tested the sensitivity of the predicted particle numbers to a growth rate
enhancement determined from recent ambient observations on nanoparticle growth.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.98
Size-Resolved Organic Speciation of Wintertime Aerosols in California’s Central Valley. Thomas M Cahill
(1); Nicholas J. Spada (2); Thomas A Cahill (2), (1) Arizona State University at the West Campus (2) University of
California, Davis
Size-resolved organic aerosol samples were simultaneously collected along a transect in California’s Central Valley
January of 2009. The sampling sites were located at California Air Resources Board sites in Redding, Chico,
Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield. The aerosol samples were collected by 8-stage DRUM impactor samplers
equipped with a PTFE after filter to collect the ultra-fine aerosols. The samples were extracted and analyzed for a
range of PAHs, alkanes, organic acids, sugars, levoglucosan and cholesterol.
The results showed that the organic constituents of the aerosols did not follow the same pattern as PM10. The
organic aerosols were the highest in Chico followed by Fresno while the PM10 mass was the highest in Bakersfield
followed by Fresno. Levoglucosan, a tracer of wood smoke, was the most abundant organic chemical detected thus
demonstrating the predominance of wood smoke in the valley’s organic aerosol. The size profile of levoglucosan
showed a maximum concentration around the 0.5 micro-meter size fraction. However, levoglucosan was present in
the very fine and ultra fine fractions in both Redding and Chico, which implies these sites were impacted by recent
emissions. The size profile of levoglucosan was used as the “wood smoke” size profile. Other chemicals that had
similar size profiles were likely to also arise from wood smoke. Benzo[a]pyrene, which is a known carcinogen, was
one such chemical that appeared to be present largely as the result of wood smoke. Other chemicals, such as
coronene and sugars, had very different size profiles indicating that they have sources other than wood smoke.
Coronene, which is a heavy PAH, was almost exclusively found in the very fine and ultra fine size fractions.
Coronene is generally regarded to be the result of vehicle sources, so its presence in the ultra-fine fraction was
expected. In contrast, most of the sugars (glucose, fructose, etc.) were present in the coarse aerosol fractions (>2.5
micro-meter). These chemicals are most likely primary biological materials that contain these sugars.
The size profile of the aerosols indicate that wood smoke aerosols may grow in size as they age while vehicle
aerosols do not. Published emission profiles show that both wood smoke and vehicle aerosols have a maximum
abundance near 0.1 micro-meter. However, field studies (including the current one) show the maximum
levoglucosan concentrations closer to 0.5 micro-meter. It appears that the highly polar components of wood smoke
are able to gain water and grow in size. This is even more likely in the humid and stagnant conditions in the Central
Valley in winter.
An investigation of ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates in the Central Valley reveals a general upward trend
where the southern most areas have approximately 35% more mortality than the northern parts of the Central Valley.
Although the health data is relatively noisy, it is clear that the IHD trends do not agree well with the wintertime
organic aerosol concentrations which were the highest at Chico. Qualitatively, the IHD pattern matches more
closely with PM10, which gradually increases from north to south in the Central Valley.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.100
Correlations of Mass and Elemental Composition in 5 Aerosol Size Modes – Coarse to Ultrafine. William E.
Wilson (1), Thomas A. Cahill (2), (1) US EPA, (2) University of California, Davis
Statistical studies implicate various aerosol size modes in different health impacts, but few data examine how these
modes correlate in urban environments. With our newly developed ability to measure the mass and elemental
composition of ultra fine aerosols as a function of time (3 hr resolution), and in tandem with the other 8 size modes
from the DRUM sampler, we are now able to examine the correlations between 5 aerosol size modes important to
health impact considerations. We present here data from studies in Sacramento, New York City, and Cleveland,
Ohio, on the coarse (10 micrometer to 2.5 micrometer), PM2.5, PM1.0, very fine (< 0.25 micrometer), and ultra fine
(< 0.1 micrometer) modes. These studies are extensive enough in their ensemble (typically 35 days each, with 3 hr
resolution) to allow statistical analyses. Results often show a poor correlation between ultra fine particulate mass
and other mass measurements, despite the forcing effect of common meteorology, while individual species vary by
type and source. Some accumulation mode (1micrometer to 0.1 micrometer) species are correlated with ultrafine
species, including soot. For example, at times wood smoke can penetrate all the way from the accumulation mode to
ultra fine, with excellent correlations to larger size modes all the way up to 1 micrometer. At other times, the
correlation is essentially absent. Transition metals of largely unknown sources are seen frequently in the ultra fine
mode with no corresponding concentrations in larger particle sizes, resulting in a large number of particles per unit
mass with toxic potential. Likewise, some organics such as heavy PAHs can occur in the ultra fine mode. The value
of highly time resolved data in these analyses are critical, especially the strong day – night differences. (This
abstract does not necessarily reflect the policies of the U.S. EPA.)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.101
A Mobile Laboratory for On-Road and Near-Roadway Measurements of Fine Particulate Matter and
Pollutant Gases. JAMES SCHWAB(1), Min-Suk Bae (1), Kenneth Demerjian (1), Wei-Nai Chen (1,2), Yu-Chi
Lin (1,2), Yele Sun (3), Qi Zhang (3), (1) University at Albany, State University of New York, (2) Academia Sinica,
Taiwan, (3) University of California, Davis
We have developed a state-of-the-art mobile laboratory capable of fast and highly specialized measurements of fine
PM and pollutant gases for on-road and near-roadway deployments. The mobile measurement platform consists of a
diesel powered 2007 Dodge Sprinter 2500 Van (with catalytic diesel filter trap emission control) which is equipped
with a suite of fast time response advanced measurement instrumentation including: 1) a quantum cascade laser
(QCL) system equipped to simultaneous measure two of five available trace gas components (NO2, HONO, NH3,
H2CO, CO and 1,3-butadiene) at up to 1 Hz; 2) a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HRToF-AMS); 3) a Fast Mobility Particle Sizer (FMPS) capable of providing aerosol size distributions at 1 Hz; 4) a LICOR fast response (up to 1 Hz) CO2 monitor; and 5) a photo-acoustic soot spectrometer (PASS) that measures black
carbon as the aerosol absorption coefficient (using 781 nm radiation) at 1 Hz. In addition to the advanced fast
response instrumentation, the mobile platform has a variety of permanent onboard measurement systems to measure
total particle number concentration, traditional criteria pollutants including NO, NO2, O3, BTEX (benzene, toluene,
ethyl benzene and xylenes), NMHC, PM mass (extinction based), and temperature; as well as GPS, radar and video
tracking devices. The full capabilities of the mobile laboratory, as well as the various options for powering the
laboratory and its data systems will be described in the presentation.
The maiden mission of the mobile measurement platform - which included initial testing and integration, numerous
intercomarisons between instruments, and four separate near-roadway deployments - occurred during a 3 week (July
13-August 2, 2009) field intensive study in Queens, New York City. The study was part of an NYSERDA funded
program to measure particle size and chemical composition and a variety of trace gas species at and in the vicinity of
the Queens College measurement site. As an example of the capabilities of the mobile lab, selected measurement
results from this study will be presented. The near-roadway measurements should be of special interest to
conference attendees interested in pollutant characterizations and population exposure.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.102
High-Resolution Pollutant Transport in the San Pedro Bay. ALEXANDER COHAN (1),Jun Wu (1), Donald
Dabdub (1), (1) University of California, Irvine
The combined sea port of Los Angeles and Long Beach make one of the top five busiest ports by shipping volume in
the world. Communities near the ports face potential cancer risk levels exceeding 500 in a million from severe air
pollution from a wide variety of sources, including port-related activities such as ships and cargo vessels, and
heavily traveled freeways and surface streets with a high fraction of heavy-duty diesel trucks. This study
numerically examines the transport and diffusion of PM2.5 and NOX in port communities using the high resolution
plume model AERMOD, incorporating surface and aloft observed meteorology and digital elevation maps. Source
impacts of roadway related emissions, direct port activity of cargo handling equipment and commercial shipping
vessels are modeled for representative cold and hot months in 2005. Results show high spatial variability as well as
increased concentrations during cold months. While port activity significantly impacts in-port air pollution, the
affects of port activity is limited to within 2-6 km. Port adjacent communities are most sensitive to roadway related
emissions. Results show a peak correlation coefficient of 50% compared with observations without accounting for
background concentrations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.103
Use of Near-Edge- X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy to Speciate Manganese in Airborne Particulate Matter
from Six Cities in Continental USA. SAUGATA DATTA (1), Ana M Rule (2), Steven N Chillrud (3), Jana N
Mihalic (2), Juan P Ramos-Bonilla (2), Inkyu Han (2), Lisa M Polyak (2), Patrick N Breysse (2), Alison S Geyh (2),
(1) Kansas State University, Kansas, (2) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland, (3) LamontDoherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York
The Johns Hopkins Particulate Matter Research Center (JHPMRC) is a 5 year study exploring the relationship
between health effects and exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) of differing composition. An important
research goal of the JHPMRC is the characterization of ambient particle composition using samples of ambient PM
collected from different counties across the country identified by Center epidemiologists as representing greater or
lesser risk to health from exposure to ambient PM. It is hypothesized that these differences in health outcome to PM
relationships are driven by variations in particle composition, but to date the evidence for this is incomplete. Over
the last 2 years, we have collected and characterized ambient PM from 7 counties: Sacramento (CA), Maricopa
(AZ), Baltimore (MD), Pinellas (FL), Jefferson (KY), Hennepin (MN), and Harris (TX). Samples of these particles
will ultimately be used in toxicological studies to assess potential differential impacts on selected outcomes such as
markers of inflammation or cardiac deregulation. It is thus important to characterize these particles, particularly for
the most toxic elements.
Manganese is one such element, designated as one of the Hazardous Air Pollutants in the 1990 Clean Air Act.
Laboratory and animal studies have shown that the form of Mn contributes to unique effects on enzyme activity in
vivo, such that Mn(2+)acetate dihydrate and Mn(3+)pyrophosphate are more cytotoxic than Mn(2+)chloride.
Disorders in Mn metabolism, either systemically or locally in the brain, have been linked to a number of
neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons or Alzheimers.
Ambient PM samples were collected using a high volume sequential cyclone system, designed by center researchers,
that segregates ambient PM into “coarse” (PM > 3.5 µm and < 10 µm) and “fine” bulk PM (PM > ~0.3 µm and
<3.5µm). Samples were collected in dry bulk form, stored under argon until analysis, and analyzed without any
pretreatment or dissolution to avoid altering oxidation states.
Near Edge Fine structure absorption spectroscopy (XANES) was utilized to evaluate and identify major oxidation
states and coordination chemistry of Mn contained in the “fine” PM samples using Linear combination Fitting
(LCF) with ATHENA software. Spectra of eight inorganic standard compounds covering all possible oxidation
states and the most important coordination chemistry of Mn were also obtained. For each PM sample, the
combination with the lowest reduced chi-square was chosen as the most likely fit.
Good fits were obtained for analyzed “fine” PM samples, suggesting the following Mn species:
Maricopa/Phoenix: Mn(2+)Acetate (50% +/-1%), Mn(2+)Oxide (28% +/-2%), & Mn(4+)Oxide (22%+/-1%).
Hennepin/Minneapolis: Mn(2+)Acetate (62%+/-3%) and Mn(2+)Oxide (38%+/-3%). Baltimore: Mn(2+)Acetate
(52%+/-2%), Mn(2+)Oxide (46%+/-4%), Mn(3+)Oxide (<2%). Sacramento: Mn(2+)Acetate (62%+/-6%),
Mn(2+)Chloride (27%+/-5%), Mn(3+)Oxide (11%+/-3%). Harris/Houston: Mn(2+)Oxide (58% +/- 5%),
Mn(2+)Acetate (37 % +/-3%), Mn(3+)Oxide (4% +/- 4%). Pinellas/Tampa: Mn(2+)Acetate (45%+/-4%),
Mn(2+)Oxide (33%+/-16%), Mn(4+)Oxide (13% +/- 9%), Mn(3+)Oxide (8% +/- 12%). Interpretation of “coarse”
analyses is ongoing.
These differences in oxidation state composition of the tested samples indicate regional and seasonal variations in
sources and atmospheric chemistry that may eventually help explain differences in health effects found by the
epidemiological and toxicological studies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.104
Continuous coarse particulate matter concentration measurement and source identification using nonparametric regression. RICARDO PIEDRAHITA (1) Nicholas Clements (1) Michael Hannigan (1) Jana Milford
(1) Shelly Miller (1) John Ortega (1) Jennifer Peel (2), (1) University of Colorado, Boulder (2) Colorado State
University
The Coarse Rural Urban Sources and Health (CRUSH) study is a long term study that aims to determine spatial
variability of coarse particulate mass (PM10-2.5), and its relationship to various adverse health outcomes including
cardio-respiratory illnesses, pre-term births, and mortality. In addition to collecting mass concentration (MC) data,
filter samples will be collected for one year to determine spatial variation in PM10-2.5 composition, and
hospitalization data is being collected to perform the epidemiological aspect of the work. Hourly mass
concentration (MC) measurements of PM10-2.5 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are taken using tapered element
oscillating microbalances (TEOM 1405DF, Thermo-Fisher Scientific) with Filter Dynamics Measurement Systems
(FDMS). In Denver, CO, two monitoring sites are being maintained by our group and two sites are being maintained
by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In addition, our group is maintaining two sites in
Greeley, CO, representing a more rural environment. The samplers were deployed in February 2009, and sampling
will continue for three years. The first year of mass concentration data will be presented, along with descriptive
statistics and temporal patterns, including weekend, monthly, seasonal, and time of day trends. Preliminary data
show overall average (SD) PM10-2.5 MC for the two Denver sites our group is operating were 16 (11) and 10 (6)
micrograms/m3 and for the two Greeley sites were 10 (8) and 11 (8) micrograms/m3. The maximum daily 24-hour
average PM10-2.5 MC for Denver was 79 micrograms/m3 and for Greeley was 67 micrograms/m3. Comparing the
24-hour average PM10-2.5 MC between the two sites in each city resulted in pairwise correlation coefficients of
0.43 for the Denver sites and 0.74 for the Greeley sites. The overall average PM2.5 MC for the Denver sites were 8
(4) and 9 (5) micrograms/m3 and for the Greeley sites were 8 (7) and 9 (6) micrograms/m3. The maximum daily 24hour average PM2.5 MC for Denver was 34 micrograms/m3 and for Greeley was 44 micrograms/m3. Comparing
the 24 hour average PM2.5 MC between the two sites in each city resulted in pairwise correlation coefficients of
0.43 for the Denver sites and 0.37 for the Greeley sites. All sites show weekend and nighttime decreases in PM102.5 and PM2.5 MC.
Non-parametric regression results will be presented, in which wind speed and wind direction are used to identify
source areas for PM10-2.5 and PM2.5 impacting the receptor site. Insights into the re-suspension of particles will be
presented, showing the relationships between wind speed, wind direction, and surrounding topography and sources
for each site and particulate size regime.
Future work will include analysis of the full 3-year data set, which will provide insights into spatial and temporal
variability of PM10-2.5, in addition to determining the health effects associations for the two PM size classes in
each community.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.106
Temporal and Spatial Characterization of the Ambient Air Quality at the Center of Excellence (COE) in
Environment and Energy Systems building in Syracuse, NY. PUNITH DEV NALLATHAMBY (1), Edmund
Mc-Addy (1), Philip K. Hopke (1), Thomas Holsen (1) Xing Wang (2), K. Max Zhang (2) Myron Mitchell (3), (1)
Clarkson University (2) Cornell University (3) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
To characterize the ambient air in the vicinity of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environment and Energy
Systems building in Syracuse, NY. This COE building is located 25 meters on the southeast end of the intersection
of I-81 and I-690 and about 4 km from the UOP site on the south-south west end of the site. The highway
intersections are hypothesized to be a major source of pollutants affecting the site. Mobile monitoring was
conducted in the vicinity of the highway intersection using Clarkson’s Mobile Air Pollution Laboratory (MAPL)
instrumented with high time resolution samplers. The air quality at twelve selected sites around the COE site was
measured every calendar quarter. The results from our field work from March 2008 to June, 2009 will be reported.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.107
Seasonal Variation of Indoor Air Quality Parameters at Primary Schools in Lisbon by Passive Methods.
NUNO CANHA (1), Maria do Carmo Freitas (1), Susana Marta Almeida (1), Ho M. Dung (1), Maria Ascensão
Trancoso (2), Ana Rita Sousa (2), Filomena Mouro(2), (1) Nuclear and Technological Institute, Sacavém, Portugal
(2) Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P., Lisbon, Portugal
Nowadays, most individuals spend about 80% of their time indoors and, consequently, the exposition to the indoor
environment is much higher than the outdoors. In fact, children spend most of their time at home or at school and the
concentrations at these localities are important for the time-weighted exposure of them.
Due to their undeveloped airways, children constitute a sensitive group with a higher risk among them than adults.
The greater impact in health as well in the educational performance of children reveals the importance of indoor air
quality studies of schools.
The aim of this study was to assess the children exposure to bioaeresols and to total particulate matter (through its
natural radioactivity, elemental and soluble ions composition) by using passive methods. A methodology based up
on a passive sampling was applied for all the parameters to study and optimize this type of sampling procedure and
its applicability. An indoor air study by passive sampling represents an easier and cheaper method when comparing
with the use of automatic samplers.
Although this type of method hasn’t been used, it can be very useful when we want to evaluate a numerous set of
schools and to compare between them, since it is possible to achieve important quality information in an easy and
cheap way and with no interference in the classroom activities.
The study was conducted in 14 schools, which were representative of the Lisbon urban area, in 3 different periods of
the year to obtain a seasonal variation pattern of the parameters studied and to understand how they are distributed
through the city and which factors can influence them.
For 2 classrooms of each school, the total particulate matter was collected by passive deposition on a set of filters
that were exposed for, at least, one month. After TPM quantification by gravimetry, the set of filters was divided for
natural radioactivy determination (using a HPGe detector), for element mass by Instrumental Neutron Activation
Analysis (INAA) and for the content of soluble ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, NH4+, PO43-, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-,
NO2-) by analytical methods such as HPLC, atomic absorption and UV spectroscopy.
Bioaerosols such as fungus, bacteria and pollens were also collected passively indoor of the classrooms and at the
outdoor to determinate the ratio indoor/outdoor and to assess the level of outdoor contamination of the indoor
environment.
Passive sampling methods showed to be possible to obtain qualitative information about the indoor air parameters to
evaluate and compare the pollutants level inside the classrooms as well to obtain information about their sources.
The ratio between elemental/ionic species gave important information about spefic sources such as blackboard
chalk. Seasonal concentrations comparison allowed to assess the inneficient ventilation on the winter months when
all the windows are closed (higher concentrations). Concentrations are usually associated to the lack of the
classrooms maintenance as well their cleaning. Higher concentrations at schools nearby motorways were found,
which reveals the outdoor sources impact on the indoor, especially at summertime when natural ventilation is used.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.108
Wide Range Nanoparticle Sampler with Mass Concentration Reader. STEVEN ROWLEY (1), Dan Rodier (1),
Boris Gorbunov (2), Robert Muir (2), (1) Particle Measuring System (2) Naneum Ltd.
One of the major challenges in health assessment of exposure to man-made aerosols is determining the
concentration of the contaminating particulate matter against a background of naturally occurring aerosols and other
anthropogenic aerosols produced from processes such as combustion- typical of which are diesel soot and other
incineration products.
The problem is particularly acute in the case of engineered nanoparticles (ENP), which are deliberately designed and
manufactured to provide specific, non-conventional functionality. There is concern that the very properties designed
into the novel particles might pose greater risks to human health and the general environment. Quantifying levels of
such materials released into the workplace or the environment over a wide dynamic range is essential for the safe
and sustainable commercialization of these materials.
A new wide range nanoparticle sampler with a near real-time mass concentration reader is a novel sampling and
analysis device which has been proven to be a powerful tool in detecting very low levels of ENP against background
aerosol concentrations. The wide range nanoparticle sampler collects the whole aerosol range and provides size
resolved samples in 10-12 size bins from 1-2 nanometers up to 30 micrometers. The mass concentration reader then
provides a quick and simple method to determine the mass concentration of the sample collected in various size
bins, allowing sample mass distribution to be understood rapidly.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.109
Platinum Group Elements in Size-segregated Samples of Ambient Airborne Particulate Matter from U.S.
Cities. JAMES ROSS (1), Ana M Rule (2), Alison S Geyh (2), Jana N Mihalic (2), Juan P Ramos-Bonilla (2),
Inkyu Han (2), Lisa M Polyak (2), Patrick N Breysse (2), Steven N Chillrud (1), (1) Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY (2) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,
Baltimore, MD
Catalytic converters on cars and modern diesel engines have been shown to be the primary anthropogenic source of
platinum group elements (PGEs) to the environment - in particular, platinum, rhodium, and palladium. Natural
crustal levels of these elements are at extremely low concentrations making PGEs a potential tracer of particle phase
mobile source emissions. There has been little work done on size distribution of these elements. Both physical
abrasion and thermal decompositon of the catalyst matrix are the primary processes leading to PGE tailpipe
emissions. In addition, nano-platinum fuel additives have recently been developed to help reduce emissions as well
as increase fuel efficiency, targeted especially at older diesel vehicles.
The Johns Hopkins Particulate Matter Research Center (JHPMRC) is a 5 year study exploring the relationship
between health effects and exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) of differing composition. Over the last 2
years, we have collected ambient PM from seven urban areas in the US, with two more cities to be covered over the
next months. The aims of our PGE measurements are twofold: first to use PGEs as a tracer of the contribution of
mobile sources on bulk samples being collected for toxicity testing, and second, we want to provide baseline data on
the size distribution of PGEs for urban areas across the USA since the newly developed fuel additive has the
potential of greatly changing the size distribution of platinum in urban airsheds and near major roadways.
PGE measurements have been made on two types of samples. First, bulk PM samples have been collected using a
high volume sequential cyclone system that segregates ambient PM into “coarse” (PM > 3.5 microns and < 10
microns) and “fine” PM (PM > ~0.3 microns and <3.5 microns). Measurements were made on composites of 5-6
weekly samples of ambient bulk “fine” and “coarse” PM samples. Second, PGE measurements were made on a time
series of weeklong collections of ambient PM2.5 and PM10, collected onto Teflo filters using sharp cut impactors.
All samples were prepared by aqua regia microwave digest and cation column separation. Resulting solutions were
run by ICP-MS. Rh and Pd were done by standard additions; Pt by isotope dilution. Blank levels do not hinder
measurement of PGEs at sample sizes for this project (down to 600 micrograms of PM).
Distribution among size fractions varied by location. Based on bulk composites, PGE concentrations (ng/g) in coarse
material were 3-5 times fine concentrations for three of the four cities measured so far. However, at the fourth site,
Phoenix, where PM10 levels were elevated due to arid, dusty conditions, PGE concentrations (ng/g) in the two
fractions are very similar, both in the bulk composites and weekly filter samples (PM2.5 and PM10), even though
Phoenix was observed to have the highest air concentrations (pg Pt/cubic meter) of any of the cities measured to
date. Median air concentrations (n = 6) in Phoenix were 1.3 pg/m^3 (Pt), 0.4 pg/m^3 (Rh), and 2.4 pg/m^3 (Pd).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.110
The spatial and temporal relationship between ambient black carbon and PAH in four U.S. counties. Inkyu
Han (1), Juan P Ramos-Bonilla (1), Ana M Rule (1), Jana N Mihalic (1), Lisa M Polyak (1), Patrick N Breysse (1),
Alison S Geyh (1), (1) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
The Johns Hopkins Particulate Matter Research Center(JHPMRC) is a 5 year study exploring the relationship
between health effects and exposure to ambient particulate matter(PM) of differing composition. An important
research goal of the JHPMRC is the characterization of ambient particle composition using samples of ambient PM
collected from different counties across the country identified by Center epidemiologists as representing greater or
lesser risk to health from exposure to ambient PM. It is hypothesized that these differences in health outcome to PM
relationships are driven by variations in particle composition, but to date the evidence for this is incomplete. Over
the last 2 years, we have collected and characterized ambient PM from multiple of counties/cities across the US:
Sacramento/Folsom(CA) Jan - Mar 08, Maricopa/Phoenix(AZ) Jun – Jul 08, Hennepin/Blaine(MN) Sep - Oct 08,
Harris/Deer Park(TX) Jan – Feb 09, Pinellas/Clearwater(FL) Apr - May 09, and Jefferson/Louisville(KY) Jul – Aug
09. Of the constituents that make up ambient PM, carbonaceous compounds represent a large fraction. Recent
epidemiological findings suggest that exposure to the carbon fraction as represented by elemental carbon and
organic carbon matter is related to both cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes. Thus, one component of the
monitoring effort across these counties has involved the semi-continuous measurements of black carbon (BC) and
particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(p-PAH) concentrations using a Magee Scientific Aethelometer
and an Echochem PAS2000, respectively. Ambient concentrations of BC and p-PAH were concurrently measured
at 5-minute log intervals over monitoring periods that ranged from 5 to 8 weeks. The total number of paired
measurement ranged from 7932 and 15479 depending on the location.
Preliminary analysis of data collected from the first 4 locations suggests major differences in the relationship
between BC and p-PAHs. For BC, the highest concentration was observed in Maricopa(BCmean=811.5 ng/m3 ;
Range : < 25 ng/m3 to 9330 ng/m3) followed by Sacramento(BCmean= 503.0 ng/m3; Range: < 25 ng/m3 to 4729
ng/m3); Harris(BCmean=351.3 ng/m3; Range: < 25 ng/m3 to 2451 ng/m3); and Hennepin (BCmean=324.7 ng/m3;
Range: < 25 ng/m3 to 4447 ng/m3). For p-PAH, the highest concentration was observed in Harris(PAHmean=3.69
ng/m3; Range: < 0.16 ng/m3 to 46.8 ng/m3) followed by Maricopa(PAHmean= 3.31 ng/m3; Range: < 0.16 ng/m3 to
158 ng/m3); Sacramento(PAHmean=1.72 ng/m3; Range: < 0.16 ng/m3 to 43.9 ng/m3); and
Hennepin(PAHmean=1.55 ng/m3; Range: < 0.16 ng/m3 to 35.3 ng/m3). The association between BC and PAH was
different among four locations as well. The highest spearman correlation coefficient was observed in Harris
county(0.782) followed by Maricopa(0.703); Sacramento(0.587); and Hennepin(0.581). The ratio between
PAH(numerator) and BC(denominator) was different among four cities. The average ratio in Harris was the
highest(0.0084) followed by Hennepin(0.0012); Sacramento(0.0007); and Maricopa(0.0006). These differences
suggest regional and seasonal variations in sources and atmospheric chemistry that may eventually help explain
differences in health effects found by the epidemiological and toxicological studies.
Johns Hopkins PM Research Center is supported by US EPA (RD-83241701). Data management of p-PAH and BC
was conducted by Ms. Diane Levy, Columbia University supported by NIEHS (ES009089)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.111
Using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to evaluate seasonal and regional differences in ultrafine
PM in Four Counties Across the Continental USA. ANA M. RULE (1), Alison S Geyh (1), Jana N Mihalic (1),
Juan P Ramos-Bonilla (1), Inkyu Han (1), Lisa M Polyak (1), Patrick N Breysse (1)., (1) Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins Particulate Matter Research Center (JHPMRC) is a 5 year study exploring the relationship
between exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and health effects in different regions of the US.
An important research goal of the JHPMRC is the characterization of ambient PM from different counties across the
country. These counties were identified as representing greater or lesser risk to health from exposure to ambient PM
by study epidemiologists. Over the last 2 years, we have sampled and characterized ambient PM from 4 counties in
different seasons: Sacramento County (CA) Jan - Mar 08, Maricopa County (AZ) Jun – Jul 08, Hennepin County
(MN) Sep - Oct 08, and Harris County, (TX) Jan – Feb 09. Part of this characterization included measurement of
ultrafine PM size distributions and number concentrations using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS).
Data were collected in each county for a period of 5 to 8 weeks, using the same instrument, set-up to sample
particles between 17 and 980 nm every 5 minutes. Sampling sites were chosen to represent urban air, away from
obvious sources. The SMPS was located inside a temperature-controlled trailer, using a stainless steel inlet to
sample ambient air. The same inlet was used in all locations to minimize variability due to PM losses. Data
processing included removal of flagged data points and weekend days.
Twenty four-hour comparisons of total number concentrations show clear differences between the locations, with
Maricopa having an early afternoon peak (11 am to 3 pm), as compared to Hennepin and Harris counties, which
present a bimodal distribution with peaks early morning (5 to 9 am) and late in the evening (6 to 11 pm).
Sacramento County shows a single evening mode (6 to 10 pm). Important differences are also observed in the
overall maximum number concentration, with Sacramento (5,314 particles/cc) one order of magnitude lower than
Harris (38,216 p/cc), Maricopa (67,942 p/cc) and Hennepin (93,159 p/cc) counties.
Preliminary comparison of size-distribution data indicate Maricopa county has the lowest number median diameter
(53.4 nm) followed by Hennepin (56.3 nm), Harris (61.7 nm) and Sacramento (64.6 nm).
These differences in total number concentrations and size distributions indicate measurable differences in ambient
particle number concentration that can be due to location or season, and may help explain differences in health
effects found by epidemiological studies.
Johns Hopkins PM Research Center is supported by US EPA (RD-83241701). Data management of p-PAH and BC
was conducted by Ms. Diane Levy, Columbia University supported by NIEHS (ES009089)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.113
Source Identification of Ambient PM2.5 During Seasonal Air Pollution Episodes Using Semi-Continuous
Measurements. MASAKO MORISHITA (1), Gerald J. Keeler (1), James G. Wagner (2), Ali S. Kamal (1), James
A. Barres (1), J. Timothy Dvonch (1), Frank J. Marsik (1), Jack R. Harkema (2), and Annette C. Rohr (3), (1)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, (2) Michigan State University, Lansing, (3) Electric Power Research Institute,
Palo Alto
Recent studies have indicated that the chemical composition of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) may be
closely associated with the health effects induced by PM. Thus, identification of the sources of these components of
PM2.5 is critical to understanding source-specific health risks posed by PM2.5. As part of the Bi-City Concentrated
Ambient Particle Study (BiCAPS), we have investigated associations between a number of real-time
cardiopulmonary (CV) endpoints including blood pressure and heart rate variability with the chemical and elemental
composition of ambient PM2.5. Current approaches using radiotelemetry to measure CV parameters in conscious
laboratory animals are capable of collecting continuous recordings. However the value of these highly time-resolved
CV measurements is lost when making associations with PM metrics typically collected every 8-24 hr. To provide a
more robust and analogous dataset that can be better matched with CV responses, we have incorporated a highly
time-resolved sampling method to characterize trace elements and thereby obtain highly refined input to determine
potential emission sources. For our BiCAPS field studies, we applied positive matrix factorization (PMF) to trace
element concentrations from 30-minute ambient PM2.5 samples in urban Detroit, Michigan and Steubenville, Ohio.
The average ambient PM2.5 mass concentrations during the summer exposure study periods at the Detroit and
Steubenville sites were 20.2+/-13.3 ug/m3 (max: 68) and 25.3+/-14.6 ug/m3 (max: 80), respectively. In contrast,
those values during the winter exposure periods were 9.8+/-5.0 ug/m3 (max: 34) in Detroit and 14.0+/-11.8 ug/m3
(max: 81) in Steubenville. From the PMF analysis, major factors in Detroit were identified as coal
combustion/secondary, motor vehicle/diesel, iron and steel manufacturing, refining, metal processing, and sludge
incineration/cement manufacturing. At the Steubenville site, the resolved major factors were identified as coal
combustion/secondary, iron and steel manufacturing, metal coating/processing, and cement manufacturing.
Furthermore, these results along with gaseous pollutants and meteorological data were used to analyze several air
pollution episodes observed at the sites. The objective of this paper is to present seasonal variations in chemical
composition of ambient PM2.5 and its potential emission sources at these two sites, which were designated as nonattainment areas for the annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standards by the Environmental Protection Agency.
These highly refined approaches to determining emission sources have significant advantages over similar analyses
using samples collected for 8h or longer, and are ideal for determining associations of PM with acute CV responses
such as collected in animal inhalation toxicology field studies.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.114
Temporal Variation of Water-Soluble Species in Denver PM2.5. Martin Shafer (1), Jamie Schauer (1), Steve
Dutton (2), Ricardo Piedrahita (3), Jana Milford (3), Sverre Vedal (4), MIKE HANNIGAN (3), (1) University of
Wisconsin, Madison, (2) EPA, NCEA, RTP, (3) University of Colorado, Boulder, (4) University of Washington,
Seattle
The Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study was designed to derive associations between human health
and sources of PM2.5 in Denver, CO. Daily filter samples were collected at one centrally-located site. This site was
located on the rooftop of an elementary school which was not near any major sources. The collected samples were
speciated for ions, elemental carbon, total organic carbon, and organic molecular markers with a subset also
analyzed for water soluble organic carbon, water soluble nitrogen, and water soluble metal species. The time-series
of chemical component concentrations has been used in a source apportionment effort. Both the chemical species
and source contribution time-series are being compared to health data collected from nearby hospitals regarding
mortality and hospitalization rates in an effort to identify associations between sources (or chemical components)
and health effect.
The water-soluble components of PM2.5 may play a unique role in transport and/or biological processes and as such
these components were one focus of the DASH study. To aid in our understanding of the water-soluble components
in Denver, we have explored the water-soluble carbon, nitrogen and metals concentrations using correlations, trend
analyses and multiple source apportionment tools. We observed that several prominent metals – for example,
phosphorus, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium – exhibit the same day-of-week trend as EC, with a relatively flat
level during the week with a drop on Saturday followed by another drop on Sunday. While other metals species –
for example, potassium, vanadium and arsenic – did not exhibit day-of-week trends. Some species were highly
correlated with each other; for example, the typical brake wear tracers, antimony, barium and copper, exhibited pairwise correlation coefficients greater than 0.9. Only two metals exhibited significant correlations with temperature:
vanadium and titanium. Not surprisingly water-soluble carbon was correlated with total organic carbon (r = 0.66)
but not with EC (r = 0.28). The water-soluble carbon was correlated with only a few metal species, specifically
boron (r = 0.81) and iron (r = 0.62). In addition to factor analysis source apportionment tools (PMF and PCA) we
also explored the geogenic origins of the metals via the crustal enrichment factors. In general only aluminum,
titanium and iron appear to be predominantly of geogenic origin. We will present these results in detail and discuss
implications to origins.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.115
Ambient PM Levels and Characterization of Pollutant Sources Impacting the Desert Southwest. ANDREA L.
CLEMENTS (1), Yuling Jia (1), Matthew P. Fraser (1,2), Pierre Herckes (2), Michael Sundblom (3), Jeffrey Lantz
(4), Catherine Brown (5) and Paul A. Solomon (6), (1) Rice University, Houston (2)Arizona State University, Tempe
(3) Pinal County Air Quality Control District (4) US EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, Las Vegas (5) US
EPA Region 9, San Francisco (6) US EPA Office of Research and Development, Las Vegas
Ambient particulate matter (PM) has long been recognized as impairing human health and many studies have
investigated the relationship between health outcomes and pollutant levels. Many of these studies have focused on
fine particles (PMf, particles with an aerodynamic diameter (AD) less than 2.5um) in urban areas where population
densities and anthropogenic emissions are highest. However, population growth at the fringe of urban centers and
rural areas is among the highest in the nation, especially in the desert southwest. These populations are exposed to
particulate concentrations and compositions that are different from those found in metropolitan areas. In particular,
in rural areas of the southwestern U.S., coarse PM (PMc; particles in the size range between 2.5 and 10 um in AD),
comprises a significant fraction of PM10 (particles smaller than 10 um in AD); by our measurements, between 53
and 93%. Recent evidence is beginning to indicate that PMc also can adversely impact human health.
In an effort to further our understanding of exposure in rural, arid environments, a year-long characterization study
is being conducted in Pinal County, Arizona, with an emphasis on understanding the spatial and temporal
distribution of PMc as well as PMf. Detailed measurement of ambient fine and coarse mass, ion, metal, and carbon
concentrations at one in six day resolution as well some organic carbon speciation on composited samples is being
conducted at three sites within the region. Data show a regional contribution to both fine and coarse concentrations
with a more varying, but strong, influence from local sources. Based on preliminary data, this regional contribution
includes PMf mass concentrations between 5 and 15 ug/m3, PMc mass concentrations between 10 and 60 ug/m3, and
organic carbon concentrations between 0.5 and 1 ug/m3 and 1 and 3 ug/m3 in the fine and coarse fractions,
respectively. The local source contributions can increase mass concentrations by 10 ug/m3 in fine particles and by
close to 100 ug/m3 in coarse particles. Organic carbon concentrations can climb by 1 ug/m3 in PMf and by up to 27
ug/m3 in PMc.
These data clearly indicate that local sources can significantly influence ambient concentrations and thus, source
samples have also been collected and analyzed. Samples from common dust sources including roads, agricultural
soils, and feedlot material as well as biological material including native plants and fungi were collected and
resuspended in the lab environment to characterize some of the common sources of particulate matter in the desert
southwest.
Results from the first eight months of ambient sampling as well as source profiles will be presented. This
knowledge is essential first step to understanding the human health impacts of these specific sources and the region.
Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for presentation, it may not necessarily reflect official
Agency policy.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.116
Assessing the Factors that Influence the Spatial Relationship between Nitrogen Dioxide and other Ambient
Air Pollutants. Amanda J. Wheeler (1), Alice Grgicak-Mannion (2), JEFFREY R. BROOK (3), Neil Bellack (1),
Ryan Kulka (1), Keith van Ryswyk (1), David van Rijswijk (1), Pat Rasmussen (1), Hongyu You (1) and Xiaohong
Xu (4), (1) Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, (2) Great Lakes Institute for
Environmental Research, University of Windsor, (3) Processes Research, Environment Canada, (4) Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor
Background: There have been several land use regression (LUR) models developed around the world, particularly
for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Many of the model predictors include indicators of traffic emissions such as proximity
to roadways. The objective of this research is to identify factors that influence the strength of the spatial relationship
between nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other ambient air pollutants measured at several locations across Windsor,
Ontario. This will be valuable for interpreting whether NO2 might be representing other ambient air pollutants in
these models. Ambient levels of NO2 have been associated with adverse outcomes such as hospital admissions and
non-accidental mortality despite concerns regarding the biological plausibility of NO2.
Methods: Spatial sampling to investigate intra-urban variability occurred once per season over a two-week period in
2005 and 2006, for a total of eight sessions. Ninety-nine locations were used over the two year period. At each site
the mean values for all seasons were calculated for NO2, fine (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10-2.5), black
carbon content of the PM2.5 filters using reflectance, acid vapour (nitric, formic and acetic), volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) (number of individual VOCs analysed = 26), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
(number of individual PAHs analysed = 24). A number of geographical variables including road network density,
number of industrial point sources, and vehicle fleet data were calculated for each location within a 300m buffer of
the site. To interpret the spatial relationship between NO2 and the other measured ambient air pollutants the
Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficients were calculated between NO2 and each pollutant. These correlations were
repeated using data from only those sites that were within 300 meters of a known source such as a busy roadway,
truck route or industrial emitter.
Results: Mean NO2 concentrations for all sites in both years were 14.5 µg/m3 (Std Dev = 3.1). Preliminary results
indicate that sites with higher density traffic located within a 300m buffer, determined as average daily traffic count
>48,000 vehicles, had elevated mean NO2 concentrations of 16.5 µg/m3 (Std Dev = 2.6) compared to sites with low
traffic density, determined as average daily traffic count <1,200, within 300m buffers where the mean was 13.0
µg/m3 (Std Dev = 2.8). For those sites with higher traffic density it was found that significant associations existed
between NO2 and black carbon (r = 0.65, p = 0.006), PM10-2.5 (r = 0.51, p = 0.02) and toluene (r = 0.50, p = 0.02)
compared with the lower density traffic sites where these associations were not significant for PM10-2.5 or toluene
and only marginally significant for black carbon (r = 0.43, p = 0.05).
Discussion: Preliminary results indicate that the associations between NO2 and a variety of pollutants vary according
to proximity to sources. It is important to understand what NO2 could be representing when assessing intra-urban
variability and any potential impact upon health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.117
An Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) for routine monitoring of atmospheric aerosol
composition. NGA LEE NG (1), Tim Onasch (1), Achim Trimborn (1), Scott Herndon (1), Doug Worsnop (1),
Manjula Canagaratna (1), John Jayne (1), (1) Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica
Ambient particles are known to play a significant role in altering the chemistry and the radiative balance of the
Earth’s atmosphere, reducing visibility, and adversely affecting human health. In order to address aerosol effects on
health and the environment, there is a need for instrumentation is needed which is capable of reporting the chemical
and microphysical properties of ambient particles.
We present here results on the development and demonstration of a compact aerosol mass spectrometer system, the
Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) which measures aerosol mass and chemical composition of nonrefractory submicron aerosol particles in real-time. The ACSM provides composition information for particulate
ammonium, nitrate, sulfate, chloride, and organics and is designed and built around the same technology as our
larger research grade Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) in which an aerodynamic particle focusing lens is
combined with high vacuum thermal particle vaporization and mass spectrometry. The ACSM system is smaller,
uses lower cost components and thus operates with lower performance than the research grade AMS. It is simpler to
operate and maintain and is stable for long periods of time (months). The ACSM is designed for routine monitoring
of PM with sufficient sensitivity to provide chemically speciated mass loadings and aerosol mass spectra at data
rates up to 15 min for typical urban aerosol loadings. Results are presented from recent field deployments which
compare the ACSM performance with AMS systems. Data quality and data analysis methods will be presented and
areas of current development will also be discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.118
Analysis of the bio-physical and socio-economic determinants of bushfire and its health impacts on the
population of the Volta Basin of West Africa under climate change: A case study of Northern Ghana. Sandra
Nketiaa Kusi (1), Joseph Intsiful (2), Francis Allotey (1), (1)Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMS), Accra, Ghana
(2)Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, United Kingdom
The fact that bushfire in the African Savannah impacts on the land surface properties and influences the local-toregional atmospheric circulation is now well established. However, the extent and nature of these impacts and
associated feedbacks on human and biophysical systems are not well understood. It is estimated that about 80% of
the African Savannah is burnt annually.
Apart from threshold changes in the surface energy balance, bushfire produces smoke which contains gases (such as
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides) that are hazardous to humans and ecosystems. The problem
is more acute in rural areas where intensive and intentional bushfire is a major farm management tool used by about
70% of the population to derive their livelihoods. The effects of bushfire on health are difficult to quantify, because
secondary and delayed consequences are poorly reported in the region.
To investigate the health impacts of bushfire on rural population of the Volta Basin, a multi-disciplinary study
consisting of a combination of bio-physical and socio-economic measurements and numerical experimentation is
being undertaken under the RIPIECSA project in the semi-arid northern and middle transition zones of Ghana where
intensive bushfire is prevalent. In this presentation, we provide a preliminary assessment of the health impacts of
bushfire in the Volta Basin based on the Hadley Centre regional climate model, PRECIS, as well as observation and
re-analysis data. We also assess the socio-economic dynamics of the northern and middle transition zones of Ghana
that represent one of the bushfire hot-spots in the Volta Basin and show how bushfire-induced landuse change
caused by human activities would impact on the local-to-regional atmospheric circulation and distribution of
bushfire emissions and human health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.119
Physical Properties of Laboratory SOA Generated in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) Flow Reactor. ADAM
AHERN (1,2), Andrew Lambe (1,2), Paola Massoli (2), Mikael Ehn (3), Pasi Miettinen (4), Leah Williams (2),
David Croasdale (1), Eben Cross (1,2), Timothy Onasch (2), Sally Ng (2), Manjula Canagaratna (2), Ed Fortner (2),
John Jayne (2), James Smith (4, 5) William Brune (6), Paul Davidovits (1), Douglas Worsnop (2), (1) Boston
College, Chestnut Hill, MA (2) Aerodyne Research Inc., Billerica, MA (3) University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
(4) University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland (5) NCAR, Boulder, CO (6) Pennsylvania State University, State College,
PA
We generated secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) chamber, which is a benchtop
aerosol flow reactor capable of simulating days to weeks of atmospheric oxidation in a few minutes. Gaseous
anthropogenic and biogenic precursors (a-pinene, m-xylene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) were exposed to OH radicals in
the PAM. OH was produced by UV photolysis of ozone in the presence of water vapor. In
these measurements, OH levels were systematically varied to simulate approximately 1 to 10 days of atmospheric
oxidation.
Physical and chemical properties of SOA were characterized at different OH exposure levels. Our suite of
instrumentation included a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS, TSI), compact- and high-resolution time-offlight mass spectrometers (c-ToF-AMS,
HR-ToF-AMS, Aerodyne Research Inc.), hygroscopic and organic tandem differential mobility analyzers (HTDMA,
OTDMA), a cloud condensation nucleus counter (CCN, Droplet Measurement Technologies) and a Thermal
Desorption Aerosol GC/MS (TAG, Aerosol Dynamics Inc.). A thermodenuder (Aerodyne) was also used to measure
changes in physical and chemical composition as a function of volatility.
We observed systematic correlations in the dataset between aerosol oxidation state (AMS and TAG), aerosol growth
factors (HTDMA and OTDMA), and cloud-forming potential (CCN). The primary oxidation markers were the
fraction of organic signal at AMS m/z = 43, 44 and the AMS oxygen:carbon (O:C) ratio. Aerosol composition
ranged from relatively less oxidized, semivolatile, non-hygroscopic oxygenated organic aerosol (SV-OOA) to highly
oxidized, low volatility, hygroscopic oxygenated organic aerosol (LV-OOA). Corresponding hygroscopic growth
factors ranged from 1.0 (SV-OOA) to 1.3 (LV-OOA) and were generally consistent with ambient observations from
previous work. CCN activity was measured at multiple sizes and supersaturations and was well correlated with
hygroscopic growth factors.
Our measurements support conclusions reached from previous field measurements and highlight the utility of the
PAM in efficiently and systematically accessing a wide range of SOA oxidation states that are complementary to
smog chamber measurements.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.120
Exposure levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mexico City. E. Salinas-Talavera (1), V. MugicaAlvarez (1), B. Valle-Hernández (1), A. de Vizcaya-Ruiz (2), A. Eiguren-Fernández (3), 1 Universidad Autónoma
Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Mexico D.F. 2 Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados-I.P.N., México D.F.,
Mexico. 3 Southern California Particle Center and Supersite, Institute of the Environment, University of California
L.A.
The 16 US-EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were determined in PM10 and PM2.5 during
three seasons in the North of Mexico City, where the most important industrial area is located, in order to determine
the exposure levels of the inhabitants of that area. PAH measurements in both particle sizes presented significant
seasonal variation showing the greatest concentrations in the dry-cold season (October-January), with levels of
PAHs up to 3 times larger than in the dry-warm (February-May) and rainy (June-September) seasons. Average
concentrations of the sum of the total measured PAH in PM10 were 17, 16 and 26 -3 for dry-warm, rainy and drycold seasons respectively, whereas for PM2.5 the sum was 14, 14 and 20-3 respectively. The levels of the seven PAH
considered as possible or probable carcinogenic (benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene,
benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3, c-d]pyrene, and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene) represented 69 and
67% of the PAH contained in PM10 and PM2.5 respectively. Considering the EPA assumption that an individual
breaths 20 m3 a day, the calculated medians of daily intake of carcinogenic PAHs due to air pollution for each
season for PM10 and PM2.5 were 193 and 165 ngday-1 (dry-warm), 183 and 160 ngday-1 (rainy), and 295 and 226
ngday-1. These values are higher than the median value of 160 ngday-1 estimated by Menzie et al in 1992, as a daily
potential dose of carcinogenic PAHs.
Benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) has been considered the most important index for the whole PAHs carcinogenicity and the
European Union has proposed an annual standard of 1 ngm-3 of BAPeq in particles to be achieved in 2010 with the
aim to protect the population’s health. Then, in order to estimate the potential carcinogenic risk of the mixture of
PAHs measured in Mexico City, the concentration of the individual PAH were multiplied by their corresponding
toxic equivalent factor to determine the total BAPeq. The calculated values of annual BAPeq for PM10 and PM2.5
were 2.3 and 2 ngm-3 respectively than exceed the proposed standard. Nevertheless, in the dry-cold season the
BAPeq reached values up to 3.6, maybe due to the atmospheric stability and the use of more fuel during the winter.
These results indicate that the inhabitants of Mexico City are exposed to a higher risk health due to the presence of
atmospheric PAHs, specially during the cold months.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.121
Sources and Diurnal Cycle of Atmospheric Oxygenated Organic Functional Groups at a Coastal Site in
Southern California. SHANG LIU (1), Douglas Day (1), Lynn M. Russell (1), (1) Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
Atmospheric particulate organic components mainly exist in submicron particles and could have potential effects on
human health (Dockery et al., 1993). The sources and chemistry of organic particles are highly unknown. To address
these questions, submicron particles were collected at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla, California (32.87 N, 117.25 W),
from 15 August to 30 September 2009. Organic functional group concentrations were measured using Fourier
Transform Infrared (FTIR), and non-refractory organic fragments, ammonium, sulfate, nitrate, and chloride
concentrations were quantified using an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). The average FTIR OM concentration
was 3.4 micro-gram m-3. Alkane and carboxylic acid functional groups dominated OM, accounting for 48% and
33%, respectively. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was applied to the mass-weighted FTIR spectra and aerosol
mass spectra to identify OM components. Three main factors representing aged combustion, biomass burning, and
marine sources were identified, accounting for 60%, 20-30% and 10-20% of OM, respectively. Potential Source
Contribution Function (PSCF; Pekney et al., 2006) analysis was used to determine the most likely source regions to
organic functional groups. The diurnal pattern and sources of carboxylic acid and alcohol groups were investigated:
the carboxylic acid and alkane group molar ratio increased in the afternoon and decreased during night and morning.
Alcohol group concentration showed a similar pattern. Our analysis suggests that carboxylic acid group is likely
formed from photochemical processes in the afternoon, and the increase of alcohol group is likely caused by
increased westerly wind coming from the ocean in the afternoon. The secondary organic aerosol mass fraction is
estimated to be 30% based on carboxylic acid group concentrations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.122
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from the Oxidation of m-xylene and 3-methylfuran under Variable
Conditions. CHRISTEN M. STROLLO (1), and Paul J. Ziemann (1), (1) University of California, Riverside
Particulate matter (PM) in the air is of great importance to human health, global climate and visibility. PM less than
2.5 micrometers is respirable and can enter the lungs and even the bloodstream, and has been shown to cause
respiratory problems such as asthma. Aerosols can be introduced into the air directly, for instance combustion, or
can be formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Aerosols have the ability to have a regional impact because
they can be transported across significant distances. Aromatic hydrocarbons account for about 20 % of the organic
compounds in urban, ambient air and the dominant chemical loss process is the reaction with hydroxyl radicals. The
oxidation of aromatics can produce lower volatility products which are able to partition into the condensed phase
forming secondary organic aerosol (SOA), but the chemical mechanisms by which this occurs are not entirely
understood.
The formation of SOA from the oxidation of m-xylene and 3-methylfuran was investigated under variable
conditions of humidity, NOx concentration, and irradiation duration. The oxidation of both m-xylene and 3methylfuran is expected to produce 2-methyl-2-butenedial in high yields, and unsaturated dicarbonyls are readily
oxidized to second generation products. Hydroxyl radicals were generated by photolyzing methyl nitrite (CH3ONO)
in the presence of nitrogen oxide (NO). High NOx conditions were established by using higher initial concentrations
of CH3ONO and NO, as well as subsequent additions of CH3ONO and NO along with further irradiation. Variable
NOx concentrations were used to investigate the pathways by which peroxy radicals form SOA. An excess of ozone
was also introduced following some reactions to create NO3 radicals from any remaining NO2 radicals. To explore
the role of water soluble products on SOA formation, experiments were performed at 0 % and 50 % relative
humidity and the seed particles used were dioctyl sebacate and ammonium sulfate, respectively. Aerosol formation
from first generation products versus second generation products was probed by lengthening the irradiation time
from 5 minutes to 60 minutes.
Experiments were performed in a 5.9 m3 environmental chamber and on-line and off-line methods were employed to
characterize the oxidation products. The consumption of the parent compound was quantified by GC-FID and the
aerosol mass and composition was determined using scanning mobility particle sizing (SMPS) and thermal
desorption particle beam mass spectrometry (TDPBMS). Aerosol yields were determined and information on the
volatility of the aerosol formed was elucidated from the thermal desorption profiles. Filter extracts were obtained
for those reactions that produced significant aerosol mass and were analyzed by HPLC.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.124
Source Apportionments and Spatial Distributions of PM10 Measured in Three Cities at the Metropolitan
Area, Korea. JONGBAE HEO (1), BORA CHOI (1), SEUNG-MUK YI (1), (1) Department of Environment
Health, School of Public Health, Seoul National University
The capital city, Seoul has severe air pollution problems and a variety of governmental policies have been
implemented to improve urban air quality. As a result, concentrations of ambient air pollutants (particularly SO2)
have been significantly reduced since 1996-1997. On January 1, 2005, the Korean Ministry of Environment
established the ‘Special Act on Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement’ whose principal objective is to improve the
PM10 annual concentration in Seoul metropolitan area from 60 ug/m3 in 2005 to 40 ug/m3 by 2014. However, the
PM concentrations remains high compared to similar cities in developed countries. In order to establish the
effective air quality control strategy for atmospheric particulate matter, it is necessary to understand the
corresponding sources which have a potential to directly impact PM10 concentration. The objective of this study
was to identify PM10 sources and to estimate their contributions at the metropolitan area.
Ambient air samples were simultaneously collected on the 3 semi-industrial local cities (Hwasung, Paju, and Icheon)
in the Seoul metropolitan area. PM10 and chemical constituents were collected every day from April 15 to May 31,
2007 using 3-channel system consisting of filter packs (URG) and cyclones (URG). Positive matrix factorization
(PMF) was applied to identify the PM sources and their contributions to ambient PM concentrations.
In this study, six source categories were identified providing physically realistic profiles and interesting insights into
the source contributions to the PM10 mass concentrations in each monitoring site. The major contributors of PM10
were soil, mobile and oil complex, and secondary aerosol, while lesser contributions were from biomass, sea salt,
and industrial related source. The spatial variability in PM10 contributions from each source at the 3 sampling sites
were characterized using Pearson correlation coefficients and COD. The secondary aerosol, biomass, and soil
source were the most highly correlated and lowest spatial variation among all of the sites.
Detailed model results including spatial and temporal contributions, CPF results, and PSCF results will be discussed
in the present.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.125
High Throughput Automated Measurements of Airborne Contaminants on a Filter by Scanning Electron
Microscopy. HERMAN LEMMENS (1), Alan Butcher (2), Pieter Botha (3), (1) FEI, Netherlands, (2) FEI,
Australia, (3) FEI, USA
Automated Mineralogy is a new technology that addresses the need for reliable sample analysis and high throughput
results in intractable environmental problems. Automated Mineralogy is an ultra fast method of obtaining
repeatable and statistically robust quantitative data pertaining to air quality monitoring, site characterization, risk
assessment and restoration and reclamation efforts at potential and known contamination sites.
The automation and integration of electron beam technology (Scanning Electron Microscope) with Energy
Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), has proven to be an invaluable tool for high-throughput particle characterization
in mineral processing applications in the mining industry.
In this paper, we report on how the same principles of particle analysis can be applied to the mineralogical and
textural analysis of airborne contaminants on a filter substrate.
It is now possible to routinely sample and analyze environmentally important materials and fully characterize their
mineralogy and textures, including mineral associations, particle size, particle shape, grain size and shape, porosity,
and degree of aggregation. These data are collected on a particle-by-particle basis through revolutionary image
analysis software which allows the analyst to quantify environmentally important parameters, and plot these in the
form of images, graphs, and tables, which can in turn be used to provide information that was previously
immeasurable.
Examples will be presented where Automated Mineralogy has been used to characterize hazardous waste materials,
such as heavy metal-containing minerals and phases, to determine, for example, the bioavailability of the pollutants
(arsenic speciation). Results are presented of fly ash classification from a coal-fired power plant. Aerosol samples
taken in a welding shops are discussed as well as air samples taken in the city centre of Antwerp. Finally, results of a
source apportionment study of dust storm deposits are discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.127
Organo-Sulfur Concentrations in the Southeastern U.S. Eric Edgerton (1), Mike Fort (1), Karsten Baumann (1)
John Jansen (2), Justin Walters (2), (1) Atmospheric Research & Analysis, Inc., (2) Southern Company
Sulfate, typically in the form of mixed ammonium sulfates, is well established as the dominant form of sulfur in
PM2.5 over much of the U.S. Recent work, however, has identified numerous organo-S and organo-S/N compounds
in the southeastern U.S., especially in the summer months. These results are based on a limited number of direct
measurements on material extracted from high-volume air samples. This poster will present estimates of total
organo-S concentrations using archived low-volume filters from the Southeastern Aerosol Research and
Characterization (SEARCH) network. Organo-S concentrations will be estimated indirectly by comparing sulfate
and methansulfonic acid (MSA) concentrations based on ion chromatography (IC) with total-S concentrations from
x-ray fluorescence and total water-soluble S concentrations from ICPMS. Total water-soluble S will be quantified
as sulfur monoxide (SO) on the same filter extract used to quantify sulfate and MSA. Archived filters will be
selected to develop urban-rural and inland-coastal contrasts and seasonal comparisons, and to investigate organo-S
concentrations when aerosol concentrations are characterized by high C/S ratios (biomass and mobile sources) and
low C/S ratios.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.128
Analysis of Boston Aerosol Data with Advanced Positive Matrix Factorization Rotational Tools. DAVYDA
HAMMOND (1), Rachelle Duvall (1), Gary Norris (1), Ram Vedthantham (1), Lucas Neas (2), Francine Laden (3),
Joel Schwartz (3), (1) National Exposure Research Laboratory/USEPA, Research Triangle Park (2) National Health
and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory/USEPA, Research Triangle Park (3) Harvard School of Public
Health, Boston
Fine and coarse particulate (aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm or between 2.5 and 10 µm, respectively) filters
from the Harvard Six Cities Study (Watertown/Boston site only) were analyzed for black carbon (BC) using an
optical transmissometer. BC data was not available for previous source apportionment analyses of this dataset and
can help resolve mobile and industrial source emissions. PM mass, elemental composition by X-ray Fluorescence,
and optical BC data from June 1980-1981 for the fine (n = 114) and coarse (n = 136) fractions were analyzed using
two source apportionment models: EPA Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) 4.0 and EPA Unmix 6.0 (factor
analysis with varimax rotation). For the fine fraction, six sources were identified by PMF (sulfate – 42%, fuel oil –
15%, wood smoke – 15%, crustal – 14%, motor vehicles – 12%, mixed industrial – 2%) and five sources were
identified by Unmix (sulfate – 36%, traffic – 22%, mixed industrial – 16%, fuel oil – 13%, crustal – 12%). For the
coarse fraction, five sources (crustal, fuel oil, mixed industrial, road dust/tire wear, and traffic) were resolved and
the average percent source contribution estimates reported using PMF were 57%, 9%, 22%, 5%, and 7%,
respectively, and using Unmix were 61%, 15%, 13%, 7%, and 4% respectively. Similar species loaded onto
correlating factors using both PMF and Unmix. Sources were identified using 1) basic PMF functionality, and 2)
rotational tools to constrain the specie ratios within specific factor profiles to known values using previously
published results and source profile information. For the fine fraction, the BC average contributions to the traffic,
wood smoke, fuel oil, sulfate, mixed industrial and crustal PMF sources were 45%, 16%, 15%, 21%, 0%, and 2%,
respectively. For the coarse fraction, the BC loaded onto the traffic (99% average contribution) and the crustal (1%
average contribution) sources. The source apportionment results presented in this study are consistent with the key
findings reported by Laden et al. (2000). The data from this study will be used in a follow-up health study to
investigate source-specific PM health effects.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.129
Investigation of PM10-bound PAHs in urban air. SHI JIANWU(1), Qiu Weiguang(2), Peng Yue(2), Li
Weifang(1), Bai Zhipeng(1), (1)College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, State
Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ambient Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and
Control, Tianjin, China (2)Liaoning Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center, Shenyang, China
PM10 samples were collected at six sampling sites from central urban of Tianjin in April, July and October of 2008
and in January of 2009. The concentrations of 17 PM10-bound PAHs were quantified. Spatial and seasonal
variations of PM10-bound PAHs were characterized. The dominated PAHs in PM10 included fluoranthene, pyrene,
benz[a]anthracene, phenanthrene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and
benzo[a]pyrene, accounting for above 85% of total PAHs. The total PAHs concentrations of the six sampling sites
ranged from 23.43 to 513.14 ng/m3. Spatial variations were predominantly due to the difference of source strength.
The total PAHs concentration at DL and BC sites was higher than that at other four sites during heating period, and
it was higher at MJ and BC sites during non-heating period. Higher heating period PAHs concentrations and lower
non-heating period concentrations were observed at the six sites. Higher heating period PAHs concentrations were
mainly caused by stationary combustion sources and meteorological conditions. The lower non-heating period PAHs
concentrations were likely due to easier dispersion of air pollutants, washout effects and to a lesser extent, photodegradation and higher percentage in the air in vapor phase. Potential sources of PAHs in aerosols were identified
using the diagnostic ratios between PAHs and PCA analysis. At all of six sites, vehicle emissions were the main
contributors of PM10-bound PAHs, and coal combustion also contribute to the PM10-bound PAHs in heating
period.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.130
Particulate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Industrial Northeast Region of China: Profiles,
Distributions and Sources. Weifang Li (1), Yue Peng (2), Jianwu Shi (1), Zhipeng Bai (1), (1) Nankai University,
China (2) Liaoning Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center
The Northeast Region of China (NRC) is among the regions with the highest PAH emission density and populationnormalized emissions, which poses significant health threat for people both within this region and in neighboring
regions/countries.
The objectives of this study are to (1) determine the concentrations and profiles of PAHs associated with ambient
particulate matter, and their seasonal and spatial variations ;(2) to apportion the PAH concentrations to major
emission sources;(3) to assess the exposure risk on the basis of measured Bap and calculated BaPeq concentrations.
A sampling network, composed of 30 sites located in different functional areas (i.e. industrial, residential,
commercial or mixed type), was established in this program. Four intensive observation campaigns have been
performed, as below: April 14-30, 2007; July 21-August 6, 2007; October 9-27, 2007; January 7-22, 2008.
Sigma 14PAH concentrations for these industrial northeast cities were in the range of 16.3-168.4 ng m-3 in spring,
16.3-79.2 ng m-3 in summer, 28.5-121.7 ng m-3 in autumn and 152.1-712.1 in winter. The PAH compound at the
highest concentration was BbF in summer, FLA in winter, and BaA in both spring and autumn. All the PAH
concentrations except BbF had their highest values in winter and the lowest in summer. The mean concentrations of
the well known carcinogen BaP during non-heating seasons (3.4–5.1ng m-3) were lower than the national standard
of 10 ng m-3, but exceeded the WHO annual maximum limit of 1 ng m-3. BaP concentrations in the heating season
were about 3 to 5 times higher than those in the non-heating season.
The PAH profiles are featured by a relatively higher portion of high molecular weight species with carcinogenic
potential. In general, 4- and 5-ring PAHs were the predominant compounds, accounting for 63.6%–78.2% of total
PAHs, whereas 2-3ring and 6-7ring PAHs were less abundant. The PAH profile in winter was distinguished from
those in other seasons by elevated proportions of lower molecular weight PAHs (2-3, 4-ring) and decreased
proportions of higher molecular weight PAHs (5-, 6-7ring). The shift of the gas/particles partitioning of these more
volatile compounds toward the particulate phase should be the main cause of high Sigma PAH concentrations in
winter. The PAH isomer ratios show that coal related emissions could be the primary source of ambient particulate
PAHs in NRC.
BaPeq concentrations were in the ranges of 1.7–24.5 ng m-3 in spring, 1.2–13.7 ng m-3 in summer, 3.7–18.1 ng m-3
in autumn and 7.9–49.0 ng m-3 in winter, with an average of 8.8 ng m-3, 5.9 ng m-3, 9.3 ng m-3 and 29.7 ng m-3,
respectively. The seasonal and spatial distributions of BaPeq were similar to BaP. BaP accounted for majority of the
total BaPeq with a maximum (65.6%) in winter and a minimum (52.7%) in autumn. Sum of the other five
carcinogens BaA, BbF, BkF, IND and DBA contributed 31% –45% of the total BaPeq. Domestic coal combustion
contributed substantially to the total health risk. Risks from PAH exposure can be reduced considerably just by
cutting the emission from domestic coal combustion.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.203
Air Pollutant Concentrations in the Boyle Heights Neighborhood of Los Angeles California Using a Mobile
Platform. Shishan Hu (1,2), Suzanne E. Paulson(2), Scott Fruin (3), Kathleen Kozawa (1), Steve Mara (1), Arthur
M. Winer (2), (1) California Air Resources Board (2) University of California, Los Angeles (3) University of
Southern California
We have measured air pollutant concentrations, especially of ultrafine particles (UFP), across the residential
neighborhood of the Boyle Heights Community (BH) of Los Angeles, California using an electric vehicle mobile
platform equipped with fast response instruments. Real-time air pollutant concentrations were measured in BH in
spring and summer of 2008 and pollutant concentrations varied significantly between the two seasons, from day to
day, and by time of day. For all data, considering meteorology and other confounding factors, the mean UFP
concentration in the residential areas of Boyle Heights were higher than the mean UFP concentrations in the
residential areas of downtown LA and West LA. Other air pollutants, such as black carbon (BC) and NO, also
exhibited elevated concentrations. A notable feature was the near uniformly-elevated UFP concentrations across the
entire BH residential area; in most neighborhoods we observed a steeper drop off away from major thoroughfares.
We attributed this “UFP cloud” to high traffic volumes, including heavy duty diesel trucks on the freeways
surrounding BH, potential photochemical production of UFP in the afternoon, and the substantial number of highemitting gasoline vehicles (HEGV) on the many major surface streets which traverse BH. We observed UFP
concentrations of up to 1.8 million particles cm-3 immediately behind accelerating HEGV in the BH neighborhood,
and up to 9 million particles cm-3 from accelerating HEGV in areas immediately adjacent to BH.
Although encounters with HEV accounted for only about 5% and 15% of time spent on monitoring in the residential
areas and on major surface streets of BH in the morning, respectively, we calculated HEV contributed
approximately 25% and 50%, respectively, of total ultrafine particles measured on the route we studied, during that
time period.
The observation of elevated pollutant concentrations across the Boyle Heights community has important human
exposure assessment and environmental justice implications for this low-socioeconomic population.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.210
Indoor and Outdoor Concentrations of Ultrafine Particles at a Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. Yungang
Wang (1), Philip K. Hopke (1), David C. Chalupa (2), Mark J. Utell (2), (1) Center for Air Resource Engineering
and Science, Clarkson University (2) University of Rochester Medical Center
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that increases in ambient particulate matter (PM) increases cardiac
morbidity and mortality. The present study characterized the indoor and outdoor ultrafine particle (UFP) temporal
variations in the size range of 0.010 – 0.500 micro-meter using a Wide-Range Particle Spectrometer (WPS, model
M-1000XP, MSP Inc) at a cardiac rehabilitation center (CRC) located on the southern side of Rochester, NY from
2005 to 2009. Local meteorological parameters including wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature and
relative humidity were measured at Rochester New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS
DEC) site approximately 5 miles distant.
Preliminary analysis has found that the size distributions of both indoor and outdoor UFPs showed high temporal
variability. The average indoor and outdoor particle number concentrations (0.010 – 0.500 micro-meter) were
2445/cm3 and 5147/cm3, respectively. Generally indoor UFP concentration is driven by the outdoor concentrations
as shown by the high and relatively consistent correlation coefficients, but there is a clear summer pattern of higher
indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios when doors are more likely to be open. The I/O ratios also strongly depended on particle
size. Weekday I/O ratios were always higher compared to the weekends. Higher I/O ratios were observed during the
day compared to the night. A distinct noon-early afternoon nucleation event was observed both indoor and outdoor
for all the particle size ranges in 2007 and 2008.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: ^YϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.315
A seasonal study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fine and coarse atmospheric particulate
matter in five typical cities of Liaoning Province, China. Shaofei Kong(1), Xiao Ding(1), Bin Han(1), Zhipeng
Bai(1), Li Chen(1), Jianwu Shi(1) , Hongliang Ji(1), (1) State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban
Ambient Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and Control, Nankai University
Fourteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 samples collected in five cities
(Shenyang, Anshan, Jinzhou, Fushun and Dalian), Liaoning Province, China in 2004 and 2005 were analyzed using
a HPLC equipped with fluorescence and UV detectors to determine the composition, temporal and spatial
distribution and sources. Total ten sites covering six different functional zones were selected. The total PAHs
concentrations in PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 were in the range of 75.32–1900.89 ng m-3 and 16.74–303.24 ng m-3,
respectively. In the fine fraction, the main PAHs compounds were Flu (23%), Pyr (21%), Ana (8.3%), Chr (7.9%)
and BaA (7.4%); in the coarse fraction the dominant compounds were Flu (19.8%), Phe (19.0%), Pyr (16.7%), Ana
(7.4%) and Chr (6.0 %) , indicating that coal combustion sources was one of the main sources for both the fraction.
Moreover, Results showed that 90% of the PAHs were in the fine fraction. Higher total PAHs concentrations were
found in summer than in winter. The fine fraction had a winter to summer ratio that varied from 6.5 to 125.8 and the
coarse fraction had a ratio that ranged from 1.7 to 37.6. The concentrations of total PAHs were most abundant at
residential/commercial sites and were fewest at an industrial site for both fine and coarse fraction. The urban
background sites discussed in this study showed unexpected higher PAHs concentrations than that at the industrial
site for PM2.5 and higher PAHs concentrations than that at the residential sites as well as the industrial site for PM2.510, respectively. The total BaPeq concentrations were found to be 20.66ng m-3, 88.42 ng m-3, 50.18 ng m-3, 7.80 ng
m-3, 66.97 ng m-3 and 18.25 ng m-3 at RA, RCA, CA, IA, ICA and UBS, respectively. The highest total BaPeq
concentrations in residential/commercial areas were an alarming signal for pollution risks. Similarities of PAHs
profiles between two sampling sites within each city and between fine and coarse fraction were also compared by
the coefficient of divergence revealing that the two sites in each city had comparable PAHs species concentrations
and significant difference existed between fine and coarse fraction. Results obtained from PCA associated with
diagnostic ratios and cluster analysis revealed that coal combustion and vehicle emissions were the major sources
for both PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 associated PAHs in Liaoning Province. Other sources like natural gas buring and wood
combustion were identified as common sources in these five cities.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: ^YϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.316
Gaussian Dispersion Behavior of Odourous Gases. SUNIL KUMAR PARIYAR (1), dR. Bhupendra Devkota
(1), Sunil Babu Khatry (2), (1) Tribhuvan University of Nepal (2) College of Applied Sciences-Nepal
Among the different gaseous pollutants generated from the landfill site, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are well
known for their characteristic odor.
From wind rose diagram NEE, NE), SEE, SE, and NNW are prevailing wind directions with average wind velocity
of 2.6m/s. Correlation analysis of wind velocity and air temperature has shown high significant value. Early
morning and late evening were found very sensitive for odor pollution due to low wind velocity (high accumulation)
as compared with mid day period (high dispersion). From the Gaussian Dispersion Modeling the dispersion of gases
was found exponential in nature and dispersion value is greater for ammonia than hydrogen sulfide.
Key words: Gaussian dispersion, Wind Rose, Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.317
Physical and Chemical Characterization of Aerosol at Bhubaneswar. TRUPTI DAS*, Anuradha Das,
Haragobinda Srichandan, Namrata Das, Gautam Roy Chaudhury and Surendra Nath Das, Institute of Minerals and
Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India
Industrialization along with rising anthropogenic activities is having a strong impact on our environment. The
changes are more prominent in certain regions undergoing rapid industrialization and associated
mining/transport/urbanization and consequently the air environment is severely affected. Bhubaneswar, the capital
of Orissa is geographically located in the eastern coastal plains of the state, situated between 21 degree 15' North
Latitude 85 degree 15' East Longitude and at an altitude of 45 meters above sea level. In the current study, an
attempt has been made to characterize the physical and chemical properties of the atmospheric aerosols collected
through various monitoring devices during the observation period (December 2008-November 2009). The
Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in the atmosphere was monitored using an indigenous High Volume Sampler.
The average mass concentration of the suspended particles varied between177 to 32 microgram per cubic meter.
Aerosols were collected in both coarse (PM10-2.5) and fine (PM2.5 downwards) modes through impregnated filter
pack method and the samples, after processing in a clean environment, were analyzed for water soluble ions like
sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate and phosphate using ion chromatograph. Higher
concentration of ionic species (cations + anions) was observed during summer season whereas during rainy season
the concentration decreased. The dominant water soluble species were sodium, chloride, ammonium, sulfate and
potassium ions out of which Na ion contributed 33% in coarse mode and ammonium ion contributed 31% in fine
mode. Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) has been measured using a 5- channel Sun Photometer [Solar Light Co.
USA] at 380, 500, 575, 936, 1020 nm. The average AOT values ranged between 0.81 (January 09) and 2.23
(September 2009). Continuous real-time aerosol particle size distribution from 0.23 to 20 µm was measured through
a 15-channel optical particle counter (GRIMM model 1.108). The particle mass concentration was found to be
between 25-103 microgram per cubic meter in coarse mode and 17-63 micro-gram per cubic meter in fine mode.
The size distribution was observed to vary significantly with respect to change in temperature and humidity
conditions. A striking correlation has also been observed between environmental conditions and increase/decrease in
fine/coarse particle concentration in the diurnal data. Similarly the mass of Black Carbon (BC) in ambient air over
the region, has been monitored through a 7-wavelength Aethalometer (Magee scientific, USA). The monthly
average BC concentration varied between 2.3 and 8.5 micro-gram per cubic meter. The overall aerosol physical and
chemical characteristics of the region provide an insight to the strong seasonal variation in the atmosphere. The
region is undergoing faster industrialization and development leading to emission of acidic gases (sulfur dioxide and
oxides of nitrogen) and corresponding aerosols. Dry deposits and wet precipitation in absence of dust fall show
higher acidity corresponding roughly to the rise in fossil fuel consumption, which is found to be effectively
neutralized by the components derived from soil and agriculture.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.324
Diurnal Variations of Organic Aerosol at Two Sites in Georgia, USA. MEI ZHENG (1), Xiuying Zhao (1),
Wenyan Shi (1), Rodney Weber (1), Xiaolu Zhang (1), and James Schauer (2), (1) Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA (2) University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Organic carbon is a major component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Atlanta, Georgia. Previous studies have
focused on the 24-h samples from this area. In order to better understand the diurnal variations of organic aerosol
especially its composition and sources, a summer campaign was conducted during summer 2008 (August 12September 6) at one urban site and one rural site in Georgia. These Hi-vol PM2.5 samples were analyzed for organic
carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) with thermal-optical transmittance method while detailed speciation of
organic aerosol was done by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), including alkanes, hopanes, steranes,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fatty acids and resin acids. A few important organic tracers of biogenic
secondary organic aerosols (SOA) were also measured including 2-methyltetrols, cis-pinonic acid and pinic acid.
Preliminary results indicated that clear day-night differences exist for some primary organic tracers, including wood
burning tracers (levoglucocan and resin acids) and PAHs from incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials
with higher levels at nighttime. This pattern is not seen for biogenic secondary tracers, which in fact are slightly
enriched during daytime, e.g., 2-methyltetrols and cis-pinonic acid. Distinct spatial distributions were observed for
all tracers with higher concentrations at the urban site, including alkanes, hopanes, steranes, PAHs, biomass burning
and secondary organic tracers except for 2-methyltetrols. It corresponds well with the observation of water soluble
organic compounds (WSOC) which are mostly comprised of polar organic compounds from both anthropogenic and
biogenic sources. On average, the urban-rural difference is by a factor of 2.5. This study shows that an urban site
like Jefferson Street, Atlanta is not only enriched in primary pollutants but also secondarily formed organic aerosol
especially substances from vehicular emissions.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.327
Gaussian Dispersion Behavior of Odorous Gases. Sunil Kumar Pariyar (1), Bhupendra Devkota (PhD)(2), Rohini
Devkota (3), Sunil Babu Khatry (4), Tribhuvan Univsrsity, Nepal
Among the different gaseous pollutants generated from the landfill site, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are well
known for their characteristic odor. The dispersion of gas is generally determined by the meteorological parameters.
This study aims to find out the concentrations of characteristic odorous gases (Ammonia and Hydrogen sulfide)
through spot measurement and addresses the dispersion pattern through Gaussian Dispersion Model, which links
meteorological process and the odor pollution in the micro climatic condition of Sisdol landfill Site.
Diurnal variation of wind speed and direction were analyzed through wind rose diagram and from the analysis it was
found that NEE (Koru Gaon), NE (Kagati Gaon), SEE (Rampurthumki), SE (Sanogaon) and NNW (Aletar) are
prevailing wind directions with average wind velocity of 2.6m/s. Correlation analysis of wind velocity and air
temperature has shown high significant value. Early morning and late evening were found very sensitive for odor
pollution due to low wind velocity (high accumulation) as compared with mid day period (high dispersion). From
the Gaussian Dispersion Modeling the dispersion of gases were found exponential in nature and significant
concentrations of both ammonia (205.52 micro-g/m3) and hydrogen sulfide (41.09 micro-g/m3) were observed up to
20m distance from the source indicating very vulnerable area for odor pollution.
From the analysis it was found that the dispersion rate of ammonia is greater than that of hydrogen sulfide. The air
sampling results entails that, up to 20m distance the measured concentration of both gases are higher than the odor
threshold values. Similarly the water sampling results indicates that, the measured concentration of ammonia and
hydrogen sulfide in water are above the prescribed odor threshold values. Hence the people working inside the
landfill sites are chronically prone to odor pollution especially hydrogen sulfide and ammonia so Personnel health &
safety measures should be adopted and practiced to maintain the safety health for landfill professionals.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.329
Identification and Concentration Determination of Ambient Primary Biological Aerosol Particles. David
O'Connor (1) David Healy (1) Stig Hellebust (1) John Sodeau (1), (1) University College Cork, Cork
While there has been a concerted effort in recent times to measure, characterise and understand how inorganic
particulates influence adverse health outcomes and climate change, the apportionment and classification of
biological pollutants has lagged behind. However more recently, Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAP) have
been shown to impact on the two issues. Hence the study and understanding of the dispersal of PBAP, both indoors
and outdoors, especially in real-time, has become relatively significant for both atmospheric science and the health
community.
A field campaign has been undertaken to evaluate the contribution of PBAP to the ambient air using a novel
fluorescence spectrometer (WIBS4) and a more conventional Spore watch (Hirst type volumetric trap). WIBS4 is a
real-time, single-particle bioaerosol sensor, which exploits UV-excited intrinsic particle fluorescence as a rapid,
diagnostic parameter in order to discriminate between airborne biological particles. Hence when bioaerosols are
excited by UV wavelengths tuned to the absorptions of the principle biological fluorophores (NADH and
Tryptophan), the emitted light can be used to provide a differentiated signal from non-fluorescing particles or
particles that fluoresce at different wavelengths of light. In contrast the spore watch operates as a simple impactor
trapping PBAP on a substrate allowing it to be analysed later by optical microscope. As part of our overall studies,
the WIBS4 and spore watch instruments were co-located in a populated, industrialised sampling site and run for
both June and August 2009.
Results from each instrument were compared and ambient PBAP were identified, their concentrations quantified and
physical characteristics determined. The patterns of total particle and fluorescent particle release were profiled
during the sampling period. Peak periods of particle concentration were highlighted and this allowed the biological
percentage of total ambient particles to be determined. Our complementary results show an increase in spore
concentration in August compared to that seen in June with basidiospores and ascospores seen in greatest
concentrations. The opposite observations were true for pollen with higher concentrations exhibited in June than that
of August. The contribution of PBAP was estimated to be of the order of 16% and 11% in early and late summer
respectively, to the ambient particle number concentration.
In conclusion PBAP was shown to make up a notable portion of the ambient air and the real-time WIBS4 instrument
is clearly of use for the continuous environmental monitoring of such material.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.330
Levoglucosan in Transboundary Biomass Burning Emissions in Southeast Asia. Liming Yang, Duc Minh
Nguyen, LIYA E. YU, National University of Singappore
Levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose) can account for more than 15% of total organic carbons in
aerosols emitting from biomass burning, and has been adopted as a fingerprint of biomass burning emission.
However, several field observations and our laboratory kinetic studies show that levoglucosan can be substantially
degraded, raising the needs to evaluate whether employing levoglucosan in receptor model is appropriate, and how
degradation of levoglucosan may contribute to secondary organic aerosols. Singapore, located at the tip of Malaysia
Peninsula, is often affected by transboundary pollution of biomass burning in Southeast Asia, which is accompanied
by a surge of visit to hospital emergency room due to respiratory problems. To better understand impacts of
transboundary emissions, PM2.5 were sampled during 08 September–05 October, 2008 when transboundary
biomass burning aerosols substantially degraded air quality in Singapore. Results show that concentrations of
levoglucosan were elevated during the episode although some levoglucosan could be contributed by local activities.
An increase in dicarboxylic acids (DCAs) during the episode supports our previous mechanistic studies that
levoglucosan is a precursor of abundant DCAs in emissions of biomass burning. Presence of 2,3-dihydroxypropanoic acid in the collected particulate samples may further support the degradation of atmospheric levoglucosan
for it has been identified as one of the intermediates generated from oxidation of levoglucosan. Additional
implications of the temporal concentration trend in levoglucosan and its oxidation intermediates at the receptor site
(Singapore) will also be discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.331
Modeling the Impacts of Diesel, Biodiesel and Diesel Ethanol Fuel Blends on Atmospheric Ozone and
Carbonyl Concentrations. Lílian Lefol Nani Guarieiro (1), Linsey C. Marr (2), Antonio H. Miguel (4), JAILSON
B DE ANDRADE (1,3)., (1) Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, 40170290, Salvador-BA, Brazil.
(2) Virginia Tech, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Blacksburg, VA, United States. (3) Centro
Interdisciplinar de Energia e Ambiente – CIEnAm, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Canela, 40110-040, SalvadorBA, Brazil (4) Nanochemistry Laboratory, UCLA Institute of the Environment, Los Angeles, California (Currently
at the Organic Analysis Section, Haagen-Smit Laboratory, California EPA - Air Resources Board, El Monte,
California, USA)
Before adopting alternative fuels that offer the promise of more sustainable development, we must evaluate their
potential impacts on human health, and climate change. Biofuels may help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,
while also lowering the emissions of certain primary and secondary air pollutants. Currently, studies regarding the
impact of biofuels on air quality, human health and climate change are scarce at best. Primary and secondary
carbonyl compounds are of particular interest because some are air toxics and may participate in initiation steps in
atmospheric photochemical reactions that lead to the formation of other toxic compounds. So, this study examined
the impact that the use of biofuels in diesel engines might have on ozone and other air toxics (formaldehyde,
acetaldehyde and acrolein). The maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) scale and box modeling were used to
predict ozone and aldehyde concentrations along Avenida Brasil, a major road located in the city of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Emission inventories were developed for fourteen different fuels used in diesel engines including: pure
diesel, diesel with different percentages of biodiesel from residual oil (B2, B5, B10, B20, B50 and B75), pure
biodiesel from residual oil, diesel/anhydrous ethanol– 90/10%, diesel/anhydrous ethanol /soybean biodiesel –
80/15/5%, diesel/ethanol ethanol /castor biodiesel – 80/15/5%, diesel/anhydrous ethanol/residual biodiesel –
80/15/5%, diesel/anhydrous ethanol/soybean oil – 90/7/3%, and diesel/anhydrous ethanol/castor oil – 90/7/3%.
These fuel/blends were used as input to the MIR and OZIPR (with SAPRC07 chemistry) models. Although
predicted ozone concentrations were slightly higher with biofuels compared to petroleum diesel, they did not exceed
60 ppbv. Thus, the use of these fuels are promising in terms of ozone formation because the resulting changes in
ambient concentrations of ozone are not expected to result in exceedances of the national ambient air quality
standard (80 ppbv at 25 °C). For aldehydes, the use of biofuels was associated with a small increase --until 30%
using diesel/anhydrous ethanol/residual biodiesel – 80/15/5%-- in their predicted concentrations, except for acrolein.
Biofuels have the potential to reduce ambient concentrations of certain pollutants but may also result in small
increases in others, notably acrolein, one of the most toxic carbonyls.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: ^YϯͲWŽůůƵƚĂŶƚŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚWŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.333
Studies of particulate matter by GAIN ASIA Modelling technique and their imact. (1) Sapana Gupta, (2)
Zbigniew Klimont, (2) Chris Heyes, (1) Ravishankar Shukla university Raipur, India (2) IIASA, Vienna, Austria
Studies have revealed that many hazards are associated especially with the particulates in the fine and ultrafine
modes (PM2.5, PM1.0). In recent years, several measurement campaigns in India, mostly in urban areas, have
focused on particulate matter and aerosols. Measurements have been carried out including chemical analysis and
size speciation. Such data are invaluable not only in assessment of the local air quality and compliance with the
respective standards but also in evaluation of the performance of atmospheric models. Such models often operate at
a regional scale and might be used to support the development of air quality policy. At IIASA, the APD project has
applied the GAINS (Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interaction and Syngergies) integrated assessment of
methodology for India. The respective application (GAINS-Asia model) includes an assessment of health impact of
fine particulate in this region.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.340
Carbonaceous Aerosol in the Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in Urban and Rural Areas in India. B.K.
Padhi (1), P.K. Padhy (2), L. Sahu (2) V.K. Jain (1), (1) School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, New Delhi, India (2) Centre for Environmental Studies, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
The composition of the particulate matter has become one of the fundamental topics in the field of air quality and
human health. One of the main topics is represented by the quantification of carbonaceous material since this
component makes a major fraction of the particulate mass concentration. The environmental relevance of the
carbonaceous aerosols has a wide range of different physical and chemical properties, of which impact on human
health largely remains unknown. In this paper we have measured the concentration of total carbon (TC), EC and OC
in suspended particles. The result shows that in rural site the TC contribution is about 15% of PM and the average
OC/EC varies between 1.2 to 3.6. However, in urban site the TC contribution is about 25% of PM and the OC/EC
varies between 0.15 to 0.45. In winter season the OC concentration increases in both the areas significantly
(p<=0.05), which suggest that in winter anthropogenic biomass combustion is the major source of carbon particles in
the suspended aerosols. The study indicates carbonaceous particles are a major fraction in suspended aerosols. There
is a need to improve our understanding of the role of carbon centered aerosols in health effects. A better appreciation
of the mechanisms underlying air pollution induced health problems would allow a more targeted approach to
remove the most toxic components of air pollution, and could possibly provide a means to decrease individual
sensitivity to air pollution exposures.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.365
Investigation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) released from Automobile Felt. Seoung Kyu Park (1),
Heon Chang Kim (1), Kye Kyu Lim (1), Kyoungwoo Park (2), (1) Department of Chemical Engineering, (2)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hoseo University
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, released from automobile felts can
irritate respiratory organs of passengers and evoke physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and
allergies. The threshold concentration of formaldehyde that passengers can recognize is 0.83 ppm while the
minimum risk level is 0.03 ppm. Consequently passengers exposed to the VOCs even at the sub-ppm level may get
sick without any odor perception. In this study, we developed a rigorous methodology to accurately measure the
trace amount of the VOCs released from the felt by high performance liquid chromatography and gas
chromatography. The average levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde released from the felt aged for 14 days at
room temperature were 0.35 ppm and 0.23 ppm respectively. The level of total VOCs (TVOC) in the indoor air of
the cabin vehicle was 8.49 ppm. To efficiently control the indoor air quality, the mixture of nano carbon balls and
activated carbon (MCA) was applied onto the felt. By introducing 0.5 wt% of the MCA, the levels of formaldehyde
and acetaldehyde were dramatically reduced down to 0.07 ppm and 0.02 ppm respectively. By increasing the
amount of the MCA to 1 wt%, the level of formaldehyde further decreased to 0.02 ppm. The TVOC level was also
exponentially decreased, and was lower than the minimum risk level when the MCA amount was increased to 5
wt%.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
7SQ3.T2.367
Analysis of black carbon, particulate matter and gases at an industrial area, Korea. HEE-JONG YOO (1),
Hyun-Sup Ha (1), Choon-Suk Choe (1), Yong-Hee Kim (1), Kyung-Duk Zoh (2), (1) Incheon Institute of Public
Health and Environment (2) Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health
We investigated the chemical characteristics of air quality monitoried at industrial complex site from 2009 in
Incheon, Korea. Optical black carbon(OBC), particulates(PM10, PM2.5) and gases (CO2, CO, NO2, SO2, benzene,
toluene and xylenes) were continuously measured. Cluster analysis(CA) was applied to analyze the characteristics of
air pollutants based on the similarity of pollutants and the relationship of air quality monitoring components.
CA results showed four subgroups; group 1 (CO/CO2/NO2/OBC), group 2(PM2.5/PM10/Benzene), group
3(Toluene/Xylenes), group 4(SO2) according to their air pollutants behaviour, suggesting a possible vehicle-related
emission and industrial pollutants.
Correlation analysis showed that PM2.5-PM10(0.703**), PM2.5-OBC(0.586**), PM2.5-CO(0.775**), PM2.5NO2(0.598**), PM2.5-Benzene(0.800**), PM2.5-Toluene(0.509**), PM2.5-Xylenes(0.554**), respectively.
Our statistical analysis demonstrated that Benzene is higher correlated with PM2.5 than PM10, OBC, NO2 and CO,
providing insights about source contributions which could be used to devise control strategies with source-species
atmopheric dispersion model in the industrial urban city.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
9A.3
Apportionment of Particulate Carbon in the Urban and Rural Southeastern United States. GEORGE HIDY
(1), Charles Blanchard (2), (1) Envair/Aerochem, Placitas, NM (2) Envair, Albany, CA
Measurements of carbon in ambient aerosols in the last twenty-five years have indicated their importance in air
quality chemistry. Recent health relevant studies also have indicated the importance of exposure to carbon particles
as a health stressor. Sustained measurements in the Deep South since 1999 via the SEARCH/ARIES projects have
provided important data on the urban –rural contrasts of bulk aerosol chemistry from four site pairs, including the
carbon component as black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC). Observationally- based analyses and
interpretation of these ambient data from 1999-2007 provide insight into the nature of carbon particle exposure in
the region, including contrasts between Atlanta and Birmingham and their rural surroundings. These investigations
indicate the time dependent characteristics of carbon concentrations, and provide insight into the sources of
atmospheric carbon. Incorporation of aerometric data, including NMOCs, O3, CO NOy, SO2 and particle chemical
composition, provide insight into the anthropogenic and biogenic sources of carbon The results differentiate
between primary sources, and secondary sources from atmospheric chemical reactions. Analysis of this large body
of data also indicates the importance of biogenic carbon to the ambient concentrations in both the cities and rural
locations in the South. Different empirical methods provide a consistent qualitative picture of the apportionment of
carbon in particles as BC and OC, where the latter is segregated into fossil and modern origin. Apparent
inconsistencies in methods of apportionment yield somewhat different quantitative results; these are discussed in
terms of the methods adopted to examine the data, the data acquisition, including sampling and analysis, and the
differences in location and sampling periods. Important trends in ambient concentrations for particulate carbon
relative to NMOCs are noted, and the results of a statistical model relating BC and OC to other aerometric variables
are introduced, in which meteorological factors are separated from apparent air chemical factors. The various
analyses add considerable insight into the apparent local and regional exposure patterns of bulk particulate carbon
across a portion of the southeastern U.S. containing major urban areas surrounded by rural areas.
The results of this and other investigations of particulate carbon indicate that the organic component generally is
much larger in concentration that black carbon. Roughly, organic fraction is in the Southeast is about half material
from atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds, and perhaps half or more of this fraction is composed of
modern carbon. The organic fraction is strongly influenced by oxygenated species.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
9B.6
Enhanced Air Quality Exposure Estimates Using a 3D Source Oriented Air Quality Model in California.
JIANLIN HU (1), Qi Ying (2), Shuhua Chen (1), Michael J. Kleeman (1), (1) University of California, Davis, (2)
Texas A&M University, College Station
Airborne particulate matter (PM) is known to cause a range of adverse health effects but it has proven difficult to
isolate a PM chemical component, size fraction, or source that is primarily responsible for the observed mortality. A
major problem preventing further progress is lack of data. Typically, air pollution epidemiology studies employ
central site monitors as estimates of exposure due to cost limitation associated with more comprehensive sampling.
These central monitors only measure air quality at one (or at most a few) points in a metropolitan area, so they do
not represent well-known local spatial variability in these concentrations. Monitor data is usually only available for
one in three or one in six days, limiting its utility in time series studies. Finally, source-apportionment information
is usually not available from the monitors or it is highly uncertain because source-specific molecular markers are not
usually measured.
The current generation of source-oriented air quality models can improve many of the data deficiency problems
associated with central site monitors. Source-oriented air quality models can predict PM species concentration (EC,
OC, SO4=, NO3-, PAHs, etc) in multiple size fractions (PM0.1, PM2.5, PM10) with hourly time resolution and 4km
spatial resolution across entire epidemiological regions. These models are not statistical regressions – instead they
solve the complete equation set governing the emissions, transport, transformation, and deposition of pollutants in
the atmosphere. The source-oriented models also retain information about source contributions to PM. Once the
model is validated with the monitoring data, it is used to predict the air pollutant fields so that they can be correlated
to geo-coded resident information.
In the present study, the UCD/CIT source-oriented air quality model is applied to estimate population weighted
concentrations in California over the entire year 2000 with 8km spatial resolution and 1 day time resolution.
Meteorological fields are generated with the Weather Research & forecasting (WRF) model using North American
Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data combined with four dimension data assimilation (FDDA). Raw emissions
inventories from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District
(SCAQMD) are adjusted for meteorology conditions experienced on each day and combined with composition
profiles to create model-ready inputs. UCD/CIT model predictions are evaluated against ambient measurements and
then used to estimate regional concentration fields for gaseous pollutants and size/chemistry/source resolved PM.
The spatial distributions of concentration fields are then used with the population data to assess the statewide
excessive exposure to air pollution.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
13C.1
Differences in Organic Functional Groups between Aged Biomass Burning and Mixed Diesel and Residual
Oil Combustion Aerosol. LELIA N. HAWKINS (1), Lynn M. Russell (1), (1) Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, UCSD
Separating, identifying, and characterizing organic aerosol sources in urban atmospheres can be challenging when
multiple sources exist. This challenge is increased when those sources are sufficiently removed from the sampling
location to allow for aging of the organic aerosol, blurring composition differences and reducing the usefulness of
tracer molecules and molecular fragments. To address this, organic functional group concentrations in submicron
aerosol particles collected from 27 June to 17 September at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla, California as part of
AeroSCOPE 2008 were quantified using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Organic and inorganic
non-refractory components in the same air masses were quantified using a Quadrupole Aerosol Mass Spectrometer
(Q-AMS). Previous measurements at the Scripps pier indicate that a large fraction of submicron particle mass
originates in Los Angeles and the port of Long Beach. These sources also emit sulfur, vanadium, and nickel.
Additional particle sources to the region include local urban emissions and periodic biomass burning during large
wildfires. Three distinct types of organic aerosol components were identified from organic composition and
elemental tracers, including biomass burning, fossil fuel combustion, and polluted marine components. Fossil fuel
combustion organic aerosol was dominated by unsaturated alkane and was correlated with sulfur, vanadium, and
nickel supporting ships and large trucks in and around the port region as the dominant source. Biomass burning
organic aerosol comprised a smaller unsaturated alkane fraction and larger fractions of non-acid carbonyl, amine,
and carboxylic acid and was correlated with potassium and bromine. Polluted marine organic aerosol was dominated
by organic hydroxyl and unsaturated alkane and was not correlated with any elemental tracers but did show a
moderate correlation with m/z 79 (a methane sulfonic acid fragment) for samples with little combustion aerosol
influence. Mass spectra of the organic aerosol support the aerosol sources determined by organic functional groups
and elemental tracers and contain fragments commonly attributed to oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA),
hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), and biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA). Comparisons of the PMFderived Q-AMS source spectra with FTIR source spectra and functional group composition provide additional
information on the relationship between commonly reported organic aerosol factors and organic functional groups in
specific organic aerosol sources rather than mixtures of multiple sources.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
13D.1
Where Did This Particle Come From? Sources of Particle Number and Mass. NEIL DONAHUE (1), Allen
Robinson (1) and Spyros Pandis (1), (1) Carnegie Mellon University
The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and a large fraction of epidemiological studies are based on
the total mass of fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). A large ambient dataset using
state of the art mass spectrometry now provides strong evidence that the lion’s share of that PM2.5 mass arrives on
the particle where it was measured (or inhaled) via condensation from the gas phase. This applies to major
inorganic constituents – ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate – but it also applies to the large majority of the
organic material (OM) on each particle. The majority of OM exists in a highly oxidized form, showing signs of
extensive gas-phase processing. Consequently, any assessment of human health effects – including ambient studies,
panel studies, and model systems for toxicological studies – must take into consideration this extensive atmospheric
processing, or aging.
A corollary to this statement is that, from the perspective of PM2.5 mass, one cannot consider a single particle
source. Most particles’ mass comes from a multitude of sources. However, number has a definable source; there
are diesel particle cores, meat-cooking cores, wood burning cores, nucleation cores, etc. In most cases the mass of
these cores is overwhelmed by the mass of condensate.
We shall summarize the evidence supporting our assertion that condensation dominates the PM2.5 mass budget, and
suggest frameworks for treating multiple, interacting sources within that context.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
13D.3
Formation of Glyoxal and Methylglyoxal from the Gas-Phase OH Radical-Initiated Reactions of Toluene,
Xylenes, and Trimethylbenzenes. NORIKO NISHINO (1), Janet Arey (1) Roger Atkinson (1), (1) University of
California, Riverside
Aromatic hydrocarbons comprise ~20% of non-methane organic compounds and have been postulated to be the
major source of secondary organic aerosol in urban areas. In the atmosphere aromatic hydrocarbons react with OH
radicals during the daytime. The reaction proceeds mainly by initial OH radical addition to form an “OH-aromatic”
adduct, which further reacts either with O2 or NO2. Previous studies show that for the OH-benzene, OH-toluene,
and OH-xylene adducts the O2 reaction dominates under atmospheric conditions. Major products formed from the
OH radical reaction of aromatic hydrocarbons under conditions where the OH-aromatic adduct reaction with O2
dominates are 1,2-dicarbonyls such as glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and biacetyl, and unsaturated 1,4-dicarbonyls.
However, apart from biacetyl, these products have not been investigated as a function of NO2 concentration. In this
work we have measured formation yields of glyoxal and methylglyoxal from the OH radical-initiated reactions of
toluene, xylenes, and trimethylbenzenes over the NO2 concentration range of (0.23-10.3) × 1013 molecule cm-3.
The yields generally showed a dependence on NO2, decreasing with increasing NO2 concentration. Extrapolations
of our result suggest that at low NO2 concentration under atmospheric conditions glyoxal and methylglyoxal yields,
respectively, are: for toluene, ~26% and ~21%; for o-xylene, ~13% and ~33%; for m-xylene, 11% and 50%; for pxylene, 35-39% and 19%; for 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 4.7% and 15%; for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 8.7% and 27%;
and for 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 58% (methylglyoxal).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
13D.4
Aging of Organic Particulate Matter and Implications to Population Exposure: Evidence from Ambient
Measurements and Laboratory Experiments. LEA HILDEBRANDT (1), Kaytlin Henry (1), Evangelia
Kostenidou (2), Gabriella J. Engelhart (1), Claudia Mohr (3), Peter F. DeCarlo (3), Andre S.H. Prevot (3), Urs
Baltensperger (3), Nikos Mihalopoulos (4), Neil M. Donahue (1), Spyros N. Pandis (1,2), (1) Carnegie Mellon
University, USA (2) University of Patras, Greece (3) Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland (4) University of Crete,
Greece
Organic aerosol globally comprises a significant fraction (20-90%) of the submicron particle mass (PM1).
Therefore, understanding the concentrations and properties of organic aerosol is crucial to reducing exposure to
PM1 and the associated health effects. Organic aerosol is highly complex: it is composed of thousands of species,
many of them unidentified, and has a myriad of sources – both anthropogenic and biogenic, particle-phase and gasphase. The concentrations and properties of organic aerosol are governed by dynamic processes: organic aerosol
components can evaporate, react further in the atmosphere and/or are transported, and then re-condense onto
particles. This “aging” of organic aerosol results in elevated organic PM concentrations far away from sources,
contributing to widespread exposure to PM1. Atmospheric aging changes what we breathe: It results in more
oxidized organic aerosol, which has a higher oxidative potential and is therefore more harmful to human health than
fresher, less oxidized organic aerosol. Therefore, we need to understand the aging of organic aerosol in order to
decrease population exposure and develop policy actions to mitigate adverse human health effects.
Laboratory studies and ambient measurements allow us to shed light on organic aerosol aging and the resulting
changes in ambient aerosol concentrations and characteristics. We report results from laboratory experiments using
secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from traditional anthropogenic and biogenic precursors (toluene and alphapinene). The experiments show that the concentration and degree of oxidation of organic aerosol increase with
aging, but the extent of these effects depends on organic aerosol type, as well as on experimental (or ambient)
conditions. We also report results from three ambient measurement campaigns conducted in different locations
(urban and remote) and seasons (summer and winter). The Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiments (FAMEs)
took place at a carefully-selected, remote site on the island of Crete, Greece in the summer for 2008 and winter of
2009. A third ambient measurement campaign took place in Paris, France, in the summer of 2009. The
measurements show that fresh organic aerosol measured closer to the source has different characteristic than aged
organic aerosol which was processed in the atmosphere before it was measured. Furthermore, highly aged organic
aerosol has very similar characteristics (degree of oxidation, volatility), regardless of its original source. The
variability between different organic aerosol types decreases significantly with aging. Thus, the age of organic
aerosol may be just as important as the aerosol source in understanding population exposure and human health
effects.
While atmospheric processing of organic PM is a dynamic process, it appears to converge to a highly oxidized
organic aerosol. This implies that the oxidation state of organic aerosol can be used to map its atmospheric evolution
in air-quality models. Including the effects of atmospheric aging in air-quality models is crucial to accurately
represent atmospheric organic aerosol concentrations and characteristics and, therefore, to assess population
exposure and policy options.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
13D.6
Understanding the Hygroscopicity of Mixtures from Primary and Secondary Organic Aerosols. AKUA ASAAWUKU (1), Allen Robinson (2) , and Neil Donahue (2), (1) University of California, Riverside (2) Carnegie
Mellon University
Understanding the mixing state of particles is important. As particles oxidize and age in the atmosphere, they most
likely form homogeneous mixing states and can potentially enhance their hygroscopicity. In this study we mix
secondary organic Aerosol (SOA) formed via a-pinene dark ozonolysis with primary organic aerosol (POA) from
anthropogenic sources inside the Carnegie Mellon University 12 meter-cubed environmental chamber. Two types of
POA were studied. First, a heated injector was used to introduce POA from a motor-oil fuel mixture into the
chamber; second, a diesel engine was used to inject actual diesel exhaust. Our previous study has shown that the
mixtures of SOA and POA from diesel exhaust readily mixes, but mixtures with POA from emission surrogates do
not. Both POA have similar mass spectra but mix differently with the SOA. In both cases, POA and SOA mixtures
may absorb additional semi-volatile organic materials. Hence in this study we measured the hygroscopicity of the
particles and observe changes as the mixtures evolve with time. The chemical composition is characterized with
aerosol mass spectrometry data and the hygroscopicity is measured from cloud chamber measurements. The
hygroscopicity of the aerosol decreases as soon as insoluble POA components are introduced to the chamber. For
SOA plus motor-oil fuel POA, the change is instantaneous; for SOA plus diesel exhaust the decrease in
hygroscopicity is comparable to the time scale of mixing (roughly 1 hour). After mixing state equilibrium has been
established, the hygroscopicity of both SOA plus POA mixtures increase and strongly correlate to changes in mass
spectral fragments. Our results suggest that both strongly and weakly mixed organic particles may absorb additional
hygroscopic species, which may alter the deposition of fine particles in the respiratory tract and their effect on
human health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
16SQ3.1
Atmospheric Physical and Chemical Processing of Aerosols. SPYROS N. PANDIS, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh
Atmospheric particles originate either by direct injection from a source (primary particles) or in-situ formation from
the gas phase (nucleation). During their lifetime, the chemical composition and properties of these particles change
by processes such as coagulation, evaporation/condensation, chemical reactions and cloud processing, while their
concentration changes also due to dispersion, and removal. All these processes together with the distribution of the
emission sources result in the observed temporal and spatial variation of atmospheric particulate matter (PM). The
variability in space is closely linked to the variability in time in stationary measurements. New continuous aerosol
measurement technologies when used in fixed monitor sites can provide valuable information about the spatial
variation of emissions at least close to the site. This variability depends strongly on particle size and chemical
component of interest.
In this presentation a review of our current knowledge of these processes and their effects is presented combining
results from ambient measurements and chemical transport models. The atmosphere tends to homogenize the
chemical composition of ambient PM through the condensation of secondary particulate matter, mixing of different
air masses, and coagulation. Even if particles often preserve in their “core” some of the characteristics of their
original source in the form of trace elements or organic tracer compounds they are rapidly changed due to the
condensation of secondary material (organics, sulfates, ammonium nitrate).
Organic particles change drastically after their emission. Primary organic particles are mostly hydrocarbon-like
including a range of compounds of low and medium volatility. As these particles move away from their sources they
are rapidly diluted and their organic constituents of medium volatility evaporate. These compounds, now in the gas
phase, react with oxidants producing secondary compounds of low volatility that recondense on the existing
particles. This process rapidly coverts the hydrocarbon-like initial particles to highly oxygenated organic PM. The
condensation of the oxidation products of volatile organic compounds also contribute to this rapid change of the
chemical character of organic PM. The net result is that the organic PM that most of us are breathing when we are
not next to a major roadway is quite different from that originally emitted from the corresponding combustion
sources. Our current understanding of the temporal and spatial scales of these transformations of organic PM will be
discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T2 - Atmospheric Sciences
16SQ3.2
The transport and transformation processes of air pollutants: from source to receptor. Tong Zhu, State Key
Laboratory for Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of environmental Sciences and
Engineering, Centre for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
Air pollutants are complex mixtures of chemicals emitted from different sources at different locations and formed
through chemical processes during the transport in the atmosphere. Understanding the transport and transformation
processes of air pollutants is crucial to assess the health effects, identify the sources, and formulate controlling
strategy.
The transport of air pollutants in the atmosphere are driving by physical processes at various spatial scales, including
synoptic system, regional circulation, mountain-valley wind, land-sea breeze, vertical mixing, and turbulent
diffusion. Primary pollutants, such as SO2, CO, NO, volatile organic compounds, black carbon, organic carbon,
PAHs, mineral dust, are mainly emitted from combustion, industrial processes, and natural sources. Through
photochemical and heterogeneous reactions in the atmosphere, the primary pollutants are transformed into
secondary pollutants, such as photo-oxidants O3 and PAN, as well as secondary inorganic aerosol and secondary
organic aerosols (SOA). Besides the formation of secondary pollutants, the transformation processes also change the
surface compositions of aerosols, such as the coating of sulfate on black carbon, which could change the optical and
hygroscopic properties of aerosols as well as their impacts on health. To better understand the chemical
transformation processes and to examine the health effects of particles with various properties, laboratory studies
have been conducted to study the mechanisms of SOA formation and the heterogonous reaction on the surface of
aerosol particles, cytotoxicity of newly formed SOA in the smog chamber are also tested.
Field campaigns using ground, aircraft, and satellite platforms have obtained a large amount of data for transport and
transformation studies. The change of the chemical compositions and properties of aerosols, such as size
distribution, internal-external mixing state, and hygroscopic have been observed in aged air mass downwind from
the source region and urban plume. However, the coupling of transport and transformation processes of air
pollutants in the atmosphere makes it difficult to quantitative describe the source-receptor relationships. Various
analytical technologies have been developed. A Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT)
model was used to determine the back trajectory of air masses, and then used in the Potential Source Contribution
Function (PSCF) analysis to estimate the possible contribution of long-range transport to observed concentrations.
An online coupled meteorological and air quality model was used to study of the effect of complex terrain on the
regional transport and transformation of air pollutants. Regional air quality models, such as CMAQ, have been used
to quantitatively investigate the relative importance of physical and chemical processes for O3 formation and
evolution over the northeastern U.S. Lagrangian forward-trajectory photochemical model was also developed with
the including of chemico-microphysical aging processes.
The CAREBEIJING study used both campaign observations and models to study the transport and transformation
processes in regions surrounding Beijing and to formulate regional air pollution controlling policy for the Beijing
Olympics air quality improvement. The drastic improvement of air quality during the Beijing Olympics has provide
strong evidences that regional scale coordinated control of primary pollutant emissions have contributed to an
essential reduction of the exposure of the urban and the rural population to both primary and secondary air
pollutants.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2B.1
Real-Time Distribution of Ultrafine Particles Near Heavily Trafficked Roadways in Communities Adjacent to
the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. KATHLEEN H. KOZAWA (1, 2), Scott A. Fruin (3), Arthur M.
Winer (1), (1) University of California, Los Angeles (2) California Air Resources Board (3) University of Southern
California
Ambient ultrafine particles (UFP) associated with vehicle emissions have been linked to adverse health effects.
Although several studies have investigated near-road behavior of UFPs, none have measured the changes in UFP
size distributions in real-time (i.e., five-second averages with a Fast Mobility Particle Sizer). In this study, a mobile
platform was used to measure UFP size distributions in a residential neighborhood adjacent to a freeway dominated
by heavy-duty diesel truck traffic. Size distributions downwind of the freeway showed that for any given short
sampling period (summer or winter), the mode(s) in the size distributions were unchanged up to 150 m from the
freeway’s edge.
This finding differs from other studies of near-road UFP size distributions (using slower instrumentation), which
found size distribution modes shift at varying distances from the freeway, perhaps due to changing conditions during
the longer sampling times required. For particles in the 0.1 um range, little concentration change with distance
occurred, and the effects of dilution appeared to be fully offset by the growth of particles into this size range due to
vapor condensation and/or coagulation of smaller particles. However, dilution effects increased significantly as
particle size decreased from 0.1 um, leading to a 70% concentration decrease of 0.01 um particles at 150 m from the
freeway.
Because lung deposition significantly increases with decreasing particle size in the ultrafine range, ultrafine particle
dose increases sharply with decreasing particle size as freeways are approached on the downwind side. Overall,
concentrations of UFP number decreased by 50% at 150 m from the freeway; concentrations of other pollutants
decreased by about 20% (e.g. NOx) or stayed the same (e.g. CO2).
Another aspect of the study was measuring the distribution of UFPs from accelerating gasoline and diesel vehicles
while driving on roadways. Upon acceleration, gasoline vehicles exhibited a characteristic 0.01 um peak in the size
distribution while diesel acceleration plumes had a characteristic peak at about 0.02 um or larger. These results
demonstrate the utility of the mobile platform to capture these individual vehicle plumes for further characterization
and analysis.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2C.4
An Exhaustive Study of Atmospheric Parameters to Understand the Asthma and Rhinitis Cases among
Children in Lisbon, Portugal. Maria do Carmo Freitas (1), Isabel Dionísio (1), Adriano M.G. Pacheco (2), Cátia
S. Repolho (1), Susana Marta Almeida (1), Ho Manh Dung (1), Ana Cruz (3), Casimiro A. Pio (4), (1) Instituto
Tecnológico e Nuclear, URSN, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavém, Portugal (2) CERENA-IST, Technical University of
Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal (3) Oliveira do Hospital College of Technology and
Management, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Rua General Santos Costa, 3400-124 Oliveira do Hospital,
Portugal (4) CESAM & Department of Environment, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro; Portugal
A study was undertaken at Lisbon city, Portugal, aiming to understand the relatively high incidence of asthma,
asthma precursors and rhinitis in 5-10 y old children living and attending school in Lisbon, respectively 9%, 26%
and 28%. The study was based in questionnaires answered by 1175 children, which also included the addresses and
schools attended by the children. Other questions concerned family habits, street environment and nutritional uses.
An air sampler (Partisol Sequential) was running the whole year, every 24h at a central area of Lisbon, for collection
of PM2.5. The Teflon filters were analysed by neutron activation to obtain the concentration of chemical elements
and by ion exchange chromatography to obtain the water soluble ions. Data on PM10, pollutant and regulated
atmospheric gases were recorded by the Portuguese Environment Network. Meteorological data were recorded by
Partisol simultaneously to particle collection. To check the homogeneity of the atmospheric parameters through
Lisbon, this is how one single air sampler may be considered representative of the whole Lisbon, two methods were
followed: 1) comparison of data registered by the different stations of the Portuguese Environment Network, which
concerned the regulated pollutants, 2) lichens were taken from a clean area (São Miguel island, Azores, Portugal),
exposed at the different schools attended by the questioned children for 5 months starting either in December or
June, and analysed by neutron activation. Hospital admissions by Lisbon area were also accessed as well as
children’s month complains on rhinitis. All data are processed through adequate statistics in order to, among others:
1) define the emission sources in Lisbon by both aerosols and lichens, 2) relate the sources to the areas where the
participated schools are, 3) relate the sources with the complains of the children living in the different Lisbon areas,
3) correlate the different answers by the children, 4) associate the monthly averaged parameters with the rhinitis
monthly reported, 5) define confounders and discuss their relevance.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2D.1
Personal, Indoor, and Outdoor Concentrations of Airborne Particles for Adult Residents and Asthmatic
Children in Windsor, Canada. LANCE WALLACE (1), Amanda Wheeler(2), Jill Kearney(2), Keith Van
Ryswyk(2), Hongyu You (2), Ryan Kulka(2), Jeff Brook(3), Xiaohong Xu (4), Elizabeth Nethery(2) and Pat
Rasmussen(2), (1) US EPA (retired) (2) Health Canada (3) Environment Canada (4) Univ. of Windsor
Personal exposures to airborne particles were measured concurrently with residential indoor and outdoor
concentrations in Windsor, Canada for 48 adults in 2005 and 47 asthmatic children in 2006. Multiple measurement
methods were employed for PM2.5, PM10, ultrafine particles (UFP), and black carbon (BC). These methods
included gravimetric samplers as well as continuous monitors. Participants were monitored for five consecutive
days in winter and summer each year. The gravimetric samplers compared well with reference methods (R^2 = 97%
for both PM2.5 and PM10 samplers), with a positive bias of 11% (SE 2%). Four continuous monitors were
employed: the DustTrak and personal DataRam (pDR) estimated PM2.5 concentrations using optical methods; the
PTrak measured UFP; and the Aethalometer measured BC. The multiplicative bias of the DustTrak and pDR
relative to the gravimetric samplers was about 2.7 and 1.9, respectively. On correction for the bias, median
precision of the DustTrak and pDR was 6% and 8%, respectively. Precision was also acceptable for the PTrak and
Aethalometer at 10% and 8%, respectively. Diurnal, seasonal, and year-to-year variability in outdoor concentrations
was significant and suggestive of sources, particularly automotive traffic in the mornings. Mean particle
concentrations were highest outdoors, with personal concentrations slightly higher than indoors; indicating “personal
cloud” effects. In this population, the composition of the personal cloud was about 20% fine particles (PM2.5) and
80% coarse particles (PM10 - PM2.5), suggesting that resuspension of coarse particles from clothing or surfaces
accounts for much of the personal cloud. The measurements across two seasons allowed an estimate of the longterm exposures and indoor concentrations for the participants; these were predicted to span a range smaller than the
observed range by about a factor of two. For the first time, a large number (98) of homes were sampled for ultrafine
particles. During the dinnertime hours (5-7PM), indoor UFP concentrations exceeded outdoor levels by 70%,
suggesting the extreme importance of cooking as an UFP source. Also for the first time, UFP deposition rates for
multiple homes were estimated, and were found to range from 0.2 to 1.4 h^(-1). A rich database is available for
further analysis, with a total of 922 person-days of data together with >100,000 BC and pDR measurements, and
>300,000 DustTrak and PTrak measurements. Although not included in this presentation, a household questionnaire
and time activity diaries are available for future analysis that can provide information on household attributes and
personal behavior.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2D.3
Generating Baseline Distributions of Ambient Air Pollutants in U.S. Homes. CAITLIN MCRAE (1), Cynthia
Howard-Reed (1), William Dols (1), Brian Polidoro (1), Andrew Persily (1), (1) National Institute of Standards and
Technology, Gaithersburg
Given the diversity of U.S. homes, local weather conditions, and ambient pollution levels, it is difficult to establish a
general characterization of baseline indoor concentrations of ambient air pollutants. The current data is limited to a
relatively small number of field studies. However, it is possible to create distributions of indoor air concentrations of
ambient pollutants using simulation approaches. In a recent study, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) developed a distribution of air change rates in 19 different American cities covering a range of
climatic conditions using the multizone airflow and contaminant dispersion model CONTAM. The air change rate
distribution was based on data from 209 homes that represent 80 % of the American housing stock and weather
conditions in those cities. This study expands upon the previous work by including ambient pollutant data collected
at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitoring sites, including carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide,
ozone, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, PM2.5, and PM10. The results include a baseline distribution of
the concentrations of these pollutants entering a statistically representative house in each city, and also the levels of
concentrations in each room of the house, which can be used to calculate occupant exposure to these pollutants. This
approach of generating indoor air concentration distributions based on ambient pollutant data can be used for a
number of different population exposure evaluations. For example, it would be possible to use city-specific
morbidity and mortality rates to evaluate the link between the indoor pollutant concentrations and health effects on
inhabitants. The distribution and background concentrations could also be used to establish a baseline level or
reference point for future indoor air studies and building investigations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2D.4
Ultrafine Particle Concentrations and Exposures in California Classrooms. WILLIAM W NAZAROFF (1),
Nasim A. Mullen (1), Seema Bhangar (1), Nathan M. Kreisberg (2), Susanne V. Hering (2), (1) University of
California, Berkeley, (2) Aerosol Dynamics, Inc.
Laboratory studies, epidemiological evidence, and atmospheric monitoring studies during the past two decades have
combined to raise significant concerns about the potential health risks that may result from environmental exposure
to ultrafine particles (UFP), i.e. those smaller than 100 nm in diameter. However, our collective understanding of
the human exposure to ultrafine particles is limited. Most environmental monitoring has occurred outdoors, yet
people spend a large majority of their time indoors. One setting that has received very little attention and is of
particular concern is classrooms in urban public elementary schools. To help bridge the gap, we made time-resolved
(1-min resolution) continuous measurements of particle number (PN) concentrations over a cumulative period of 18
days in six classrooms during normal occupancy and use. These classrooms were located in the East Bay area, near
San Francisco, California. Particle monitoring was done indoors and outdoors with a pair of water-based
condensation particle counters with a minimum measurement size of 6 nm. Carbon dioxide levels were also
continuously monitored to characterize the ventilation conditions of the indoor spaces. On each monitored day,
while school was in session, a researcher also was present in the classroom to record with one-minute resolution the
occupancy level, the position of doors and windows, and indoor source-related activities.
During times when classrooms were occupied by students, we found that the average indoor PN level ranged from
5,200 per cubic cm (at site S5) to 16,500 per cubic cm (at S1) with an overall average across all six sites of 10,800
per cubic cm. Outdoor average concentrations during occupied periods varied from 9,000 per cubic cm (S5) to
26,000 per cubic cm (S1) with an overall average of 18,100 per cubic cm. The ratio of average indoor to average
outdoor concentrations (I/O) during times of occupancy varied from 0.48 (S2) to 0.77 (S3) with an overall average
of 0.59. Both outdoor and indoor levels, as well as the indoor/outdoor ratio tended to be higher during periods of
occupancy than when classrooms were vacant. When classrooms were closed and mechanical ventilation fans were
off, the average air-exchange rates (AER) were 0.3-1.0 per hour and the I/O was 0.19-0.52. However, most of the
time that the room was occupied, either windows or doors were open or the mechanical ventilation system was on,
and under these conditions the average AER was in the range 2.1-4.6 per hour and the I/O level varied between 0.42
and 0.72. At these school sites, indoor PN was predominantly of outdoor origin. The average daily exposure for
students in the monitored classrooms varied from 11,000 h per cubic cm (at S6 on 8 December 2008) to 100,000 h
per cubic cm (at S1 on 6 June 2008), with an overall average for the 18 monitored days of 52,000 h per cubic cm.
The daily average classroom PN exposure of students at the six sites was well correlated with the average outdoor
PN concentration during occupancy (r squared = 0.9).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2D.6
Assessment of Indoor Air Quality in the United Arab Emirates. William Funk, David Nash, Chris Trent, Karin
Yeatts, Chris Davidson, Maryanne Boundy, David Leith, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In fewer than forty years
the UAE has been transformed from a country of Bedouin nomads and fishermen to a modern, multicultural nation.
The rapid growth and development have significantly impacted the UAE environment and have raised concerns
about the impact of air pollutants on human health. To assess these concerns, the Gillings School of Global Public
Health at the University of North Carolina has contracted with the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi to create a
National Strategy for Environmental Health.
As part of this effort, an epidemiological survey is being conducted in 600 households throughout the UAE to
monitor indoor air quality and the health status of residents to determine an association between the indoor
environment and adverse health effects. Indoor air pollutants can come from the infiltration of outdoor air or from
sources within the household itself. One-week averaged concentrations of coarse, fine and ultrafine particles,CO,
NO2, formaldehyde, H2S, SO2, and BTEX are being measured using passive monitoring devices. Within a subset of
these homes, active monitoring of particulate matter and non-methane hydrocarbons will be conducted to
characterize temporal variability in pollutant concentrations. The outdoor environment will also be sampled for the
above pollutants in another subset of the homes. Gaseous toxicants are being monitored using colorimetric diffusion
tubes. Because the diffusion tubes were designed for industrial applications, rigorous laboratory testing, quality
assurance, and quality control were implemented to verify the capability of the diffusion tubes to monitor the indoor
pollutants of interest under environmental conditions (i.e. low air concentrations and longer sampling times).
Airborne particulate matter (PM) is being assessed using the UNC Passive Aerosol Sampler. Imaging of ambient
particles will be performed using scanning electron microscopy to determine PM concentrations of various size
fractions; chemical speciation of the PM will be determined in a subset of 50 samples. To determine temporal
variations of PM and volatile organic compounds, week-long concentrations will be monitored in a subset of the
homes using DustTrak II and ppbRae 3000 monitors, respectively.
Indoor air sampling is currently being conducted by 13 field teams in collaboration with the UAE University in Al
Ain. Data collection began in October 2009 and will be completed by March 2010. Preliminary results suggest that
the concentration of indoor air pollutants may be significant in some cases.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
2D.7
Children Exposure to Air Particulate Matter in the Indoor of Lisbon Primary Schools. SUSANA MARTA
ALMEIDA (1), Nuno Canha (1), Maria do Carmo Freitas (1), Priscilla Pegas (2), Célia Alves (2), Margarita
Evtyugina (2), Casimiro Pio (2), (1) Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Sacavém , Portugal, (2) Universidade de
Aveiro - CESAM, Aveiro, Portugal
Evidence continues to emerge showing that poor indoor air quality can cause illness requiring absence in schools,
and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease students’ performance. Since children spend on average 7–11
hours per weekday at school, the indoor air quality in classrooms are expected to be key role players in the
assessment of the effects of their personal exposure to air pollution, principally because they are particularly
susceptible to pollutants.
Within this context the present study was conducted in order to fulfill three primary objectives 1) to measure the
levels and the composition of particles in primary schools in order to assess the children exposure to pollutants; 2) to
investigate the sources of high concentrations of particles in classrooms and 3) to study the correlation between
classroom and outdoor particles mass and elements concentrations.
A Gent sampler with a stacked filter unit was used to collect air particulate matter in separate coarse (PM2.5–10)
and fine (PM2.5) size fractions, in three schools and outdoors in Lisbon, Portugal. The sampling was done during
two weeks in three different seasons (Spring 2009, Autumn 2009 and Winter 2010). The filters were measured by
gravimetry before and after sampling and analyzed for element mass concentration by Instrumental Neutron
Activation Analysis. In addition, indoor and local outdoor levels of the gases (CO2, COVs and CO) and physical
parameters (humidity and temperature) were measured. Building and classroom characteristics of each school were
also investigated.
In the studied classrooms, particles concentrations, mainly in the coarse fraction, significantly exceeded the ambient
concentrations. Results suggest that the physical activity of students highly contributes to the resuspension of
sedimented particles. The association of high particle concentrations inside the classrooms with high CO2 levels
indicates that inadequate ventilation plays a major role in the establishment of poor indoor air quality. In this work it
was verified that in general primary schools in Lisbon were not designed, built, and maintained in ways to minimize
and control sources of pollution. The results clearly show a high children exposure to particulate matter. The
elevated indoor particles concentrations raise concerns about possible adverse health effects on susceptible children.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
5A.1
Pollutant Concentrations Downwind of Freeway Sound Walls. NEELAKSHI HUDDA (1), Katharine F Moore
(1), Winnie Kam (1), Nancy Daher (1), Constantinos Sioutas (1), Jorn Herner (2), Kathleen Kozawa (2), Steve Mara
(2), Seong Park (2), (1) University of Southern California (USC), (2) California Air Resources Board (CARB)
Motor vehicle emissions of both particle and gas phase species are of specific interest in urban environments. Not
only is motor vehicle traffic responsible for a significant fraction of urban air pollution, but increased exposure to
these pollutants due to time spent in proximity to freeways has been associated with adverse health effects,
particularly among children. Studies investigating pollutant dispersion downwind of freeways have shown rapid
decay monotonically downwind until “urban background” concentrations are reached (Zhang et al. (2004). Atmos.
Environ. 38: 6655 - 6665). The distance required for dispersion depends strongly upon local meteorology,
downwind obstructions, traffic volume and other parameters. For example, in Los Angeles, Zhu et al ((2002)
Atmos. Environ. 36: 4323 – 4335) reported daytime downwind concentrations measured at distances greater than
300 meters conditions were similar to upwind background concentrations. These freeway studies did not specifically
investigate the role of obstructions in downwind pollutant dispersion. Recently near roadway studies in North
Carolina (Baldauf, R. et al. (2008). Atmos. Environ. 42: 7502 – 7507, Bowker, G. et al. (2007). Atmos. Environ. 41
8128–8139) suggested that the typical dispersion pattern reported by Zhu and co-workers can be significantly
modified due to the presence of freeway noise barriers or sound walls. In these studies, the sound wall disrupted the
cross flow wind field resulting in relatively lower and then higher pollutant concentrations as the plume moves
downwind.
During June/July 2009, we conducted a sampling campaign, to assess the effects of sound walls on downwind
pollutant dispersion in typical urban environments. The study sites included two sets of near roadway sites –
soundwall and “non sound wall” or control – adjacent to Interstate-710 and Interstate–5. These two freeways were
chosen due to their high traffic volume, the proximity of the sound wall and “non sound wall” sites to each other
along the freeway, and prevailing meteorology. Experimental conditions (e.g. sound wall height) vary between the
two freeways in order to explore how robust the changes in downwind pollutant dispersion are despite them.
Simultaneous measurements of select aerosol and gas-phase species were made at a fixed near-freeway site and at
varying distances downwind using a mobile measurement platform. The parameters measured include particle
number concentrations and size distributions, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and meteorology. Subsequent analysis
indicates that meteorological conditions were reasonably consistent during the time period at each freeway.
Preliminary results indicate that immediately adjacent to the sound wall, a recirculation zone, consistent with the
analysis suggested in Bowker et al. At short distances downwind, observed concentrations were much lower than
those observed further downwind. Relatively elevated concentrations were observed at distances ca. 50 meters -150
meters downwind of the sound walls than observed at comparable distances in the absence of the sound wall. As a
consequence, larger distances were usually necessary downwind of the sound walls for background urban pollutant
background concentrations to be reached. As additional data are processed, further results will be presented at the
conference.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
5A.6
Relationships of Attached Garage and Home Exposures to Fuel Type and Emission Levels of Garage Sources.
BARBARA ZIELINSKA (1), Eric Fujita (1), Will Ollison (2), David Campbell (1), Patrick Merritt (3) Lawrence
Smith (3), and John Sagebiel (1), (1) Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV; (2) American Petroleum Institute,
Washington, DC; (3) Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
Mobile source air toxics (MSAT) may pose an adverse health risk, especially in microenvironments with high
exposures to vehicle exhaust or evaporative emissions. Although programs such as reformulated gasoline are
intended to reduce the emissions of MSAT and ozone precursors, uncertainties remain regarding population
exposures associated with both oxygenate-gasoline blends and conventional gasoline. Accordingly, the EPA issued
requirements for a test program in accordance with the Alternative Tier 2 provisions of the fuels and fuel additives
regulations, which are required pursuant to Section 211 of the Clean Air Act. As part of this study, the DRI
conducted measurements quantifying exposures to automotive emissions in microenvironments (MEs) under
conditions representing the upper-end (approximate 99th percentile) of the distribution of inhalation exposures to
evaporative and exhaust emissions of conventional and oxygenated-gasoline. One of these ME tests included an
attached residential garage. DRI and SwRI conducted measurements under controlled conditions to establish
quantitative relationships between tailpipe and evaporative emission rates to exposure levels in the garage and
adjacent rooms. Measurements were performed during summer and winter seasons in San Antonio, TX, with a sedan
and a pickup truck using either non-oxygenated conventional gasoline, gasohol (E10), or methyl tertiary butyl ether
(MTBE)-oxygenated gasoline. The vehicles were tested in both a normal emissions mode and a malfunctioning high
emitter mode where emissions were adjusted to exceed 2 grams of non-methane hydrocarbons per mile as measured
by the Federal Test Procedure. Warmed up vehicles were parked in a closed garage (also containing a gasoline
powered lawnmower and gasoline storage container filled with the test fuels) with garage and adjacent room
monitoring conducted before, during and after the subsequent vehicle cool-down period; cooled vehicles were also
idled in the open garage with similar measures during and after removal of the idling vehicle. Time-integrated
canister and cartridge samples were collected for each test both in the garage and the adjacent room. A set of
continuous and semi-continuous measurements (by serial 10 minute average solid phase micro-extraction sampling)
were made during a two-hour test period. Volatile air toxics (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, 1,3-butadiene,
HCHO, CH3CHO) and related pollutants (CO, CO2, VOCs, C2H5OH, MTBE) were measured. This presentation
will discuss the correlations between the vehicle mode and fuel type and observed concentrations in the garage and
adjacent kitchen.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
5B.2
An Investigation of Intra-urban Patterns of Urban Air Pollution, with Implications for Environmental
Exposure Equity and Urban Design. AMY L. STUART (1), Michelle A. Zeager (2), Haofei Yu (1), Amanda
Evans (1), (1) University of South Florida, (2) Children’s Hospital Boston
Here, we discuss an integrated research and education program to develop understanding of the multi-scale
interactions between air pollution, urban growth form, and environmental equity. We first synthesize the literature
connecting the fields of air pollution exposure estimation, air quality and health equity, and urban design and
planning. We then present and discuss our overarching framework for developing tools and improving knowledge
necessary for understanding interactions and designing sustainable solutions. Our methods include numerical massbalance-based modeling of air pollutant fate and transport, for diagnosis and prediction of pollutant distributions at
multiple scales in time and space. Passive sampling and analysis is also being used to supplement and evaluate
modeling results. For integration of results, visualization, and comparison of pollutant distributions (and other
exposure metrics) with population distributions, we are using geospatial analysis tools (including ArcGIS). Finally,
we are developing connections and tool systems that integrate air pollution modeling with urban and transportation
modeling, for analysis of impacts of two alternative urban growth visions on air pollution footprints and their social
distribution.
For the application of the above methods to improving understanding, a case study area of Tampa, Florida and the
surrounding county has been chosen. The pollutant focus is on nitrogen oxides and three priority urban air toxics
(benzene, 1-3 butadiene, and acetaldehyde). We present and integrate results from numerical modeling simulations
of current era pollutant concentrations, passive sampling and analysis of nitrogen dioxide concentrations near
elementary schools, passive sampling and analysis of the small-scale spatial variability of aldehyde concentrations,
and geospatial analyses of potential equity impacts due to residential exposures, school exposures, and disparities in
monitoring protection. Overall, current results indicate heterogeneous spatial distributions of pollution, with
roadway sources and proximity to high traffic volume dominating the footprints of the pollutants studied here.
Additionally, a somewhat consistent pattern of inequality in pollutant exposures and monitoring protection by
race/ethnicity and economic status is seen. However, there is substantial complexity regarding the impact of spatial
scale on the magnitude of the disparity.
Finally, we discuss a children’s science museum exhibit on project research content that is currently being
developed with the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa. The exhibit is being designed to teach children (and
their caregivers) about 1) the interactions between air pollution, urban form, and equity, 2) the importance of
integrating technical and social science knowledge for addressing this complex issue, and 3) the full-life profiles of
researchers and professionals involved in the relevant fields.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
5B.6
Examining Associations between Traffic-Related and Regional Air Pollution and Acute Morbidity using
Spatially-Refined Estimates of Ambient Concentrations and Exposures. STEFANIE EBELT SARNAT (1),
James Crooks (2), Vlad Isakov (2), Joe Touma (2), Haluk Ozkaynak (2), James Mulholland (3), Armistead Russell
(3), Priya Kewada (1), Mitch Klein (1), Paige Tolbert (1), Jeremy Sarnat (1), (1) Emory University, Atlanta, (2)
Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, (3) Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
INTRODUCTION: A common method for assigning exposure in population-based epidemiologic studies of air
pollution is to use surrogate measurements obtained from centrally-located monitoring sites. Depending on the
spatial heterogeneity of a given pollutant, the size of the study area and its population distribution, use of central site
(CS) concentrations may reduce the power to detect health effects due to exposure misclassification. We have
compiled one of the largest time-series studies of air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits (n>10.2
million), with data collected from 1993-2004 from 41 hospitals in the 20-county Atlanta area. Daily air pollution
concentrations are measured at several monitoring stations, mostly located centrally in the study area. Our previous
analyses comparing epidemiologic results for associations involving ambient CS monitoring data and populationweighted averages (PWA), which incorporate all available monitoring data in the study area, yielded similar
findings. While PWA concentrations are more representative of the entire study population than CS concentrations,
they only provide a single exposure value per day for the entire study population. Sponsored by an EPA/NERL
Cooperative Agreement, we recently began developing and evaluating six spatially-refined metrics of exposure for
ambient traffic-related and regional pollutants in the context of our ED visit study. METHODS: We have defined
several tiers of exposure refinement to estimate daily ambient concentrations at 225 Atlanta-area ZIP code centroids.
These tiers include estimates of exposures to ambient pollutants that vary in their approaches for modeling pollutant
spatial heterogeneity, as well as building-related surrogates of pollutant infiltration. The current analysis presents
results using the following six exposure tiers: i) CS monitoring data, ii) spatially-interpolated (SI) monitoring data,
iii) Community Multiscale Air Quality model outputs, iv) AERMOD outputs, v) CMAQ-AERMOD hybrid and
blended model outputs, and vi) spatial and temporal surrogates of air exchange rates. Each metric is applied in
spatially-resolved Poisson time-series models to estimate associations between pollutant exposures and
cardiorespiratory ED visits. RESULTS: Preliminary analyses of 2002 data obtained for each exposure metric show
that finer spatial resolution in ambient concentrations and incorporation of exposure factors in analyses yield
different estimates of pollutant exposures compared to ambient monitoring data alone, particularly for spatiallyvariable primary air pollutants. For example, comparing coefficients of variation across the study area for hybrid
model outputs, we observe much higher spatial variability for carbon monoxide (CV = 87%) compared to PM2.5
(CV = 25%). Temporal correlations of concentrations between metrics within ZIP codes were also considered, and
demonstrate that SI data are the most correlated (e.g., r > 0.8 for PM2.5) with CS data compared to other metrics (r
= 0.1-0.8 for PM2.5). DISCUSSION: Observed differences in temporal correlations between the various exposure
metrics concentrations and CS data suggest that epidemiologic models incorporating these metrics will yield
different results to those obtained using CS data. Here, we will present and compare the results of epidemiologic
analyses using our alternative exposure metrics. We will also discuss the interpretations and limitations of each
exposure assignment method in the context of air pollution epidemiology.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
9A.2
Spatial and Temporal Variability in Wintertime Concentrations of Urban Combustion-Related Pollutants
and PM Constituents: the New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS). JANE E. CLOUGHERTY, MSc
ScD (1), Kazuhiko Ito, PhD (2), Zev Ross, MS (3), Iyad Kheirbek, MS (1), Sarah Johnson, MS, MPH (1) Grant
Pezeshki, MA (1), J. Bryan Jacobson, MPH (1), Holger Eisl, PhD (4), John E. Gorczynski, AAS (4), Steven
Markowitz, MD (4), Daniel Kass, MPH (1), Thomas Matte, MD MPH (1), (1) New York City Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY (2) New York University; Tuxedo, NY (3) ZevRoss Spatial Analysis, Ithaca, NY
(4) City University of New York Center for the Biology of Natural Systems (CBNS) at Queens College, New York,
NY
Introduction
Growing evidence links respiratory and cardiovascular health effects to combustion emissions, although causal
constituents remain unknown. It is thus becoming increasingly important to understand intra-urban spatial variation
in exposures to combustion-related exposures and key particle constituents. Because evidence suggests enhanced
allergic sensitization and respiratory response to airborne nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V) from residual oil burning,
we are examining spatial variation in these constituents, using wintertime integrated fine particle (PM2.5) samples.
These samples were collected as part of a study of year-round spatial variation in multiple pollutants across New
York City, where residual oil burning is especially prevalent.
Methods
Two-week integrated samples for PM2.5 and constituents, elemental carbon (EC), nitrous oxides (NOx), and sulfur
dioxide (SO2) were collected at 150 street-level sites allocated through stratified random sampling by traffic and
building densities (n = 120) and purposeful allocation (n = 30). During each two-week session (six per season), 25
randomly selected sites are sampled, minimizing spatio-temporal confounding. Five reference sites (one per
borough) are monitored every session for temporal variability.
We have developed LUR models examining wintertime spatial variability in PM2.5, EC, NO2, and SO2, using GISbased source indicators (e.g., traffic, buildings density). We are currently examining X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
measures for PM2.5 filters from 150 sites, for 12 constituents of interest (Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Si, V,
Zn). We are comparing results from several factorization methods, including unconstrained and constrained factor
analyses and Positive Matrix Factorization. Spatial variation in derived factors will be predicted using LUR
methods.
Results
Within-season temporal variability accounted for a larger portion of PM2.5 (approx. 60%) than of EC, NO2, or SO2
(16-35%). Spatial variability in PM2.5, EC, and SO2 were predicted by oil burning and buildings density. PM2.5
and EC were also predicted by diesel and local traffic. NO2 was predicted by built space and traffic.
We observe strong correlations (r > .70) among some constituents, suggesting common sources. Notably, the Ni-V
correlation is relatively low (r = .45), and spatial patterns differ. Ni is strongly correlated with Ca (r = .80), SO2 (r =
.83), and Zn (r = .85), predicted by oil-burning facilities (r = .65), population density (r = .62), or residential units (r
= .64) within 1000m, suggesting a predominant effect of space heating. V, conversely, is most correlated with EC (r
= .46), predicted by distance to a ferry terminal (r = -0.53) or port (r = -0.55), less strongly by oil-burning (r = .42) or
truck traffic (r = .29). V displayed more temporal variability across sessions (r = .32) than did Ni (r = .16).
Conclusion
Preliminary findings show strong spatial variability in wintertime concentrations across NYC. Different spatial
patterns for Ni and V, observable in our large spatially-distributed urban dataset, point to different sources, and
indicate the possibility of disentangling their health effects in future analyses. Factorization methods for determining
source-related suites of constituents will be refined, and LUR models developed, to explore intra-urban spatial
variation in constituent exposures.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
9B.2
Improving exposure estimates to outdoor PM2.5 by modeling time-resolved and species-specific aerosol
penetration and persistence into homes. MELISSA LUNDEN (1), Natasha Hodas (2), Barbara Turpin (2), (1)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, (2) Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Understanding the underlying causes of the adverse health effects resulting from ambient particulate matter is still of
major importance. The epidemiological studies showing adverse health effects with increased PM concentrations
are based on data from outdoor regional monitoring sites. However, human activity data show that individuals
spend, on average, about 90% of their time indoors – 70% of that in homes. Moreover, there is growing evidence
that variations in particle infiltration into indoor spaces introduce substantial spatial and temporal variations in the
relationship between central site PM and community exposure to PM of outdoor origin. Modification of outdoor
PM2.5 mass and species concentrations to account for the fate of PM of outdoor origin into the indoor environment
is key element toward reducing exposure misclassification. This research is performed under a cooperative
agreement with USEPA/NERL to refine and evaluate alternative exposure metrics in the investigation of air
pollution health effects. The refined exposure estimates being developed in this study will be applied in the
epidemiological analysis of two studies: the NJ Triggering of Myocardial Infarctions Study and the NJ Adverse
Birth Outcomes Study.
Particle transport and fate into indoors depends upon the air exchange rate, particle size distribution, and the
thermodynamic properties of specific PM species. The air exchange rate depends upon housing characteristics such
as the age and type of construction, building ventilation practices, indoor-outdoor temperature differences, and other
meteorological factors. The current work focuses on the use the Aerosol Penetration and Persistence (APP) model
developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to provide daily, location-specific exposure estimates for
subjects <10 km from an air quality monitoring location in several New Jersey (NJ) cities. We estimate air
exchange rate in two steps. First, normalized leakage distribution for individual census tracts is calculated using
variables describing the housing stock, including floor area, year built, and resident poverty status derived from US
Census data and data from the American Housing Survey. Next, the normalized leakage distributions are used to
predict time resolved air exchange rate using the LBNL infiltration model using meteorological data and
assumptions concerning the local geography. The APP model uses the air exchange rate and size- and chemicallyresolved PM2.5 to determine time resolved indoor concentrations of outdoor PM2.5. The presentation will focus on
how predicted air exchange rate distribution varies by housing characteristics and meteorology. In addition, we will
show the effect of air exchange rate and particle size and chemistry on the predicted indoor concentrations of
outdoor PM2.5.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
9B.7
Prioritizing PM Control Strategies Based on Exposure and Exposure Distributions: Diesel Emission in the
South Coast. KATHRYN R LUNDQUIST (1), Julian D Marshall (1), (1) University of Minnesota
While the link between air pollution and adverse health effects has been firmly established, methods for evaluating
policies for reducing exposures and addressing exposure inequality are still being sought. We model changes in
exposures and exposure distributions based on potential pollution reductions for specific emission sources. We use
the CAMx air dispersion model to determine concentrations of diesel particulate matter throughout California’s
South Coast Air Basin and how those concentrations would change based on various emission reduction strategies
for specific diesel sources (e.g. heavy duty trucks, ships, trains). We then employ a mobility-based exposure model
to determine the concentrations people are exposed to throughout the day. The exposure model accounts for
breathing rate variability and time spent indoors, outdoors, and in transit. We employ four comparison metrics per
scenario: average exposure, exposure efficiency (intake fraction), environmental equality (Gini coefficient), and
environmental justice (differences by socioeconomic status). Selection of metric matters: rank prioritization among
strategies differs, depending on which outcome is most of concern. Results are robust to modification in modeling
approach (for example, switching to a nonmobile exposure model). Our results illustrate new methods for bridging
the gap between sources and health outcomes, and show how alternative measures of those outcomes (for example,
efficiency versus equity) matter.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
9D.1
The Impact of Microenvironments and Activities on Personal PM2.5 Exposures among Asthmatic Children
Living in Windsor, Ontario. K. Van Ryswyk (1), X. Xu (2), J. Brook (3), R. Kulka (1), H. You (1), J. Kearney
(1), P. Rasmussen (1), L. Wallace (4) and A.J. Wheeler (1), 1Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0K9,
2University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, 3Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 4Consultant,
Reston, VA 20191
An exposure study of asthmatic children’s personal exposures to various air pollutants was conducted in Windsor,
Ontario, in 2006. The objective of this analysis was to characterize the impact of microenvironments and activities
on personal PM2.5 exposures for the children in the study. The children’s microenvironmental and activity data were
recorded using Time Activity Diaries (TAD), while continuous PM2.5 exposures were measured using portable lightscattering devices (personalDataRAM, Thermo-MIE, Inc., Smyrna, GA) to assess these impacts.
Fifty-one asthmatic children aged 8-11 completed TADs (30 minute resolution) and carried the pDRs (3 minute
resolution) in a backpack for 5 consecutive days in winter and summer. The pDR units were co-located with an
integrated, 24 hour, gravimetric sample using a personal environmental monitor (PEM, Chempass System
R&P/Thermo, Waltham, MA.). Comparisons between collocated PEMs and pDRs demonstrated a good agreement
(R2=74%). The pDRs did over-estimate (47%) PM2.5 levels compared to the gravimetric concentrations.
Based on the TAD data, the children spent approximately 68% (winter) and 75% (summer) of their time indoors at
home. In winter, the next most common microenvironment was at school (17%), while in summer it was outdoors
(17%). In both seasons, 3% of their time was spent in transit. Personal activities were categorized into sedentary
(non-particle generating activity) and several typical particle generating activities. The children were involved in
sedentary activities (watching TV, reading, homework, night sleep, etc.) during 59% (winter) and 66% (summer) of
the monitoring periods.
Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models were used to examine the effect of microenvironments and
activities on elevated personal PM2.5 exposure in winter and summer, while accounting for autocorrelation and
clustering. The lowest average concentrations of personal PM2.5 for both winter and summer were during sedentary
activities and when indoors at home. These conditions were therefore used as the referent conditions in the GEE
models. A total of 7053 (winter) and 6520 (summer) thirty minute periods of matched TAD and pDR data were
included in the models. Microenvironmental GEE models for winter and summer both indicated elevated levels of
personal PM2.5 during transit relative to indoors at home (winter ratio 2.1:1 p<0.001, summer ratio 1.8:1 p=0.009).
Significantly elevated levels of personal PM2.5 were associated with cooking relative to sedentary activities (winter
ratio 2.0:1 p=0.001, summer ratio 1.7:1 p=0.008). Several differences in the winter and summer models were noted
for both microenvironments and activity.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
9D.2
Importance of non-residential environmental concentration in exposure assessment in Korea. KIYOUNG
LEE (1), Wonho Yang (2), (1) Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, (2) Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu,
Korea
Information on time spent in microenvironments plays a critical role for personal exposure to environmental
pollutants. Unlike several large-scale studies in Western countries, no comprehensive research on time-activity
patterns for exposure assessment has been conducted in Korea. We investigated determinants of residential indoor
and transportation times of individuals over 10 years old in the Korean population. The population-based study
collected time-activity patterns of 31,634 Koreans for two consecutive days. The residential indoor and
transportation times were collected for a weekday and a weekend day. The impact of sociodemographic factors on
time-activity was assessed using multiple linear regression models. The residential indoor times were 14.23 hours
for the weekday and 16.13 hours for the weekend and shorter than those in Western countries. The transportation
times were 1.75 hours for the weekday and 1.68 hours for the weekend day. Korean population spent less time at
home after the working hours. The time spent in residential indoor at 6 PM and 10 PM were about 37% and 75%,
respectively. These residential indoor time were different from the results of about 67% (6 PM) and 90% (10 PM) in
USA. The most significant factors in residential indoor time were employment status, age, monthly income, and
gender for the weekday and employment status and gender for the weekend day. The factors in transportation were
gender, employment status, and monthly income for the weekday and gender, employment status, age, and marriage
status for the weekend day. Determinants of the time-activity pattern need to be taken into account in exposure
assessment, epidemiological analyses, and exposure simulations, as well as in the development of preventive
strategies. Since Korean population activity patterns are substantially different from those in Western countries, this
information could be critical for exposure assessment in Korea.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
13C.2
Mobile and Fixed-Site Characterization of Valley Winter Wood Smoke Concentrations in Northern NY
Using Highly Time-Resolved Measurements. GEORGE ALLEN (1) Paul Miller (1) Lisa Rector (1), (1)
NESCAUM
Woodsmoke from space heating may be thought of as natural, but there is ample evidence that wood burning emits
significant quantities of known health damaging pollutants, with PM2.5 being the largest health threat from
woodsmoke. The increasing popularity of wood-fired heating appliances in cold winter climates, both in rural areas
as well as increasingly in more suburban and urban areas, has focused attention on increasing woodsmoke
exposures. Woodsmoke is a major concern in northern climates with valley topography, where night-time
inversions can limit dispersion of ground-level pollutant sources. An intensive characterization of ambient
woodsmoke was performed in the Adirondacks in northeastern NY state during the winter of 2008-2009. Highly
time-resolved measurements of woodsmoke PM were made for four months at eight fixed sites and two mobile
routes using Aethalometers (TM) and nephelometers to provide data with both high spatial and temporal resolution.
The “Delta-C” optical absorption method using the two-wavelength Aethalometer (black carbon or BC at 880 nm
and a similar measurement at 370 nm) was used as a specific semi-quantitative measurement of local woodsmoke
PM at all eight fixed sites. A nephelometer was used at two of the fixed sites to provide an estimate of PM2.5 from
all sources. The mobile measurements used both methods.
A total of 14 mobile runs were made during the study - ten in the northern domain and four further south where
valley topography was less of a factor. Mobile runs were done overnight, from 9 pm to 3am to catch the peak
woodsmoke hours. Fixed site measurements ran for the entire study duration. Woodsmoke was the only significant
contributor to elevated valley PM concentrations overnight. Short-term PM concentrations (minutes to an hour)
frequently exceeded 100 micrograms/cubic meter. Concentrations in individual plumes exceeded several hundred
micrograms/cubic meter. Woodsmoke was consistently found at valley bottoms where the majority of the
population lives, and approached zero at high elevations. Mixing heights on calm wind inversion nights were
estimated to often be less than 150 meters based on data from one fixed site that was partially out of the valley.
Analysis of diurnal profiles showed woodsmoke levels peaking near midnight; a secondary peak was observed
around 7 AM. These peaks are consistent with wood heating use patterns. A distinct woodsmoke minimum was
observed during mid-day when sources were minimal and dispersion was improved. The diurnal analysis of BC and
DC also allow a relative assessment of the contribution of local mobile sources to PM2.5 for the towns in this study.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
13C.4
Air pollution during a large tyre fire: the benefits of real-time air monitoring in aiding public health risk
assessments. ANDREW KIBBLE, Laura Mitchem, Toby Smith (1) Robert Carr (2), (1) Centre for Radiation,
Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom (2) West Midlands North,
Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom
On Tuesday 8th September 2009, a large tyre recycling facility storing 10,000 tonnes of shredded tyres caught fire,
producing dense plumes of black smoke which over the next 10 days dispersed over the town of Wem, North
Shropshire, UK.
The UK Environment Agency, in consultation with the Health Protection Agency, deployed real-time air quality
monitoring equipment to the scene. Ambient air sampling was undertaken at a number of locations downwind of the
fire based on forecasted modelling predictions of the plume, observations at the scene and locations of susceptible
receptors within the town. Monitoring focused on particulate matter including PM10 and PM2.5 and gases such as
sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, phosphine, hydrogen chloride and acrolein which may have
been contained in the smoke plume.
To aid the risk assessment for particulate matter, a value of 150 micrograms per cubic meter as a 24-hour average
was used as a guideline against which to consider public health interventions such as the evacuation of local
susceptible residents. This was based on the World Health Organisation who set a series of 24-hour average interim
targets for developing countries around the world that experience higher levels of particulate matter. The highest
target on their list is 150 micrograms per cubic meter as a 24-hour average. This is described as ‘relating roughly to
a 5% increase in mortality, an impact that would be of significant concern and one for which immediate mitigation
actions would be recommended.’
The fire generated local concentrations of PM10 well above the UK Air Quality Strategy objective of 50 micrograms
per cubic meter (measured as a 24-hour mean). Hourly average PM10 concentrations varied between 6 and 880
micrograms per cubic meter, whilst the 24-hour mean PM10 concentrations ranged from 14 to 194 micrograms per
cubic meter with typical averages between 100 to 125 micrograms per cubic meter. However, monitoring
demonstrated that these concentrations were not sustained over the period of the fire. Data for gaseous pollutants
was generally below limits of detection or relevant health based standards.
The monitoring data also provided valuable information on the possible importance of peak concentrations within
each 24-hour period. During the afternoon of the first day of the fire, PM10 concentrations spiked at over 6000
micrograms per cubic meter which necessitated the need for shelter advice to local populations.
Despite unfavourable weather conditions and the prolonged nature of the fire, monitoring data showed that elevated
PM10 concentrations were not sustained and within several days concentrations were only slightly above typical
ambient concentrations. Monitoring data was used to inform regular advice to local residents and health care
providers during the duration of the fire.
This case demonstrates the importance of real time air quality monitoring during an incident to aid public health
decision making and minimising the impact of fires on the local community.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
13C.5
Measurements of Mobile Source Air Pollutants in Urban Microenvironments. Eric Fujita (1), David Campbell
(1), Barbara Zielinska (1), Ted Johnson (2), Jill Mozier (2), (1) Desert Research Institute, Reno NV (2) TRJ
Environmental Inc, Raleigh NC
Exposures to hazardous air pollutants (HAP) vary greatly within an urban area due to both varying proximity,
magnitude, and mix of emissions, and temporal variations in source strengths and varying meteorological
conditions. Consequently, estimates of HAP exposures derived from extrapolations of ambient fixed site
measurements or exposure surrogates (e.g., source proximity) are prone to uncertainty. The Exposure Classification
Project measures pollutant concentrations within urban microenvironments relative to pollutant concentrations at
neighborhood-scale fixed site monitors in order to expand and update derived micro-environmental factors used in
exposure models and epidemiological studies.
Microenvironmental measurements were made in three communities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area (CarsonLong Beach, downtown Los Angeles, and Alhambra-Monterey Park) during three field campaigns (SeptemberOctober 2008, February-March 2009, and July 2009). Microenvironments included in-vehicle, outdoor (e.g., parks,
school playgrounds, parking lots, bus stops) and indoor locations accessible to the general public (e.g., shopping
malls, grocery/retail stores, restaurants, underground garages, community centers). Personal breathing zone
concentrations of PM2.5 mass, ultrafine particle number, black carbon, volatile air toxics (i.e., benzene, toluene,
ethylbenzene, xylenes, 1,3-butadiene), and related pollutants (CO, CO2, VOC, NO/NOx, O3) were measured.
Indoor and outdoor measurements were made using a cart-mounted monitoring system that was mounted in the
passenger area of a minivan for in-vehicle measurements. Several instruments were replicated on the cart and in the
van allowing for either duplicate measurements or simultaneous measurements inside and outside the van. Outdoor
measurements were made immediately following or preceding indoor measurements to estimate fixed site monitorlocal relationships and penetration factors for gaseous and particulate pollutants. In-vehicle measurements were
made for various types of roads and traffic conditions in Los Angeles County. Diurnal/seasonal ratios and
correlations of microenvironmental pollutant concentrations to the corresponding neighborhood-scale ambient
concentrations will be presented with respect the varying mix of diesel and automobile traffic as will in-vehicle
pollutant concentrations under varying ventilation conditions for light-duty vehicles with several different body
styles with and without in-cabin particle filters. Black carbon, NO, and PM2.5 were measured simultaneously inside
and outside the vehicle. Penetration factors derived from simultaneous inside/outside ratios at minimum/maximum
ventilation conditions will be presented.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
13C.7
Characterization of Hazardous Air Pollutants in a Large Industrial Area in Korea. SUNG-OK BAEK (1),
Young-Kyo Seo (1), (1) Yeungnam University, Korea
This study was carried out to characterize the occurrence and concentrations of a wide range of HAPs in the
atmosphere of Sihwa-Banwol, the largest industrial area in Korea, where more than 8,000 industrial companies are
located. Temporal, spatial, and seasonal variations of HAPs concentrations were investigated by field monitoring in
4 sites (two industrial and two non-industrial sites) throughout two years from August 2005 to July 2007. Target
compounds included VOCs, PAHs, and heavy metals. Affecting sources on the measured levels of HAPs were also
evaluated by emission inventories. More than 80 VOCs were determined by adsorption sampling and GC/MS
analysis, including hydrocarbons, halogenated VOCs, and carbonyl compounds. Together with VOC sampling, TSP
samples were taken at same sites, and then used for the determination of PAHs and heavy metals by GC/MS
analysis and ICP analysis, respectively. Among target VOCs, benzene, toluene, xylenes, trichloroethylene appeared
to be the most ubiquitous ones, being detected in more than 80% of the total samples (approximately 1,000 data
sets). Thirty compounds were found in more than 50% of samples. In general, toluene appeared to be the most
abundant VOC, followed by xylenes, and trichloroethylene. However, the concentrations each VOC and toxic heavy
metals varied widely between sampling sites, indicating that measured VOC levels reflect the impacts of local
sources and the type of surrounding areas. Ambient levels of toluene, trichloroethylene, and some heavy metals were
much higher in industrial sites than non-industrial sites, whereas those of benzene and PAHs did not show any
significant differences between the industrial and non-industrial sites. There were different patterns of seasonal
variations in the different categories of HAPs. PAHs levels increased considerably in winter, being attributed to the
contribution of space heating within the country as well as in the neighborhood countries. However, VOCs related to
industrial emissions such as toluene, trichloroethylene, and dichloromethane showed relatively less variations
throughout a year. In general, VOC levels increased in the morning, and decreased in the afternoon, and then
increased again during the night at all areas. The increased concentration in the night-time might be attributed to not
only rush hour traffics but also stabilized atmospheric conditions. However, emission inventory data were not able
to fully explain the high levels of VOCs and heavy metals in the Sihwa-Banwol atmosphere. Finally, using the
database constructed from this study, risk assessment was carried out to identify the most significant pollutants in
this area, with respect to the carcinogenic and non-carciongenic categories. This study clearly demonstrated that a
comprehensive monitoring of ambient atmosphere can provide more realistic information on the nature of the
population exposure, which can not be simply identified by emission inventories or source investigations. Therefore,
development of any strategy for HAPs emission controls should be based on not only emission-based approaches,
but also observation-based approaches.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
13D.2
Formation of Ultrafine Particles (dp = 2 - 64 nm) from Gas-phase Reaction of D-Limonene with Ozone. CHI
PHUONG HOANG (1), Donghyun Rim (1), Andrew Persily (1), Lance Wallace (1), (1) National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Recently, the chemistry of terpenes reacting with ozone has been extensively studied. In particular, the formation of
fine and ultrafine particles from chemical reactions between ozone and d-Limonene has been reported from
experiments performed either in small-scale chambers or in laboratory chambers or actual offices. Nevertheless,
most of the studies have typically measured only particles with a diameter of 10 nm or larger. There is little
information regarding the formation of freshly nucleated aerosol particles with diameters less than 10 nm that are an
essential component of particle nucleation and growth.
This study is to characterize ultrafine particles (dp = 2-64 nm) generated from gas-phase reaction of d-Limonene and
ozone. The concentrations of reactants were close to realistic indoor levels: 2-8 ppb for d-Limonene and 3-15 ppb
for ozone. A series of experiments were conducted in a 4-L glass chamber with the aid of a scanning mobility
particle sizer (SMPS) to investigate particle nucleation and growth. The SMPS (TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN) has a
nano-differential mobility analyzer (nano-DMA) allowing a lower bound diameter of 2 nm, with a water-based
condensation particle counter (CPC) (Model 3786, TSI, Inc. Shoreview, MN). The study results show the formation
of nano-sized particles as low as 4.0 nm and the effect of reactant concentrations on particle number levels.
The reactions were studied with either an excess of d-Limonene or an excess of ozone to determine the effect on
particle number, size, and mass concentration. Condensation and first and second generation oxidation processes had
strong effects on these parameters. The results of these measurements at environmental levels may be used to better
estimate personal exposures and indoor concentrations of ultrafine particles due to ozone-limonene reactions.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.126
Short-term and Long-term Variability of PM2.5 Mass and Composition in the Soputheatern U.S. Eric S.
Edgerton, John J. Jansen, Justin T. Walters, (1) Atmospheric Research & Analysis, Inc., (2) Southern Company, (3)
Southern Company
The Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH) network consists of eight sites arranged in
urban-rural pairs near the cites of Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL, Pensacola, FL and Gulfport, FL. SEARCH has
been measuring PM2.5 mass and composition using discrete 24-hour (filter-based) techniques since mid-1998 (>10
years). Discrete analytes include major ions by ion chromatography, minor and trace elements by x-ray
fluorescence and organic and elemental carbon by thermal-optical reflectance. Continuous (hourly or better)
measurements of major ions, organic and elemental carbon have also been performed at all SEARCH sites since
mid-2002 (i.e., >5 years). These time series of discrete and continuous observations provide a unique opportinuty to
evaluate concentration variability across a range of temporal and spatial scales. For example, annual average
concentrations for PM2.5 mass have generally declined over the 10-year period of record at all SEARCH sites. Has
this decline been accompanied by a change in relative composition of PM2.5 and, if so, has this change been
consistent at urban, rural, coastal and inland sites in SEARCH? What role doe seasonality play in long-term
behavior of PM2.5 and constituents? Continuous measurements will then be used to explore underlying reasons for
secular changes. For example, are long-term changes associated with shifting diel patterns and/or an overall shift in
the cumulative distribution function for one or more variables?
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.192
Understanding the Role of Traffic Emissions on Near-Road Air Quality and Population Exposures.
RICHARD BALDAUF (1), Gorge Bowker (2), Laurie Brixey (3), Fu-Lin Chen (2), Seung-Hyun Cho (1,4), Dave
Davies (4), Ian Gilmour(4), Brian Gullett (1), Gayle Hagler (1), Mike Hays (1), David Heist(2), Jason Herrington
(1), Vlad Isakov(2), Andrey Khlystov (5), Sue Kimbrough(1), John Kinsey(1), Todd Krantz(4), Jeff Lantz(2), Tom
Long(1), John McGee(4), David Olson(2), Steve Perry(2), Patricia Rowley(1), Robert Seila(2), Richard Shores(1),
Richard Snow (6), Eben Thoma(1), Alan Vette(2), Nealson Watkins(7), Jason Weinstein(2), Donald Whitaker(2),
Ronald Williams(2), (1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk
Management Research Laboratory, (2) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and
Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, (3) Alion Inc., (4) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, (5) Duke
University, College of Engineering, (6) Arcadis Inc., (7) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards
In recent years, a growing number of health studies have identified increased risks of adverse health effects for
populations spending significant time near large roads. Emission inventories reveal that mobile sources significantly
contribute to local and national concentrations of a number of air pollutants. Air quality monitoring and personal
exposure studies have measured elevated concentrations and exposures to pollutants emitted directly by motor
vehicles, adding to the public health concern for adverse health effects resulting from exposures to motor vehicle
emissions.
The EPA has conducted a research program to characterize traffic impacts on near-road air pollution and its impacts
on personal exposures and human health. This research has included direct measurements of traffic activity,
meteorology, and air pollutant concentrations; measurements of personal exposure for near-road populations, wind
tunnel assessments, and computational fluid dynamics modeling. In addition, EPA has conducted research on
impacts of roadway design on the dispersion of pollutants near roads, in order to identify potentially effective
mitigation strategies. The measurement studies show how traffic intensity and meteorological conditions impact
near-road air pollutant concentrations, including effects on coarse, fine, and ultrafine particulate matter. In addition,
measurement data, wind tunnel testing, and computational fluid dynamic modeling demonstrate that air pollutant
impacts near roads may be mitigated by infrastructure design options such as the roadway configuration and
presence of roadside structures. These results have influenced the improvement of air quality and exposure models,
and supported the design of monitoring networks for regulatory and research near-road monitoring needs.
This presentation will synthesize the results of these efforts to improve understanding of the role of traffic emissions
on air quality, exposures, and ultimately public health.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.200
EPA/FHWA Near-Road Study – Las Vegas Implementation and Experience. SUE KIMBROUGH (1), R.
Shores (1), D. Whitaker (1), B. Mitchell (1), R. Baldauf (1),A. Vette (1), D. Vallero (1), Carry Croghan (1), G.
Hagler (1), J. Hirtz (1), Victoria Martinez, Kevin Black,, (1) U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
Research & Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, (2) Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, (3)
Federal Highway Administration, Baltimore, MD.
EPA, in collaboration with FHWA, has been involved in a large-scale monitoring research study in an effort to
characterize particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and mobile source air toxics
(MSATs) near highways. The study design, based on a detailed monitoring protocol, calls for consecutive year-long
studies to be conducted in three cities (Las Vegas, NV; Detroit, MI; and tentatively Raleigh, NC). The first study
city is Las Vegas, NV, with data covering December, 2008-December, 2009.
The primary objective of the research study is to determine PM2.5 and MSAT concentrations and variability as a
function of distance from the highway. Other relevant factors include highway vehicle activity, such as traffic
counts, vehicle types and speeds. All analyses need to consider the effect of meteorological conditions such as wind
speed and wind direction. Additional supporting measurements include criteria gases and particulate matter
components (e.g., black carbon, particle number). Specifically, the data will be used to address the following goals:
1. Identify the existence and extent of elevated air pollutants near roads.
2. Determine how vehicle operations and local meteorology influence near-road air quality for criteria and toxic air
pollutants.
3. Collect data that will be useful in evaluating and refining, if necessary, models used to determine the emissions
and dispersion of motor vehicle related pollutants near roadways.
This paper will summarize the site selection process, project implementation activity and provide preliminary results
of this effort to date.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.201
EPA/FHWA Near-Road Study – Characterization and Variability of Pollutant Concentrations. SUE
KIMBROUGH (1), R. Shores (1), D. Whitaker (1), B. Mitchell (1), R. Baldauf (1), A. Vette (1), D. Vallero (1),
Carry Croghan (1), G. Hagler (1), J. Hirtz (1), Victoria Martinez, Kevin Black., (1) U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Research & Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, (2) Federal Highway Administration,
Washington, DC, (3) Federal Highway Administration, Baltimore, MD.
EPA, in collaboration with FHWA, has been involved in a large-scale monitoring research study in an effort to
characterize particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and mobile source air toxics
(MSATs) near highways. The study design, based on a detailed monitoring protocol, calls for consecutive year-long
studies to be conducted in three cities (Las Vegas, NV; Detroit, MI; and tentatively Raleigh, NC). The first study
city is Las Vegas, NV, with data covering December, 2008-December, 2009.
This project is unique in the fact that it is a year long study allowing an analysis of long-term trends in a near-road
environment. Most other near-road studies have been or are short-term (less than 6-month) intensives. Moreover,
enhancements to the protocol include (1) continuous particle counters; (2) SO2 analyzers, (3) semi-continuous GCs;
(4) EC/OC analyzer and (5) nephelometer.
Two of the objectives of the EPA/FHWA Near-Road Las Vegas Research Study are to: 1) identify the existence and
extent of elevated air pollutants near roads; and 2) determine how vehicle operations and local meteorology
influence near-road air quality for criteria and toxic air pollutants.
Critical measurements at the 10 meter roadside, 100 meter downwind, 300 meter downwind and 100 meter upwind
include the following: TO-11A cartridge (DNPH) sampling (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde); TO-15 canister sampling
(1,3-butadiene, benzene, acrolein); DNSH cartridge sampling (acrolein); semi-continuous gas chromatograph (GCPID); continuous gas monitoring (CO, NOx ); continuous black carbon monitoring; continuous fine particle (PM10,
PM2.5, PM-coarse); integrated PM2.5; continuous particle counts (6nm - 3 m); and wind speed/wind direction.
Continuous SO2 and CO2 measurements were conducted at the 100 meter downwind and 100 meter upwind site. An
elemental carbon/organic carbon (EC/OC) analyzer and nephelometer was utilized at the 100 meter upwind site. A
full meteorological station was located at the 100 meter downwind site. The Nevada Department of Transportation
provided the traffic data (vehicle count, vehicle speed, vehicle length).
This paper will characterize the variability of pollutant concentrations that have been observed over the past year at
the Las Vegas monitoring site and provide an analysis of the traffic vs. pollutant concentrations as a function of
distance from the roadway.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.214
Healthy Urban Atmospheres (HUA) – Observational Studies from Year One of New Zealand's Exposure
Research Programme. I. Longley (1), G.Coulson (1), G.Olivares (1), (1) National Institute of Water &
Atmiopsheric Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand
Healthy Urban Atmospheres (HUA) is an 8-year research programme funded by the New Zealand Government
(through the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology) which began in 2008. It has three main objectives,
one of which is to develop the knowledge base around exposure of populations and individuals to ambient air
pollutants, and develop exposure assessment tools to aid health studies and air quality management policies. The
aim is to generate both new understanding of exposure in New Zealand whilst developing knowledge of global
significance. The research strategy consists of building up layers of information including a) spatial variation in air
quality at a range of scales, b) time-activity-microenvironment profiles for New Zealanders, c) modification for
different personal vulnerabilities, d) application of combined models in epidemiological study and policy
assessment. With the Programme a year and a half old we present initial results in a range of tasks within HUA: 1)
two intensive observation/modelling studies of km-scale spatial variation in urban air quality, 2) minute-by-minute
observations of indoor PM10 in a month-long in-situ study in wood-burning homes in winter, and 3) a 2-week
observational study of in-vehicle exposure to ultrafine particles in cars in busy traffic. Each of these observational
studies are designed to capture sufficiently high resolution data (from a second up to a minute) and multiple species
and indicators (e.g. particle mass and number, black carbon, and a range of trace gases) to permit study of not just
concentrations arising, but to distinguish emission sources and study the physical processes of emission, dispersion,
removal and microenvironmental air exchange. Through these studies we have begun to explore how fixed-point
ambient monitoring is related to personal exposure in two key microenvironments (the home and the car).
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.215
Exposure of Children to Coarse Particulate Matter During Physical Education at Schools. MARTIN BRANIS
(1), Jiri Safranek (2), (1) Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Czech Republic (2) Charles University in
Prague, Faculty of Physical Education, Czech Republic
Introduction
The relevance of coarse dust for health was emphasized by Brunekreef and Forsberg (2005), who reviewed
epidemiological evidence of the effects of coarse airborne particles on health. In studies of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, asthma and respiratory admissions, coarse particulate matter (PM) was shown to have a stronger
or as strong short-term effect as fine PM, suggesting that coarse PM may lead to adverse responses in the lungs,
triggering processes leading to hospital admissions. These findings underline the importance of studies aimed at
characterization of coarse particles generated indoors during human activity, such as exercise in school gyms and
sports arenas because higher concentrations of coarse particles are known to be related, among others, to increased
prevalence of asthma.
Methods
We have analyzed coarse particulate matter content in three (urban, suburban and rural) school gymnasiums during
20 campaigns 7-12 days long covering all seasons of a year. Particulate matter was sampled (24-hour integrates)
indoors and outdoors by a pair of personal cascade impactor samplers (PCIS) and continuously by a pair of
DustTrak nephelometers (PM2.5). Particles were also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy
dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The number of physical education hours and number of exercising students
were registered in a detailed diary.
Results
A strong correlation between the number of exercising students or number of teaching hours and coarse PM levels in
all the three gyms was found. The different slopes of linear regression equations suggested that the resuspension rate
may depend not only on the number of exercising students but also on the frequency and efficiency of cleaning.
SEM-EDS analysis showed that coarse PM in the gyms was composed of inorganic soil/crustal particles but also of
a number of particles of organic origin, such as skin flakes, mite fragments and mold fibers.
Conclusions
Considering the fact that, during aerobic exercise, inhaled air is taken in predominantly through the mouth the
filtration effect of upper respiratory pathways may be limited and increased amount of coarse particles can penetrate
deeper in the lungs. As shown by Fox et al. (2005), Smedje and Norback (2001) or Daisey et al. (2003) higher levels
of coarse particles may be responsible for higher bacterial contamination in crowded school areas, which may result
in serious health problems including infections, allergies, and respiratory irritation.
Support: Czech Ministry of Education Youth and Sports grant No. NPVII 2B08077.
References
Brunekreef, B., and Forsberg, B. (2005), Eur. Respir. J. 26, 309–318.
Daisey, J.M., Angell W.J., and Apte, M.G. (2003), Indoor Air. 13, 53-64.
Fox, A., Harley, W., Feigley, C., Salzberg, D., Toole, C., Sebastianc, A., and Larssonc, L. (2005), J. Environ.
Monitor. 7, 450 – 456.
Smedje, G., Norback, D. (2001), Int. J. Tubercul. Lung Dis. 5(11), 1059-1066.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.216
Multisite study of ambient sub-micrometer and ultrafine particles in the central Taiwan airshed during cold
months. Yi-Ting Wang, Hung-Chieh Hsu, LI-HAO YOUNG, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
The objective of this study is to characterize the spatial and temporal variations of ambient sub-micrometer and
ultrafine particles (UFPs) in the central Taiwan airshed in the autumn/winter. Four Taiwan EPA air quality sites
were selected for field sampling during October, 2007 to January, 2009. The sampling sites are 20-40 km spatially
apart and nominally represent urban, urban-downwind, industrial, and rural areas, respectively. We used a sequential
mobility particle spectrometer and condensation particle counter (SMPS/CPC) to measure the number size
distributions of 0.01 – 1 um particles. The aerosol data were analyzed along with on-site air pollutant and
meteorological data acquired from the Taiwan EPA air quality monitoring sites. The measured average UFP (< 0.1
um) number concentration was 17500 cm-3, which is comparable to that observed in many urban cities worldwide.
The urban site, in particular, showed substantially higher UFP number concentrations than the other sites, of which
the concentrations were similar. Temporally, peak UFP number concentrations consistently coincided with the
morning and evening rush-hour periods and, as expected, showed the strongest correlations with CO and NOx. This
suggests an important contribution from traffic emissions. However, we occasionally observed bursts of nucleation
mode particles (< 0.03 um) during midday, indicating an origin not directly associated with traffic emissions but
photochemistry. Such new particle formation events are rather unexpected in polluted air, where the average PM2.5
consistently exceeds 25 ug m-3. The UFPs, on average, accounted for 76% of measured total particle number
concentration, with a geometric mean diameter of 0.05 um and a geometric standard deviation of 2.30. The mass
concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5, on the other hand, showed poor correlations with the UFP concentrations,
confirming a widely-accepted consensus that mass concentrations are poor surrogates for number concentrations.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.217
Inter- and Intra-community Variability in Continuous Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10-2.5) Concentrations
in the Los Angeles Area. KATHARINE F. MOORE (1), Vishal Verma (1), Maria Cruz Minguillon (1),
Constantinos Sioutas (1), (1) University of Southern California
Continuous coarse particulate matter (CPM, PM10-2.5) concentrations were measured hourly at three different sites
in the Los Angeles area from April 2008 through April 2009 as part of a larger study of the characteristics and
toxicology of CPM. Mean hourly concentrations calculated seasonally ranged from less than 5 micro-g.m-3 to near
70 micro-g.m-3 at the three sites depending upon the CPM source variability and prevailing meteorology. Different
diurnal concentration profiles were observed at each site. A regression analysis suggests that CPM concentrations in
only one of the locations could be consistently explained by CPM emissions associated with motor vehicles and
meteorological factors including wind speed. CPM concentrations between the sites were not appreciably correlated
and metrics used to assess variability between the sites – the coefficients of divergence – indicated that CPM
concentrations were moderately heterogeneous. The relative CPM contribution to observed PM10 concentrations
varied by season and between sites. Additional concurrent CPM data available within a few km of the three sites
indicate that intra-community variability can be on the same order as that observed for inter-community variability,
although a similar analysis using PM10 data yielded reduced heterogeneity. The results indicate that accurate
exposure assessment to CPM in the Los Angeles area requires measurements of CPM concentrations at different
sites with higher temporal resolution than a single daily mean value.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.218
Characterization of the Nanoparticle Emissions from a LaserJet Printer to Elucidate the Formation
Mechanisms and Strategies to Reduce Airborne Exposure Levels. Zhong-Min Wang, Jeff Wagner, and Stephen
Wall, California Department of Public Health
Nanoparticles and VOCs generated from laser printers affect indoor air quality, and the associated exposure to these
pollutants must be characterized to assess the potential human health effects. Previous published studies have
considered particle concentrations and size distributions emitted from many different laser printers, confirming that
the nanoparticle concentration is related to the toner powder composition and the operating temperature of the laser
printer. However, the majority of those measurements were made after emission into an artificial chamber
environment, where the aging conditions can produce changes in aerosol morphology and surface chemistry, due to
interaction with emitted VOCs. In order to develop a more complete understanding of the origin of these pollutants
within the printer, the pollutant plume issuing directly from the printer was characterized here. In addition to
measuring the aerosol size distribution, concentration, and VOC composition, the first reported ion concentration
measurements were conducted to further understand the nanoparticles generation mechanism within the laser
printer.
Contrary to previous studies, these measurements indicate that ion initiated nucleation could be the dominant
particle generation mechanism. Also, repeated measurements indicate that nanoparticle emission rate,
concentration, and size distribution are a function of the printing time, number of pages printed and the heating
conditions of the printer Accordingly, repeated measurements under exactly the same conditions are required to
develop a consistent characterization of the printer emissions. Measurements of the nanoparticle emissions were
determined to be very sensitive to the frequency of operation, with the highest levels produced after a sufficiently
long time between printings, with more than 10 hours required to fully cool the internal printer environment to room
temperature when more than 30 pages were printed.
In addition to the direct measurements on the printer emissions, characterizations within a typical office conference
room were also conducted. These measurements were important to determine the exposure received by all those
within a confined office space, but not directly adjacent to the operating printer. The nanoparticle number
concentration, size distribution, morphology, and chemical composition of the emitted nanoparticles at various room
locations relative to the printer were determined. These measurements, together with those of the direct printer
source emissions, suggest strategies for suppressing nanoparticle generation from the LaserJet source, thereby
reducing exposures for workers sharing the LaserJet environment.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.219
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Indoor and Outdoor Air of Shanghai, China. JIA-LIANG FENG, WenLiang Han, Ming-Hong Wu, Jia-Mo Fu, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University,
Shanghai, China
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used as flame retardants in products such as electrical and
electronic products. Since not chemically bound to materials, PBDEs can be easily released during the usage of the
equipments. Passive air samplers with polyurethane foam disk (PUF-PAS) were set up in 18 offices, 19 homes and
10 outdoor sites in summer and winter in 2008 to investigate the concentrations, seasonal variations, congener
profiles and human inhalation exposure level of PBDEs in indoor and outdoor air in Shanghai. The indoor dry
deposition of particulate PBDEs in Shanghai was also investigated.
The average outdoor air concentrations of PBDEs of Shanghai in winter (829.9 ± 556.8 pg m-3) was 2 times higer
than that of summer (468.0 ± 334.8 pg m-3), and should be caused by the seasonal change of meteorological
conditions. Congener profiles showed that BDE-209 was the dominant component (winter: 99 ± 1%, summer: 95 ±
3%) in outdoor air. Spatial variations of the PBDEs concentration indicated that industrial activities are the key
sources of the outdoor PBDEs.
The indoor air concentrations of PBDEs in offices of Shanghai (winter: 139.8 ± 107.5 pg m-3, summer: 401.1 ±
551.5 pg m-3) were slightly higher than that of homes (winter: 97.5 ± 70.7 pg m-3, summer: 300.0 ± 246.6 pg m-3), in
agreement with the intensive usage of electric and electronic equipments in offices. The indoor air concentrations of
PBDEs in summer were about 3 times that of winter. Congener profiles showed that indoor air contained more
Penta- and Octa-BDEs (home: 27 ± 20% in winter and 33 ± 24% in summer for homes; 45 ± 24% in winter and 55 ±
25% in summer for offices) comparing with the outdoor air in Shanghai. The usage of electric and electronic
equipments was the main source of PBDEs in indoor environment, and interior decoration was of less importance. In
addition to indoor sources, PBDEs levels in outdoor air also had some impact on the indoor air, and this was
especially true in the summer when the ventilation was much more frequent.
The inhalation exposure of Sigma 16PBDEs were 3.4 ± 2.4 and 6.8 ± 6.5 ng day-1 in winter and summer
respectively for adults in Shanghai, which was comparable with that of Birmingham of UK and Ottawa of Canada,
higher than that of Kuwait in Asia, but obviously lower than that of Guangzhou.
The particulate deposition flux of PBDEs in homes and offices were 10.9 ± 8.2 and 14.2 ± 11.9 ng m-2 day-1
respectively in Shanghai. The particulate deposition flux in the offices was lower than that of homes, but the
concentration of PBDEs in the dry deposited particles in offices was obviously higher. BDE-209 was the major
congener (88.2-99.2%) in the indoor dust Shanghai.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.220
Factors Contributing to Regional Heterogeneity in Studies of PM Mortality. JOSEPH PINTO (1), Jason Sacks
(1), Allen Davis (1), Steven Dutton (1), Qingyu Meng (2), William Wlson (1), (1) US EPA/ NCEA, (2) ORISE
Fellow at NCEA
Observed relative risks of mortality associated with ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure in the U.S. are greater
in the East compared to the West for all multicity studies identified in the U.S. EPA’s Integrated Science
Assessment for PM. The effects observed are consistent regardless of the PM size fraction analyzed. A number of
factors could contribute to the observed regional heterogeneity in PM-mortality associations. These include:
differences in the toxicity of PM due to regional differences in PM composition, which in turn reflects differences in
source composition and the volatility of PM; and differences in a person’s exposure to ambient PM due to regional
differences in personal activity patterns, microenvironmental characteristics and the spatial variability of PM
concentrations in urban areas.
An examination of data from the chemical speciation network (CSN) indicates that East-West gradients exist for a
number of PM components. Specifically, sulfate concentrations are higher in the East than in the West and likely
lead to a larger fraction of particle bound water in eastern PM with possible implications for photochemical
reactions. Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations are higher in the West and constitute a
larger fraction of PM. Semi-volatile components constitute a significant fraction of OC. Additionally, nitrate
concentrations are highest in the valleys of central California, but similarly high concentrations are found in the
Midwest during the winter. PM in western regions tends to have more ammonium nitrate, which is also semivolatile. Semi-volatile components would tend to evaporate after penetration indoors. Trace metal concentration
distributions are not as easily discerned and could be obscured in part by sampling and chemical analysis issues.
Most multicity epidemiologic studies use mortality and PM concentration data aggregated at the county level.
Western counties tend to be much larger than eastern counties and more diverse in topography and population
characteristics. Hence, the day-to-day variations in concentration at one site, or even for the average of several sites,
may not correlate well with the day-to-day variations in all parts of the county thus potentially leading to greater
exposure error in the West.
Regional differences in behavior due to climate (e.g., more time outdoors or indoors, more or less air conditioning)
and housing stock (new homes tend to be tighter with lower infiltration ratios than older homes) may also cause
regional differences in the infiltration ratio. New home construction tends to follow population growth, which is
higher in the South and West compared to the Northeast and Midwest. In addition, activity patterns, which vary
throughout the country, could contribute to heterogeneity in health effects estimates. For example, analysis of the
RIOPA data set indicates that the fraction of time spent outdoors increased in going from Elizabeth NJ to Houston
TX to Los Angeles CA. Each of the above exposure related factors will be examined in turn to identify their possible
importance in explaining the regional heterogeneity in PM-mortality risk estimates.
(This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.221
Impact of Exposure Misclassification in Air Pollution Epidemiology: Effect of Error Type. GRETCHEN T
GOLDMAN (1), James A Mulholland (1), Armistead G Russell (1), Matthew J Strickland (2) and Paige E Tolbert
(2), (1) Georgia Institute of Technology, (2) Emory University
Introduction: Exposure measurement error is inherent to large population epidemiologic studies of ambient air
pollution health effects and this error can have significant implications for interpretation of results. In ongoing timeseries studies of ambient air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory and cardiovascular
diseases, we have been exploring the impact of measurement error on the log-linear regression of populationweighted average levels of twelve ambient air pollutants (NO2, NOx, SO2, CO, O3, PM10, PM2.5, and PM2.5
components sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic carbon and elemental carbon) and daily ED counts through Monte
Carlo simulation of error. The modeled measurement error is inclusive of instrument precision error and error
resulting from the lack of correlation between monitors over space. The latter is the larger component of
measurement error, particularly for primary air pollutants.
Methods: Two extremes in the conceptual framework of error type are classical error, in which measurement error is
independent of the true value, and Berkson error, in which actual exposures vary independently about an average
measured value. Our primary error model has been developed from collocated instrument data and geostatistical
semivariogram analysis and includes both Berkson and classical error. Here, we employ two additional error
models, a purely Berkson model and a purely classical error model, to investigate the effect of measurement error
type on health risk assessment. To compare across pollutants, risk ratios are typically expressed per interquartile
range (IQR) of the pollutant of interest; thus, we consider impacts of measurement error not only on the slope from
Poisson regression but also on the IQR.
Results and Discussion: As expected, we found that classical error results in the largest attenuation of the slope,
whereas Berkson error results in no attenuation of the slope estimate; our primary model provided results that were
within the range of these extreme case values. Differences between models in the bias to the null per IQR were not
so large, however, due to contrasting impacts of IQR on the bias. The ambient measured with error (from
simulations) has a larger IQR than the true ambient (base case) in the classical error model whereas, in the Berkson
error model, the population-weighted average ambient (base case) has a smaller IQR than the true individual
ambient levels (from simulations). Average bias to the null estimates due to measurement error using the Berkson
and classical models were 3.5% (1.7% standard deviation) and 4.8% (1.7%), respectively, for the secondary
pollutant O3, 12.1% (3.8%) and 19.3% (3.3%) for PM2.5 organic carbon of mixed primary and secondary origin, and
21.8% (5.3%) and 38.5% (4.5%) for the primary pollutant CO. Our primary error model results, incorporating both
Berksonian and classical features, tend to yield bias to null results between these results. In light of these differences
in measurement error associated with each pollutant, both magnitude and type of error should be considered in
assessing the impact of measurement error in time-series epidemiologic studies of air pollution.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.222
Summary of Results of the Duwamish Valley Regional Modeling and Health Risk Assessment, Seattle,
Washington. Gary Palcisko (1), Elmer Diaz (2), Lenford O'Garro (2), (1) Washington State Department of
Ecology, Washington (2) Washington State Department of Health, Washington
The Duwamish Valley is an industrialized area in south Seattle. Residents from two communities in the area,
Georgetown and South Park, asked the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to conduct an assessment of
the impacts that air pollution may have on their health. The objectives of this study were to identify which air
pollutants are key contributors to acute and/or chronic health risk, what sources are the key contributors to acute
and/or chronic health risk, and to what degree are different geographic areas of south Seattle impacted by air
emissions in the Duwamish Valley. The Air Toxics Hotspots Analysis and Reporting Program (HARP) developed
by California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was the primary tool used to model air emissions from
multiple sources (e.g., stationary and mobile emissions) in south Seattle. Air emission sources in the Duwamish
Valley include point, mobile and wood stove sources. The dispersion and ground level impact of these emissions
were then modeled using local meteorological and terrain conditions. Non-cancer hazards and cancer risks were
calculated based on modeled ground level pollutant concentrations at many locations throughout the project area.
Modeling results indicated diesel soot and wood smoke are the main contaminants that raise the pollution levels in
the area and increase potential health risks for residents. Diesel soot presents the biggest health threat. Potential
health risks are higher for people who live near major pollution sources. This study reaffirms findings of an earlier
Puget Sound air toxic evaluation conducted in Seattle by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in 2003, and is
consistence with National Air Toxics (NATA), Portland Air Toxics Assessment (PATA), South Coast, California
Air Toxics Resources Board (CARB), and Vancouver Metro.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.223
Intra- and Inter-community variability in total particle number concentrations in the eastern Los Angeles air
basin. NEELAKSHI HUDDA (1), Katharine F Moore (1), Ka Lam Cheung (1), Constantinos Sioutas (1), (1) Sonny
Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engg, University of Southern California.
Ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter less than 0.1 micro-meter) are highly variable in urban environments due to their
numerous sources and short atmospheric lifetimes. Therefore, total particle number concentrations (PNC) can vary
significantly on relatively small spatial and temporal scales (10 – 100s of meters, < 60 seconds). As total particle
number and PM2.5 mass concentrations are poorly correlated, estimating UFP exposures based upon extrapolating
regulatory data from a central monitoring station may produce misleading results in urban environments. In order to
quantify the variability of PNC both within and between communities, a network of seven sites measuring total
particle number concentration at one minute resolution was operated in the eastern Los Angeles basin from Fall
2008 through Fall 2009. Meteorological parameters were measured at each site throughout the campaign at the
same temporal resolution and particle size distribution measurements were also added at three sites from late
Summer 2009. In addition to a sampling site near downtown Los Angeles operated for context, the other sites were
within 50 – 20 km of each other. This is a downwind pollutant “receptor” area companion study to a recent project
conducted in to the vicinity of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Total PNC and size distribution data from
this upwind pollutant “source” area were largely dominated by fresh motor vehicle emissions. (Moore et al., (2009),
Aerosol Science and Technology, 43:587–603, Krudysz et al., (2009), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 1061–1075). This
eastern Los Angeles monitoring study was specifically designed to investigate the role of transport, photochemical
processing and aerosol aging. Preliminary analysis of the data from November 2008 – September 2009 suggests that
the diurnal pattern in total PNC is markedly different from that observed during the earlier study in the “source” area
where concentrations were dominated by emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles. Two daily peaks – one
associated with the morning commute and one slightly smaller but broader in the early evening – are typically
observed in the “receptor” region although the exact timing of the peaks varies by the time of year. The highest
monthly average concentrations (up to 50,000 particles cm3) are observed during Winter mornings experiencing
stable stratification conditions. The coefficient of divergence (a measure of spatial homogeneity between the sites, 00.2 homogeneous by definition) is in the range 0.1 to 0.5. Relatively higher COD values are observed during winter
months compared to the summer months. The morning and evening peaks in COD values converge during the early
afternoon and overnight. Even in this receptor area, UFP can be spatially non-homogeneous. We continue to
explore the similarities and differences in observations between sites – including evidence for a regional background
particle concentration signal and will present updated results at the conference.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.224
Firefighter’s Exposure Risks from Bushfire Smoke during Prescribed Burns and Wildfires. FABIENNE
REISEN (1), C.P. (Mick) Meyer (1), Dane Hansen (2), (1) CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, VIC (2) RMIT
University, Melbourne, VIC
Bushfire smoke is a complex mixture of air contaminants, many of which are hazardous if present at elevated
concentrations. Acute exposure to high levels of these air toxics may affect the immediate performance and
decision-making of firefighters. Additionally, long-term health effects may be observed due to the ongoing
exposures of firefighters to carcinogens and lung irritants present in bushfire smoke.
Assessing the impact of bushfire smoke on firefighter’s health requires knowledge of personal exposures in relation
to various work activities, fuel types, fire scenarios and firefighting practices. Personal exposure measurements of
firefighters were made between 2005 and 2008 at prescribed burns in several States of Australia. Sampling was
performed at different locations to cover a range of influencing factors, such as vegetation cover, burn types and
differences in operational aspects and burn conditions. Additionally, air toxics data were collected at wildfires in
Victoria during the summer of 2005/2006 and the summer of 2006/2007. Key air toxics measured within the
breathing zone of firefighters included carbon monoxide (CO), respirable particles, aldehydes and volatile organic
compounds. The exposures and their ability to impair health and well-being were evaluated in relation to established
occupational exposure standards (OES) that in Australia are recommended by the Australian Safety and
Compensation Council and tend to follow those in the USA and the UK.
The results indicate that primary pollutants of concern are CO and respiratory irritants (respirable particles and
aldehydes). On occasions these pollutants were measured at high concentrations within the breathing zone of
firefighters and therefore have the potential to impact firefighter’s health. Overall, exposure levels were highly
variable, and varied with work task and certain burn conditions. The lowest exposure levels were measured for
lighting crews who worked primarily upwind of the smoke. Patrol and suppression crews experienced the highest
levels of exposure to bushfire air toxics. Their exposure was the most variable of all groups and frequently exceeded
peak and average OES. The large variability observed among exposure levels for patrol crews emphasised that other
factors were important in defining smoke exposures. In particular topography, burn conditions, location at the burn
area and meteorology were all likely to influence exposures of patrol crews. Identifying situations leading to high
exposure risk will provide information to implement strategies to minimise exposure risks and adverse health
impacts.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.225
Children’s exposure to airborne PM2.5 and manganese near a ferromanganese refinery in Southeast Ohio.
MATTHEW TERRELL (1) Tiina Reponen (1) David Brown (2) Pat Ryan (1) Erin Haynes (1), 1University of
Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 2Marietta College, Marietta, OH
Occupational studies have shown that excess exposure to Mn can cause neurotoxic effects though little is known
regarding health effects of ambient Mn exposure in children. A ferromanganese refinery in Marietta, OH reports the
greatest amount of Mn fugitive air emissions in the nation. The aim of this study was to compare ambient levels of
Mn in Marietta with those in a control city (Cambridge, OH) and to compare personal air monitoring results with the
results obtained at stationary outdoor sites in Marietta. This study is part of a larger epidemiological study on the
neurotoxic effects of Mn exposure in children, the Communities Actively Researching Exposure Study (CARES).
Stationary outdoor air samples were collected at two locations: Marietta College and Robinson Hill Rd, 5 and 2
miles from the refinery, respectively. The sampling was conducted for 8 months at Marietta College (n=83) and
during three weeks at the Robinson Hill station (n=8). In Cambridge, 43 miles north of Marietta, stationary
sampling was conducted for one week per season (n=10). Stationary samples were collected on Teflon filters for
approximately 48 hours using Harvard-type PM2.5 impactors (MS&T Area Sampler; Air Diagnostics, Inc.).
Personal air samples were collected on 20 participants, ages 7-9, living in non-smoking households enrolled in
CARES. The personal sampling was conducted for 48 hours using PM2.5 samplers (Personal Modular Impactor;
SKC Inc). Time weighted average (TWA) distance was computed to determine how far the personal sample was
from the Mn refinery, based on reported activities. All air samples were analyzed for PM2.5 mass gravimetrically
and for Mn, Al, Cr and Pb using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Al was selected as a crustal
indicator element. Cr and Pb were selected because these elements are emitted from the refinery and other facilities
in Marietta.
The PM2.5 mass measured at the three stationary sites varied from 0.07 to 27.5 micrograms/cubic meter and was not
significantly different between the three sites. In contrast, Mn concentrations increased when the distance to the
refinery decreased. The geometric mean concentrations (GM) for Cambridge, Marietta College and Robinson Hill
were 2.0, 6.7, and 46.1 nanograms/cubic meter, respectively (ANOVA: p < 0.001). A similar trend was seen for Al,
Cr and Pb, but the differences were not statistically significant.
Personal samples had higher GM for PM2.5 and for the four metals than respective stationary samples. The largest
differences between personal and outdoor stationary results were found with the crustal indicator Al, which was 4.2
times higher in personal than in stationary samples (p=0.03) and with the PM2.5 mass (2.9 times higher; p=0.01).
Log-transformed TWA distance was significantly associated with log-transformed personal Mn (p=.04) and
personal Pb (p=0.01) and explained approximately 21% and 29% of the variability in personal exposure to Mn and
Pb, respectively. The results indicate that children’s PM2.5 exposure in Marietta is uniform throughout the city. Mn
exposure is associated with the child’s residential and school distance to the refinery.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.226
Relationship between Long-Term Exposure to Residential Traffic-Related Air pollution and Noise in a Study
of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Oslo, Norway. Bente Oftedal (1), Gunn Marit Aasvang (1), Ruhina Tasmin
Biswas (1), Per Nafstad (1,2), Wenche Nystad (1), Christian Madsen (1), Sam-Erik Walker (3) and PER
SCHWARZE (1), (1) Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway (2) University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (3)
Norwegian Institute of Air Research, Kjeller, Norway
Background and Objective
Air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular outcomes, and long-term exposure to traffic noise has been
linked with increased risk of myocardial infarction and hypertension. Road traffic is the main source of both air
pollution and noise. So far, the knowledge about the relative importance of these traffic-related exposures for
developing cardiovascular diseases is rather limited.
The aim of the study is to investigate the association between residential nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and traffic noise
and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This presentation will describe the study design, exposure
assessment and the relationship between residential NO2 and traffic noise.
Methods
A population-based cross-sectional study “The Oslo Health Study” (HUBRO) was conducted in 2000-2001. About
46% (N=18 770) of the invited subjects participated. They answered a questionnaire, and blood pressure, serum
cholesterol and serum triglycerides were measured. In 2009 a follow-up questionnaire was submitted, collecting
information on noise annoyance, noise sensitivity, sleep disturbances and bedroom orientation. The data will be
linked to different health registries including the Death registry of Norway.
Based on emissions, meteorology, topography and background air pollution concentrations, the EPISODE
dispersion model calculated hourly NO2 concentrations for each km2 and at thousands of receptor points. NO2
exposure was assigned to each participant’s home addresses during 2000-2006. Traffic noise was assessed for 2006
for buildings within 500m from roads with high traffic counts, 300m from medium traffic roads, 300m from nearest
railway and 150m from nearest subway/tram. The noise level indicators Lden (day-evening-night level) and Lnight
(nighttime equivalent noise level) were calculated outside the most exposed façade of each house using the Nordic
Prediction Method for Railway and Road traffic noise. Those who lived at the same address in 2000 and 2006 were
included (N=11 871 for road traffic noise and N=3 325 for railway noise).
Results
The NO2 levels ranged from 0.5 to 65.2 microg/m3. The noise levels (Lden) ranged from 27.1 to 79.5 dB for road
traffic noise and from 27.0 to 73.5 dB for railway noise, with lower levels for Lnight. Pearson’s correlation
coefficient (r) was 0.44 between NO2 and road traffic noise (Lden) and r=0.16 between NO2 and railway noise.
Conclusion
Differences in modelling of exposure including grid resolution, traffic data and spatial and meteorological aspects
may explain the moderate correlations between traffic-related air pollution and road traffic noise. Further insight
into the differences and similarities in the assessment approach for each pollutant is necessary to increase the
epidemiological knowledge about the potential effects of these environmental exposures in cardiovascular disease.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.227
Population exposure to air pollutants at regional scale – a deterministic modelling approach. JOANA
FERREIRA (1), (1) CESAM, Department of Environment and Planning University of Aveiro Portugal
During the last decades, increasing importance has been given to atmospheric pollution in terms of air quality and
human health. In Southern Europe, ozone and particulate matter are the most critical pollutants in terms of air
quality and their effects on human health regarding the high levels that have been measured in some of the air
quality network monitoring stations, exceeding the legislated limit values, and affecting the populations’ health.
However, people spend most of their time indoors, thus, to evaluate the effects of air pollution on human health,
indoor air quality has also to be assessed. Hence, it is essential to estimate the concentrations of the air pollutants not
only in open air, but also in different indoor locations, called microenvironments.
Once air pollutant concentration and personal exposure measurements are limited in space and time, air quality and
exposure modelling appears as a useful tool to estimate the ambient air concentrations and the consequent human
exposure levels in densely populated areas where direct measurements are not available.
In this context, this study intends to be a contribution to the Environment-Health relation, focusing on the impacts of
air pollution on human exposure and health. Its main goal consisted on the development of an exposure module
linked to an air quality modelling system, and its application to Portugal.
Considering atmospheric modelling at regional scale as an important tool for air quality management and
assessment, the air quality modelling system MM5-CAMx, including the meteorological model MM5 and the
chemical model CAMx, was selected and validated for this study. The exposure module has been developed based
on a methodology that considers simulated air pollutant concentrations by MM5-CAMx, indoor concentrations for
the microenvironments visited by the study population obtained through the application of empirical indoor/outdoor
relations, and the daily time-activity pattern of the population based on statistical data. Using as inputs the long-term
air quality simulation results for a whole year, the module was applied to estimate the population exposure for
Portugal and Porto region (the second largest urban are of the country), indicating particulate matter as the most
worrying pollutant regarding not only air quality but mainly human exposure. On the other hand, ozone has shown
little impact on exposure despite its high air quality levels in some areas. This is due to the occurrence of higher
concentrations in low population density regions. Porto urban area exhibits high PM10 levels in terms of air quality
and exposure, being the traffic the main responsible. Simulated annual averages of PM10 outdoor air concentration
were higher than 80 micro g.m-3 in Porto region, indicating excedances to the annual limit value legislated for the
protection of human health. However, annual average exposure levels are lower than 70 micro g.m-3.(h) meaning
that, in average, a person is exposed to concentrations higher than an air quality level of 70 micro g.m-3. Emission
reduction measures are already being implemented aiming to improve air quality and thus to protect population
health.
The developed exposure module can be used in epidemiological studies as a complementary tool to the existing
probabilistic exposure models. The adopted methodology may be applied to test development scenarios or emissions
reduction strategies, aiming to evaluate air quality and health outcomes for decision making.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.228
Occupational exposure to carbon monoxide. ANA FERREIRA (1), Cristina Santos (1), Isabel Andrade (1),
Helder Simões (1), João Almeida (1), João Figueiredo (1), Nelson Sá (1), Susana Paixão (1), Liliana Claro (2), (1)
College of Health Tecnhologies, Coimbra (2) Researcher
Indoor air quality at the workplace is an important environmental factor to take into consideration since a
considerable amount of time is spent at work, where workers may be exposed to chemical, physical and biological
agents. The workers of underground, multi-storey car parks are exposed to various air pollutants mainly from motor
vehicle exhaust (incomplete combustion). In this context, Carbon monoxide is of principal concern since in high
concentrations it is extremely harmful to human health and comfort, and may even cause death. The aim of this
research was to assess the level of carbon monoxide exposure for the operators of two underground car parks (A and
B) of shopping centers in the city of Coimbra (Portugal). Levels did not exceed the carbon monoxide threshold limit
value-time weighed average (TLV-TWA) set by national standard (NP 1796: 2007) in either park. However, taking
into account international and European reference values defined by WHO, EPA, ASHRAE and AFSSET (France),
it should be noted that the average concentration of carbon monoxide recorded in park A was higher than the TLVTWA. In terms of biological evaluation, an increase was observed, as the day progressed, in the levels of carbon
monoxide measured in alveolar air exhaled by the operator (non-smoking) of park A. This research intends to draw
attention to the importance of indoor air monitoring of CO and of the use of biomarkers to undertake a
comprehensive health surveillance strategy for workers.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.229
An Investigation of Small-scale Spatial Variability in Aldehyde Concentrations through Passive Sampling
and Analysis. AMANDA M. EVANS (1) and Amy L. Stuart (1), (1) University of South Florida, Tampa
Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde have been listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency as important urban
air toxics. Health effects include increased incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer, myeloid leukemia, and exacerbation
of asthma. Regulatory monitoring networks for air toxics are typically spatially sparse. However, to understand and
mitigate exposures, it is important to quantify ambient concentration distributions at small spatial scales. This is
particularly true for aldehydes, as they have substantial emissions from mobile sources, which may increase with the
use of reformulated fuels.
Here, a pilot study was designed and performed to investigate variability in concentrations of aldehydes within one
U.S. census block group area in Tampa, Florida. A literature review was first done to select and evaluate current
passive sampling and analysis methods. Radiello diffusive 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridges for the
sampling and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the analysis were chosen. An HPLC instrument
was then set-up for separation using the new Restek Allure AK (aldehyde-ketone) column and detection of
aldehyde-DNPH derivatives, at 365 nm using an ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer. Multi-point calibration
curves were established for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, the lower limits of determination were calculated, and a
control chart was constructed for quality control purposes. Sampling and analysis standard operating procedures
were also written for these procedures, in accordance with US EPA and California Air Resource Board protocols,
with modifications for equipment and material specifics. A spatial sampling network was then designed for an
urban census block group that also contained a currently operating regulatory monitor for both ozone and carbonyls.
Seventeen samplers, with two pairs collocated as duplicates, were deployed in an (approximately) 0.3 km resolution
grid pattern for one week in late fall 2009. Two samplers were also used as a laboratory blank and a field blank.
Collected samples and blanks were eluted with acetonitrile and analysis was performed with the HPLC.
Concentrations of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in air were determined using sampling rates that were corrected
for temperature and ozone concentration. Overall sample descriptive distribution statistics and the spatial
distribution pattern were investigated to characterize spatial variability within the block group. Measured
concentrations were also compared with values at the nearby regulatory carbonyl monitor.
In order to minimize exposure misclassification in epidemiological studies it is important to have accurate exposure
metrics. Hence, for appropriate use to determine exposures, the spatial scales that concentration measurements
represent must be understood. Results of this pilot study provide data on the variability of formaldehyde and
acetaldehyde concentrations over the census block group scale. This knowledge and the methods established will be
used in a larger field campaign to characterize the spatial distribution of concentrations throughout the county, for
analysis of environmental equity and health impacts.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.230
Using ambient monitoring data for a land use regression model in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Israel.
ILAN LEVY (1), (1) Environment Canada
Land Use Regression (LUR) models have been used in recent years as an important source of information for fine
detailed data on the special distribution of primary air pollutants in a large number of cities in Europe and North
America.
However, these models are often based on a short measurement period, typically a few weeks long, that is regarded
as representative for the entire season, or even the entire year. Using measurements from continuous ambient
monitoring networks may help in creating LUR models that are better resolved in time, i.e., by seasons,
weekdays/weekends and even time of day.
The study presented here examines the use of existing ambient monitoring sites in the Greater Tel Aviv metropolitan
area (280 km2) in Israel for developing a land use regression model for NO2. 14 monitoring sites are used, as well as
information about roads, population, land use and geolocation. Predictors were derived for each monitoring site at
50, 150, 300, 500 and 1000m buffers, as well as eight 90 degree wedges to account for wind direction.
The small number of monitoring sites seem to be a limiting factor as not all predictors exist for all sites, and the
range of predictor values does not always cover the entire feasible range. Preliminary results for the summer season
show the roads network to be the dominant predictor. The regression model for the summer includes distance to
highways, distance to main roads, sum of all roads within 150m wedge centered at south-west and the population
density at the 500m wedge centered at north-east. R2 for the summer is 0.63 and the root mean square error (RMSE)
is 3.8ppbv.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.231
Spatial and Temporal Variation of Speciated PM2.5 in Denver, CO. Teresa Coons (1), STEVEN DUTTON
(2), Jennifer Peel (3), Sverre Vedal (4), Mike Hannigan (1), (1) University of Colorado, Boulder (2) EPA, NCEA,
RTP, (3) Colorado State University, (4) University of Washington, Seattle
As part of the Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study, a six-year time-series of daily fine particulate
matter was collected at one centrally-located site in Denver, Colorado. This site was located on the rooftop of an
elementary school that was not near any major localized PM2.5 emission sources. The collected samples were
chemically speciated for ions, elemental carbon, total organic carbon, water soluble metal species, and organic
molecular markers. The resulting time-series of chemical species has been used in a source apportionment effort.
Both the chemical species and source contribution time-series are being compared to daily health data collected
from nearby hospitals including mortality and hospitalization rates in an effort to identify associations between
sources (or chemical components) and health effects. As with any epidemiology study, there was a concern about
the representativeness of one site to characterize the exposure in the entire urban area.
In an effort to examine the representativeness of the one DASH site, three additional sites were set up to the north,
west and south of the existing site. The site to the west was similar to the primary site in that it was located on
another elementary school roof in a neighborhood far from significant localized PM2.5 emission sources. The site
to the south was co-located with the Denver NCore site in an industrial area adjacent to the major north-south
interstate highway in Denver. The site to the north was co-located with the Denver regulatory chemical speciation
monitoring site near another major interstate highway.
For one year, samples were collected every sixth day in the same manner as the primary site. These spatial samples
were chemically speciated using the same methods as the daily DASH study. The PM2.5 collected on Teflon filters
was analyzed for total PM2.5 mass concentration via a gravimetric technique and ionic species (sulfate, nitrate,
ammonium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) concentrations via ion chromatography. Quartz fiber filters were
analyzed for elemental and organic carbon via thermal optical transmission and organic molecular markers via gas
chromatography/mass spectrometry. This speciation dataset allowed us to explore the spatial variation of the
composition of PM2.5 and investigate any seasonal dependence in the spatial variation. For example, nitrate and
sulfate concentrations around Denver were very consistent at all locations with pair-wise correlation coefficients
ranging from 0.88 to 0.99 and slopes ranging from 0.95 to 1.15 suggesting long-range or regional pollution sources
for these ionic species. In addition to correlation statistics on annual species concentration, we will present broad
spatial variation analyses using the coefficients of divergence and of variation. Similar analyses of seasonal subsets
of the speciation dataset will be presented. Finally, we will discuss implications of these results to time-series health
studies.
This is an abstract for a proposed presentation/poster and does not necessarily reflect the policies of the U.S. EPA.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.232
Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of Traffic-related PM Pollution at an International Border Crossing. Hector
A. Olvera (1), Veronica Guerrero (1), Mario Lopez (1), Wen-Whai Li (1), Department of Civil Engineering, The
University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968
The international Ports Of Entry (POEs) between El Paso, Texas and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua are significant emission
sources of hazardous air pollutants that pose serious health threat to nearby residents, custom inspectors, and bridge
users. Among the POEs between the U.S. and Mexico, the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) in El Paso has the
largest combined traffic of private and commercial vehicles. The pollution problem at the BOTA has become more
pronounced in recent years due to the increased volume of traffic and prolonged wait time for the U.S. custom
border inspection, resulting in large numbers of vehicles idling in queues that may last hours.
This poster presents temporal and seasonal variations of PM mass and number concentrations observed at the BOTA
with possible correlations to traffic and meteorological conditions. Fourteen days of continuous PM measurements
were conducted each season for 1 year (2008 - 2009). PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations were measured at 2
locations by the BOTA using Thermo TEOMs and particle number concentrations (from 5 nm to 0.02 mm) were
monitored every ten-minute at one location using a pair of TSI particle sizers (SMPS and APS). Concurrent traffic
information was recorded with a digital video recorder while meteorological information was recorded at a nearby
weather station. Approximately 2,000 heavy-duty diesel trucks and 25,000 privately own vehicles crossed the
BOTA every day during the course of the study. Temporal traffic characteristics showed distinct patterns between
commercial and private traffic creating several different emission scenarios. Commercial trucks were abundant
northbound during the morning and early afternoon hours (6:00 - 13:00 hrs) and southbound at noon and during the
afternoon hours (16:00 - 19:00 hrs). Passenger vehicles were abundant northbound most of the day and southbound
during the afternoon hours (16:00 - 19:00 hrs).
PM mass and number levels had different seasonal patterns. In general, PM mass (either PM10 or PM2.5)
concentration was high in spring and low in fall whereas the total number concentration (TNC) was high in winter
and low in summer. PM10 mass concentration had a positive correlation with wind speed whereas TNC showed a
negative correlation with the same parameter. Daily variations of PM10 and PM2.5 at the BOTA were
distinguishably different from the diurnal pattern typically observed at other regional air monitoring stations
regardless of the season. TNC, however, had similar daily variations among all four seasons, elevated throughout the
day and reached the peak in the afternoon. During the winter TNC averaged at approximately 100,000 particles per
cubic centimeter between 17:00 and 18:00 hrs that coincided with the southbound diesel-traffic peak hours. During
the entire study, ultrafine particles (PM0.1) accounted for approximately 95% of the TNC. Short-term TNC
reached as high as 1,000,000 particles per cubic centimeter when the monitor was occasionally engulfed in truck
exhausts. Overall, TNC was dominated by particles of sizes ranging from 20 and 40 nm. Associations among the
PM mass and number concentrations, traffic counts, meteorology, time of the day, and day of the week are currently
being analyzed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.233
Assessment of Community PM Exposures during Agricultural Burns using Passive Samplers and Electron
Microscopy. JEFF WAGNER (1), Kinnery Naik Patel (1), Christopher Michael Carey (2), Penelope J.E. Quintana
(2), Stephen Wall (1), Martha Harnly (1), (1) California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, (2) San Diego
State University, San Diego, CA
Particulate matter (PM) exposures during agricultural burns in Imperial Valley, California were investigated using
passive samplers originally developed at University of North Carolina (UNC). Five Bermuda grass field burn events
were sampled during Jan-March of 2009 using 24, 72, and 120-hour sampling durations. Sampling occurred at 3-8
locations surrounding each burn, generally at public access locations such as schools. The burning of each field
lasted 30-60 minutes. During 4 of these burn events, winds were calm, and the ground-level plumes were observed
to travel straight up to the inversion layer (3000 feet or higher). One burn event, however, was a potential ‘worst
exposure case’ event in which winds created a ground-level plume that enveloped two UNC samplers mounted on
telephone poles very close to the field (50-500 feet away).
Computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy / energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM/EDS) analysis
was used to measure particle sizes and elemental composition, from which mass concentrations and size
distributions were calculated. Eleven general classes of particles were detected in Imperial County, including
carbonaceous and crustal PM, sea salt, spores, plant fragments, and soot agglomerates. To determine accuracy,
UNC sampler PM2.5 results (PM less than 2.5 um in diameter) were compared to PM2.5 results from four colocated, continuous-reading beta-attenuation monitors (EBAMs), with a median agreement (EBAM – UNC) of 3.8
ug/m3. The median PM2.5 and PM10 levels measured by UNC samplers in this study were 3.4 and 20 ug/m3,
respectively. The average PM2.5 and PM10 levels < 2miles from a burn were significantly different and
approximately 2 times higher than those > 2miles from the nearest burn (p<0.05).
During the worst-case exposure event, 24-hour PM2.5 exposures were up to 17 times higher than that measured at
an upwind location. Numerous sub-micrometer combustion particles with carbon and oxygen only were directly
observed by manual SEM/EDS in the two plume-impacted samples, along with larger particles enriched in
potassium, sulfur, chlorine, calcium, sodium, and phosphorus. CCSEM/EDS data from this event was used to define
the 5 major particle classes to generate size-fraction-specific pie charts. Burn-related particle types contributed 95%
of the PM2.5 in the location directly impacted by the ground-level plume, compared to only 12% in the upwind
location. Upwind-downwind differences for burn-related coarse mode PM10 (PM between 2.5 and 10 um) were less
strong, possibly due to interferences in the classification scheme. In addition, a sample of Imperial County
Bermuda grass was analyzed in bulk and partially-burned states, and was found to contain similar inorganic
elements as the air samples impacted by the burn plume, as well as mold spores found at trace levels in various air
samples.
This study is limited by a relatively small number of samples and the negative bias of the UNC PM2.5
measurements with respect to the EBAMs. Nonetheless, these results demonstrate a method for collecting detailed
PM information at multiple locations within a community, and suggest that agricultural burning may impact
exposures and populations very near to burn events, e.g., farmers and their neighbors.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.234
Factors Affecting Personal Exposure to Ambient PM2.5 during the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research
Study (DEARS). QINGYU MENG (1), Ronald Williams (2), Alan Vette (2), Carry Croghan (2), Carvin Stevens
(2), Jonathan Thornburg (3), Charles Rodes (3), Joseph Pinto (4), (1) Research Fellow at National Center for
Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, (2) National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. EPA, (3) RTI
International, (4) National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA
The Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS) was conducted in Detroit, Michigan, from the summer
of 2004 to the winter of 2007. During the study, environmental concentrations and personal exposures were
measured for PM2.5, PM10-2.5, O3, NO2, SO2, VOCs, and aldehydes for 5 consecutive days for each study
participant (~ 140 total) in summer and winter. Daily personal exposures to PM2.5, as well as 24-hr average PM2.5
concentrations at a community central monitoring site, and residential indoor and outdoor environments were
measured with personal exposure monitors. PM2.5 samples were measured for mass (following the EPA protocol),
elements (XRF), ions (IC), and organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC, thermal optical method).
Understanding the associations between personal exposure, in particular the ambient component of personal
exposure, and its relationship to ambient concentration is crucial for interpreting the results of epidemiologic studies
using ambient monitoring data. In this study, data from DEARS have been used to explore the associations between
exposures and ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and to examine factors that could contribute to exposure error in
epidemiologic studies. Personal exposures to PM2.5 were moderately correlated with concentrations measured at the
community monitoring site, with a longitudinal Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.42 for summer and 0.16 for
winter. Population average exposures were in general better correlated with ambient concentrations, with Spearman
correlation coefficients of 0.70 for summer and 0.24 for winter. The ambient component of exposure (AE)
contributed 69% during summer and 36% during winter to total exposure (TE), and the non-ambient component of
exposure (NE) the remaining 31% for summer and 64% for winter.
It is also important to quantify between-subject and within-subject variations in the ambient component of personal
exposures. The ratio of these two could be an indicator of the potential for exposure error for epidemiologic studies.
Between-subject variability in AE was found to be a substantial fraction of total variations. For example, betweensubject variability can explain about 17% of the variations in AE during summer and 63% during winter. Between
subject-variability was larger in winter than in summer for AE, TE, and NE, but the largest difference between
summer and winter was seen in AE. Part of the variability in the ambient component of personal exposures (AE) can
be attributed to variations in the fraction of time spent outdoors and the infiltration factor (F), which in turn depends
on the structural characteristics of indoor microenvironments. More than 70% of the variations in F can be
explained by differences in structural and indoor characteristics between homes in both seasons. The ambient
exposure factor (alpha), or the ratio of AE to ambient concentration was 0.66 ± 0.20 in summer, and 0.61 ± 0.16 in
winter. About 47% of the variability in alpha can be explained by between-subject variations in both seasons.
Survey information will be used to help explain and elucidate the behavior in between-subject differences in F and
between and within-subject differences in AE, and alpha. (The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect EPA
policy)
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.235
Aerosol Composition and Size in Baghdad, Iraq: Temporally-Resolved Measurements for Epidemiological
Use. CATHERINE CAHILL (1), Thomas A. Cahill (2), Linda Powers (3), Walther Ellis (3), Thomas M. Cahill (4),
David Barnes (2), Deryck James (5), Pamela Clark (5), (1) University of Alaska Fairbanks, (2) University of
California, Davis, (3) University of Arizona, (4) Arizona State University, (5) Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi
Recent studies have shown high concentrations of aerosols throughout the Middle East, including Iraq. Many of
these studies collected aerosols using standard 24-hour duration, one-day-in six, filter-based techniques. This
temporal resolution is not sufficient for determining the temporal response of human health to high particulate
matter concentration events. Higher-temporal resolution aerosol measurements are needed to quantify human
exposure and resulting potential health impacts from high concentrations of ambient particulate matter. This
presentation will describe and show the results from a sampling campaign in Baghdad, Iraq, designed to collect
continuous high temporal resolution aerosol size and composition data for use in epidemiological studies.
Size and time-resolved measurements of aerosol size and composition have been collected in Baghdad, Iraq, since
February 14, 2008. The aerosols are collected in eight size fractions (10-5.0, 5.0-2.5, 2.5-1.15, 1.15-0.75, 0.75-0.56,
0.56-0.34, 0.34-0.26 and 0.26-0.09 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter) using DRUM aerosol impactors. The
samples are analyzed with 1.5 hour resolution for mass using beta-attenuation and elemental composition by
synchrotron x-ray fluorescence. A few select samples were cultured for biological content and analyzed by gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry for organic composition.
The results of the beta-gauge and synchrotron x-ray fluorescence analyses show above Military Exposure Guidelines
(MEG) and U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) concentrations of multiple elements. For
example the concentrations of fine particulate matter on a single impactor stage frequently exceed the MEG and
NAAQS for total PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and less in aerodynamic diameter) and manganese
frequently exceeds the MEG. The concentrations of lead in the 2.5 to 5.0 micrometer size fraction commonly
exceed the NAAQS. The high temporal resolution of these measurements shows that the observed elements exhibit
diurnal and seasonal variability with individual spikes in concentration related to the influence of a nearby source,
such as emissions from a vehicle using leaded gasoline.
The results from the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses show the presence of emissions from high
temperature combustion of fossil fuels and evidence of biomass burning. The samples also show the presence of
sugars that may result from fungal activity in the size fractions known to contain fungi.
Culturing particulate matter collected off the largest sizes of the DRUM sampler demonstrated the presence of
viable, hemolytic bacteria in the samples. These results will be of interest to health professionals concerned with the
transmission of diseases.
This study is providing high quality data suitable for use by epidemiologists. The results of these measurements,
when combined with human health outcomes data, should provide a solid basis for determining the specific aerosol
components capable of producing human health effects in Baghdad.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.236
Investigation of Children's Near-Roadway Exposures at Elementary Schools along the US-Mexico Border.
AMIT U RAYSONI (1), Jeremy A Sarnat (2), Stefanie E Sarnat (2), Fernando Holguin (3), Jose H Garcia (1), Silvia
Flores (1), Wen-Whai Li (1), (1) University of Texas at El Paso, (2) Emory University, (3) University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center
INTRODUCTION: In the last two decades the metropolitan areas of El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez,
Chihuahua, MX has experienced a tremendous growth in binational commerce. This has resulted in rapid population
growth, increasing number of motor vehicles and international border crossings, and subsequent border congestion
leading to heavy traffic air pollution. Additionally, the arid weather, unique topography, occasional high winds,
frequent stagnations strongly affects and influences the mixing and dispersion of pollutants in this region, especially
during the winter season. Various studies have shown adverse outcomes between traffic-pollution indicators like
fine PM, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon and adverse respiratory outcomes in children. Traffic pollutants are
spatially and temporally heterogeneous at the community level; therefore, traditional central ambient monitoring
sites may not mirror the changes in local or indoor pollutant concentrations resulting in exposure misclassifications
in this border community.
METHODS: As part of a binational health effects study investigating the impact of traffic air pollution on asthmatic
children in these twin cities, indoor and outdoor concentrations of fine and coarse PM, and nitrogen dioxide were
concurrently monitored for sixteen weeks from January to May 2008 in four elementary schools. Two schools (one
in each city) were located in a high traffic density zone and the other two in a zone of low traffic density. Forty-eight
hour integrated fine and coarse PM mass samples were collected using Harvard cascade impactors. 96-hour
integrated nitrogen dioxide was monitored using passive Ogawa™ samplers. Black carbon (reflectance)
measurements were conducted on the fine PM filters after gravimetric analysis. Ambient measurements for the same
pollutants and other meteorological parameters for the study period were obtained from local ambient air monitoring
sites.
RESULTS: Indoor and outdoor concentrations in Ciudad Juarez were generally more than two times higher than
those in El Paso. Within El Paso, outdoor concentrations in the high traffic zone were up to two times higher than in
the low traffic zone. In Ciudad Juarez, outdoor concentrations for fine and coarse PM were higher in low than high
traffic zone. Outdoor black carbon and nitrogen dioxide concentrations suggested that the low and high traffic
density criteria were well represented by the zoning procedure. Indoor and outdoor pollutant ratios ranged widely
among the sites suggesting the influence of both indoor and outdoor sources to observed concentrations. Withinpollutant indoor-outdoor correlations varied across all sites (except black carbon). Fine PM comprised
approximately 35 percent of the total PM (fine + coarse) across all the sites. Black carbon accounted for around 15
percent of fine PM. High Coefficient of Divergence (COD) values (>0.2) for fine and coarse PM were observed
between the four sites.
CONCLUSIONS: This research characterizes the intra-urban variability in the concentration gradients of various air
pollutant mixtures across the four schools with potential implications for epidemiological studies basing their
exposure variable from central monitoring sites. This spatial variability of pollutants supports the use of spatiallyresolved environmental health indicators of traffic pollutants in range of exposure settings.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.240
The Role of Ambient Concentration and Personal Exposure in Particulate Matter Epidemiology: A History
and Critical Review of the Changing Paradigms and a Vision for the Future. William E. Wilson (1), (1) US
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park
Five paradigms interpret the relative roles of ambient concentrations and personal exposures in particulate matter
epidemiology. Paradigm 1: All seriously toxic pollutants are generated indoors or by personal activities such as
smoking. Indoor sources lead to higher exposures, so ambient concentrations may be ignored. Paradigm 2:
Epidemiology using ambient concentrations tells us how health risks will change as ambient concentrations are
reduced by pollution controls. Since this relates specifically to EPA’s health-based, national ambient air quality
standards, personal exposures are unimportant unless they are correlated with ambient concentrations. Paradigm 3:
Any health effects due to PM must be caused by exposure to all PM, not just exposure to a fraction of the PM.
Therefore, epidemiologic analyses should use the total personal exposure to PM. Paradigm 4: Indoor-generated PM
and ambient PM differ in size, composition, and toxicity. Therefore, they should be treated as two distinct pollutants
and epidemiologic analyses should examine associations between health effects and personal exposure to ambient
PM concentrations and between health effects and personal exposure to indoor-generated PM. Paradigm 5: PM is a
mixture of many pollutants from many sources. To properly understand the effects of PM on health, it will be
necessary to decompose exposure to both ambient and indoor-generated PM into their components by size,
composition and source category and conduct epidemiologic analyses with each component¸ both individually and
jointly. Does it matter which paradigm you hold? Paradigm 1, a view held by scientists interested in indoor air
pollution, and still applicable to some developing countries (e.g., indoor coal combustion, no chimney), to tobacco
smoke, and to pollutants whose sources are primarily indoors (e.g., pesticides in urban settings), leads to interest in
measuring indoor concentrations and personal exposure with little interest in outdoor pollution. Paradigm 2, a view
held by many epidemiologists after discovering that ambient concentrations were associated with community
mortality, leads to an interest in determining whether a single time-series of daily concentrations can adequately
represent the day-to-day variations in concentration for the entire community. Paradigm 3, a response to paradigm 2,
leads to an effort to model the personal exposure to ambient PM and the personal exposure to indoor-generated and
personal-activity PM and to combine these components into total personal exposure to PM. Paradigm 4 leads to an
interest in obtaining adequate understanding and measurement data to separate total personal exposure into an
ambient exposure and a nonambient exposure and investigating the associations of health effects with each exposure
independently. Paradigm 5 leads to an interest in obtaining adequate measurement data to decompose both ambient
and non-ambient exposures into their components by size, composition, and source category. The association of
health effects with each component or source category can be evaluated separately. The joint effect of several or all
components or source categories acting together can be evaluated with a multi-pollutant statistical model. The fifth
paradigm is presented as a vision for the future. The historical development of these paradigms and their influence
on exposure research will be discussed.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.241
Modeling Individual Daily Exposure Estimates for PAHs for an Asthma Epidemiology Study. ELIZABETH
M. NOTH (1), S. Katharine Hammond (1), Gregory S. Biging (2), Ira B. Tager (1), (1) Environmental Health
Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley (2) Environmental Science, Policy and
Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley
Exposure assessment for large-scale, panel-based epidemiology studies can be challenging even in a data-rich study.
This research highlights the importance of both spatial and temporal aspects of exposure assessment for two
pollutants from the class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are often used as a surrogate for diesel
exhaust but have other sources as well. Using data collected in the Fresno Asthmatic Children’s Environment Study
(FACES), land use regression models for phenanthrene (PHE) and the sum of PAHs with 4-, 5- or 6-rings (PAH456)
were built using mixed modeling regression to incorporate both temporal and spatial co-variates.
PAH data were collected daily by the PAS2000 monitor at the US EPA Supersite in Fresno, CA, from November
2000 through February 2007. The PAS2000 provides realtime measurements of total particle-bound PAH. From
2/2002-2/2003, intensive air pollution sampling took place at 83 homes including five to ten 24-hr PAH filter
measurements per home. However, since the measurements were not made contemporaneously, the between- and
within-in home variability had to be accounted for using mixed modeling. The filter concentrations at participant
homes were the dependent variable for PHE and PAH456; the candidate covariates in the model included the
particle-bound PAH concentrations at the US EPA Supersite, meteorological data, source data (traffic and land use),
and other temporal and spatial variables (agricultural burning, season, etc).
The PHE model calculated 529,884 individual daily estimates of outdoor PHE concentrations for the residential
locations for all FACES participants from individual entry into the study through 2/28/2007. The model contains 10
covariates – 24-hour average PAH at US EPA Supersite, total number of cars per capita within census blockgroup,
proximity to major collector roads, location of home in relation to US EPA Supersite, % of homes in blockgroup
using gas heat, three wind direction variables, number of agricultural burns within 5 miles on day of sampling, and a
seasonal variable. The ratio of the 90th :10th percentiles for average individual temporal variability from entry to
study through 2/2007 for estimated PHE was 2.5, and the ratio of the 90th :10th percentiles of the average daily
spatial range was 2.
The model for daily, outdoor PAH456 concentrations calculated 532,135 individual estimates. The model had seven
covariates - 24-hour average PAH at US EPA Supersite, total number of cars per capita within census blockgroup,
% of homes in blockgroup using gas heat, wind direction, 24-hour relative humidity (%) at a fixed site in
Clovis/Fresno, and total length of minor collector roads within 400m of the home. The ratio of the 90th :10th
percentiles for average individual temporal variability from entry to study through 2/2007 for estimated PAH456
was 3.4, and the ratio of the 90th :10th percentiles of the average daily spatial range was 1.5.
We found that PAH concentrations within Fresno fluctuate significantly both over time and space. This indicates
that it is necessary to account for the variability in both time and space when modeling the class of PAHs.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.242
Short-Term Exposures to Air Pollutants in Close Proximity to Indoor Sources. Viviana Acevedo-Bolton (1),
Kai-Chung Cheng (1), Ruo-ting Jiang (1), Neil Klepeis (1), Wayne R. Ott (1), and LYNN M. HILDEMANN (1), (1)
Stanford University
Daily cumulative exposure to air pollutants can be greatly impacted by short periods of time when a person is in
close proximity to a pollution source. Most existing indoor air quality models assume uniform mixing indoors – we
are finding that this could lead to as much as an order-of-magnitude underestimate of a person’s pollutant exposure
when they are near an indoor source.
To quantify and characterize the indoor proximity effect, 16 experiments were performed in 2 homes, using
controlled point source releases of a tracer. An array of up to 41 real-time monitors logged data every 15 seconds, at
distances from 0.25-5 m from the source. Window positions within each house were varied to test the effect of
different ventilation rates. These data were used to generate characteristic curves showing the average proximity
effect as a function of horizontal radial distance from the source. At the highest ventilation rate, for example, we
found on average that a person standing at a radial distance of 5 m from an emitting indoor source could be exposed
to an average concentration that is 2.5 times that predicted via a well-mixed model; a person standing 0.25 m from
the source could be exposed to 20 times the well-mixed concentration.
A large range of concentrations was observed in close proximity to a source – 10-min exposures could vary by more
than 2 orders of magnitude. Frequency distribution plots were used quantitatively characterize the range of exposure
levels occurring in close proximity to a source. Changes in the frequency distribution of concentrations were
analyzed as a function of (i) horizontal distance from the source, (ii) vertical height relative to the effective height of
the source, (iii) room ventilation rate, and (iv) exposure duration (ranging from 10 min to 1 hr).
Medical researchers are beginning to report that exposures to high air pollutant concentrations for just a few minutes
to a few hours may have significant health effects. Frequency distributions of pollutant concentration levels for
short durations of indoor exposures should be of value for assessing the likelihood that a close-proximity exposure
will exceed a certain concentration level.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.243
Estimating the exposure to particulate air pollution from an urban transit system – an intake fraction
approach. FRANCIS RIES (1), Brian Gouge (1), Hadi Dowlatabadi (1,2,3), (1) University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, Canada, (2) Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, (3) Resources for the Future, Washington
DC, USA
Urban public transit systems are generally considered to have significant social and environmental benefits, as wellutilized systems can provide transportation services with a fraction of the fuel use and per capita pollutant emissions
of personal automobiles. In addition, they have the potential to reduce congestion by aggregating large numbers of
potential automobile drivers into single large vehicles. However, the majority of transit vehicles in North America
are diesel buses, which emit particulate matter and other pollutants harmful to human health. Bus emissions are
concentrated along service corridors, which are often located in areas of high population density and outdoor
activity. This can result in high exposure to bus emissions for people living or working near transit corridors, and
for users of transit services.
Our objective was to determine the spatial and temporal variation in the exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
emitted from diesel transit buses in Vancouver, Canada, and to determine the impact of differing bus dispatch
scenarios on exposure levels. We developed a detailed spatial and temporal human exposure framework that
employed a line source dispersion model and block-level population data to determine exposure potentials (intake
fractions) for each Vancouver bus route. Route service schedules and bus emission profiles were combined with
intake fractions to determine per-route PM2.5 exposure levels. The distribution of exposure risk between routes was
determined using the Gini index and other inequality indicators. We examined the exposure impact of a variety of
bus dispatch scenarios, ranging from a homogenous fleet with technology-agnostic dispatch, to a technologically
heterogeneous fleet with dispatch that matched low-emitting buses to high exposure potential routes.
Our results indicate significant differences in the PM2.5 exposure potentials of Vancouver bus routes, with intake
fractions ranging from 0.5 to 50 per million. When bus frequency is taken into account, per capita exposure to bus
emissions is estimated to be 4 orders of magnitude higher for urban core areas than for urban fringes. Our analysis
of the impact of bus dispatch choices indicated that the aggregate exposure impacts of emissions from a
heterogeneous bus fleet were significantly reduced by matching lower-emitting buses to higher exposure potential
routes. We conclude that there are significant opportunities to optimize the operations of transit services to
minimize population exposure to harmful emissions while ensuring that the distributional equity of emissions
exposure is not adversely affected.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.244
Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Ambient Endotoxin Concentrations in Fresno, California. Fred Lurmann
(1), Katharine Hammond (2), Tad Haight (2), Elizabeth Noth (2), John Balmes (3), Ira Tager (3), (1) Sonoma
Technology, Inc. , (2) University of California, Berkeley, (3) University of California, Berkeley and University of
California, San Francisco
BACKGROUND: Endotoxin concentrations have been associated with respiratory symptoms and the risk of atopy
and asthma. The Fresno Asthmatic Children’s Environment Study (FACES) is examining the relationship between
daily symptoms and exposures to bioaerosols and air pollution in Fresno for over seven years. We characterized the
temporal and spatial distributions of ambient endotoxin in Fresno/Clovis, CA.
METHODS: Daily endotoxin and air pollutants were collected at the USEPA Supersite (2001-2008) and at 83
homes and 10 schools (2002-2003). Samples were analyzed using the Kineteic Limulus Assay with Resistantparallel-line Estimation (KLARE) Method.
RESULTS: Endotoxin concentrations in Fresno were higher in the summer than the winter: the geometric mean
(GM) in June - October in each year was >2 EU/m3, while IN the wet season (November-March) THE GM was
consistently <0.7 EU/m3. The endotoxin annual concentrations (GM =1.44 EU/m3) were much higher than in
southern California (GM= 0.34 EU/m3) or the summer (high season) in Palo Alto, in the San Francisco Bay area
(GM = of 0.7 EU/m3). Fresno is located in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley, which may have contributed to
these elevated levels. Highest concentrations in Fresno were found in areas immediately downwind from
agricultural/pasture land. Concentrations were correlated with coarse particulate matter (PM10-2.5) but not other
pollutants. Endotoxin concentrations were higher at a school that was close to large tracts of agricultural land than
at the USEPA Supersite (median, IQR over study period: school= 4.5, 2.6-6.0 ; USEPA Supersite = 2.5, 1.4-4.0
EU/m3)
CONCLUSIONS: Daily concentrations of endotoxin are influenced heavily by meteorologic conditions in addition
to sources. Furthermore, in Fresno, which is surrounded by agricultural land, endotoxin has a spatial distribution
that is associated with proximity to confined animal feeding sites, pastureland and cropland, and that differs from
PM2.5 (a regional pollutant) and EC (marker of traffic in our study area) but is somewhat similar to PMc. These
data support the need to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of endotoxin concentrations, rather than relying
on a few measurements made at one location, in all studies in which health effects associated with PM and its
components are being evaluated.
Funded by the California Air Resources Board and the NIH, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.246
Relationships between Indoor and Outdoor Ultrafine Particles in 96 Homes in Windsor, Ontario. Jill Kearney
(1), LANCE WALLACE (2), Xiaohong Xu(3), Keith Van Ryswyk (1), Hongyu You(1), Ryan Kulka(1), Amanda
Wheeler(1), (1) Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada (2) Reston, VA (3) University of Windsor
Ultrafine particles continue to be of interest with respect to the health effects of particulate matter. Few data on
indoor and outdoor levels of ultrafine particles exist in Canada. As part of the Border Air Quality Strategy, Health
Canada has conducted a series of exposure assessment studies investigating the relationship between personal,
indoor and outdoor air pollutants in Windsor, Ontario. During 2005 and 2006, 48 non-smoking adults and 48
asthmatic children (aged 9-12 years), respectively, participated in an exposure study examining indoor and outdoor
levels of ultrafine particles. At each participant’s home, indoor and outdoor 30-second average levels were measured
for 10 minutes each hour using a P-Trak (TSI Inc.). Sampling was carried out for 5 consecutive days in summer
2005 and winter and summer 2006. Other measures included air change rate, temperature, and relative humidity.
Information on daily activities, housing characteristics and proximity to traffic sources was also collected.
This is one of the first studies to measure indoor and outdoor ultrafine levels at multiple homes in different seasons.
Approximately 500,000 30-second average indoor and outdoor ultrafine measurements were collected and analysed.
Median indoor particle counts were 2700 cm^(-3) (summer 2005), 2600 cm^(-3) (summer 2006) and 3700 cm^(-3)
(winter 2006). Median outdoor particle counts were 10700 cm^(-3) (summer 2005), 6400 cm^(-3) (summer 2006)
and 11800 cm^(-3) (winter 2006). Maximum levels were near the maximum reading of the P-Traks (500,000 cm^(3)). Outdoor levels exceeded indoor levels 75-86% of the time (lower in summer 2006 when outdoor levels were
lower). Outdoor UFPs measured simultaneously at various homes across the city showed similar time trends,
indicating relatively low spatial variability compared to temporal variability. More variability was seen in winter
weeks, indicating the presence of more local outdoor sources. Outdoor levels peaked during morning and afternoon
rush-hours. In summer 2005 there was also a noticeable mid-day peak, perhaps as a result of nucleation activity that
was not as evident in summer 2006.
Indoor levels were lowest in the night-time hours, with higher levels around noon and maximum levels around the
dinner hour (5-7 PM). The deposition rate of indoor UFPs was determined directly from observed decay rates from
large (>20,000 cm^(-3)) peaks lasting at least four hours, and correcting these rates using observed air exchange
rates. Initial estimates of the decay rates suggest an increased average rate compared to fine particles with a range of
rates across homes from about 0.4 to 1.2 h^(-1).
Relationships of outdoor UFPs with other outdoor pollutants, meteorological and traffic data will be examined.
Relationships of indoor UFPs and time activity data will also be examined. Long term exposure estimates for indoor
and outdoor UFP levels will be derived from the short-term data using a validated model.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.247
A Spatial Investigation of Coarse Particulate Mass and Components During Two Seasons in St Paul, MN.
TIMOTHY V. LARSON (1), David R. Jacobs (2), Adam A. Szpiro (1), Amanda Gassett (1), Joel D. Kaufman (1),
Sara D. Adar (1), (1) University of Washington, Seattle, (2) University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Two-week average PM10 and PM2.5 co-located filter samples were collected over two different seasons at
approximately 20 locations in St. Paul, MN as part of a larger EPA-funded study on the health effects of chronic
exposure to coarse PM. Coarse mass concentrations were computed by difference and had a mean value of 3.9
micrograms/meter3 (range below detection to 11.5 micrograms/meter3) in winter and 7.6 micrograms/meter3 (range
4.4 to 15.7 micrograms/meter3) in summer. During the winter sampling period, the ground was covered with snow.
A simple land use regression (LUR) model was employed using a number of spatial covariates to predict the
variation of the PM10-2.5 across the urban area. Summer concentrations were only associated with a few traffic
variables, including the sum of A1 road lengths (CFCC classification system) within 500 meters and A2 road
lengths within 100 meters (R2 = 0.75, RMSE = 1.6 micrograms/meter3). Winter concentrations were associated with
the sum of A1 road lengths within 750 meters and residential population within 150 meters (R2 = 0.45, RMSE = 2.0
micrograms/meter3). Positive matrix factorization was performed on the winter samples using a standard suite of
trace elements via XRF. A four factor model was obtained with most of the coarse mass associated with a single
factor with high relative loadings of Na, Cl, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Ba and a distinct absence of Ca and Si. We interpret
this as a winter road salt factor. The LUR model for this feature had slightly improved performance over coarse
mass alone (R2 = 0.53) and included the sum of A1 and A3 road lengths within 750 meters.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.248
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Ambient PAHs in Fresno. S. KATHARINE HAMMOND (1), Elizabeth
M. Noth (1), Lara Gundel (2), Charles Perrino (1), Fred Lurmann (3), Ira B. Tager (1), (1) University of California,
Berkeley, (2) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, (3) Sonoma Technology, Inc., Petaluma, CA
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been implicated as pollutants that exacerbate asthma. The Fresno
Asthmatic Children’s Environment Study (FACES) is examining the relationship between daily asthma (or
respiratory) symptoms and air pollution in asthmatic children. New methods were developed to monitor the
temporal and spatial variability of PAHs in Fresno over eight years.
Three field sampling methods characterized airborne concentrations of PAHs:
1) A real-time monitor of particle-bound PAH, the PAS2000 (Ecochem) at the US EPA Supersite operated 2000 2008.
2) Both particle- and vapor-phase PAHs were collected on two quartz fiber filters impregnated with XAD4 resin
using a PM10 impactor at 10 lpm for 24 hours outside the homes of 83 children February 2002 – February 2003 (210 samples per home)
3) Chemcomb speciation samplers (Rupprecht Patashnick) were used to sample gas-phase and particle-phase PAHs
separately on XAD-coated glass honeycomb denuders (vapor- phase PAHs) followed by XAD-impregnated quartz
fiber filters (particle-phase PAHs). These samples were collected with a PM10 impactor inlet at 10 lpm for 24 hours
at the US EPA Supersite and outside 6 schools in Fresno from July 2002 to February 2003.
The integrated samples were analyzed for 16 PAHs by GC/MS.
The PAS2000 concentrations at the US EPA Supersite 2000-2007 show a strong seasonal oscillation. The
concentrations of each of the PAHs in the 497 samples collected outside the 83 participants’ homes as well as
samples collected at the 6 schools demonstrated both spatial and temporal variability, e.g., phenanthrene
concentrations ranged from 0.60 – 61.00 ng/m3, benzo[a]pyrene concentrations ranged from 0.07 – 8.13 ng/m3.
The 82 speciated samples collected at schools and the USEPA Supersite revealed that approximately 80% of
phenanthrene was in the vapor phase, while about 15% of the chrysene was in the vapor phase. Total concentrations
observed at the school and Supersite of phenanthrene ranged from 0.63 – 47.46 ng/m3 and concentrations of
benzo[a]pyrene ranged from 0.04 – 4.61 ng/m3.
PAHs in Fresno varied by two orders of magnitude during FACES. Measurement of daily concentrations at one
location for eight years and contemporaneous concentrations at up to 8 locations per day provide evidence of the
importance of daily measurements and evaluation of spatial variability for acute epidemiologic studies. These data
form the basis for modeling individual exposures daily over the eight years of FACES.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.249
Application of Personal, Spatio-Temporal Exposure Assessment for Asthmatic Children in Denver, Colorado.
JOHN VOLCKENS (1), Colby Adams (2), Nathan Rabinovitch (3), Matt Strand (3), (1) Colorado State University
(2) U.S. Air Force, (3) National Jewish Health
A novel, temporospatially-referenced sampling method that integrated real-time particulate matter (PM) monitors,
global positioning system (GPS) receivers, ambient temperature monitors and a geographical information system
(GIS) was used to monitor PM exposures of elementary-age, asthmatic children. Thirty-two children carried the
sampler for four consecutive 24 hrs periods (Mon – Thur) during two distinct weeks throughout the school year
resulting in over 150 daily samples. The time-referenced signals for fine particulate matter concentration, ambient
temperature, and location were synchronized and merged within a GIS to analyze and visualize the children’s
exposures. Temporospatially-based algorithms were applied to apportion exposure data into four microenvironments: school, home, morning transit and afternoon transit.
This method allowed examination of personal exposure patterns as a function of time, location, and activity with
spatial resolution on the order of meters and temporal resolution on the order of seconds. With this technique, we
generated an ‘exposure budget’ detailing the contribution of various microenvironments to a child’s daily intake of
PM. Such resolution was previously impossible with traditional, time-integrated filter measurements. Personal PM
levels were greatest at home, followed by morning transit, afternoon transit and school (p<0.01). Correlations
between personal, microenvironmental PM levels and wide-area measurements (i.e., community-based monitors)
demonstrate the need for more precise exposure assessment techniques, especially to inform the design of effective
interventions. Substantial 'peak exposure' events were detected during a child's morning commute to school; such
peak events may contribute to asthma worsening.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.250
Experiments Measuring the Exposure to Fine Particles in Everyday Locations in Close Proximity to Sources.
Wayne Ott (1), Viviana Acevedo-Bolton (1), Kai-Chung Cheng (1), Ruoting Jiang (1), Neil Klepeis(1), Lynn
Hildemann (1), (1) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Important sources that affect personal exposure to fine particles (PM-2.5) include those close to the person. To
quantify personal exposure from these sources, we conducted controlled experiments in everyday locations with
multiple persons wearing personal monitors that have been calibrated alongside gravimetric measurements. Each
battery-powered monitor measured and logged the personal exposure to PM-2.5 on a continuous basis in the
individual's breathing zone while the person was located close to a common everyday source of fine particles, such
as a sidewalk near a highway or a smoker with a burning cigarette. The locations studied included train stations,
residences, outdoor patios, park benches, shopping malls, residential sidewalks, and outdoor patio cafes. Both
outdoor and indoor PM-2.5 concentrations within 2 m of a smoker showed extremely high average concentrations
during the source emission period. The personal exposure time series exhibited stochastic variability, often with
extremely high concentration impulses (microplumes) above 5,000 micrograms per cubic meter occurring for 1-2 s.
These high impulses typically caused average personal exposures above 50 micrograms per cubic meter during the
source emission time period. These experiments show that common everyday sources can elevate personal
exposures to fine particles significantly above ambient concentrations, which is extremely important for
understanding and controlling sources to reduce health risks.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.251
Study of of solar UV-B and UV-A irradiance at high altitude Himalayan regions. Shantikumar Singh
Ningombam, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala Block II, Bangalore 560 034,INDIA
The effect of UV radiation at can cause severe in high altitude mountainous regions. In the present work, UV
radiation at high altitude Himalayan regions of Ladakh is studied using Tropospheric Ultraviolet and Visible (TUV)
radiation model. The model calculates solar irraradiance from 0-120 km height with a maximum of 124 equally
spaced atmospheric levels. It estimated spectral irradiance from 280-420 nm, with a spectral resolution of 0.5 nm is
obtained. The major input parameters to run the model are total column ozone, aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550
nm, surface albedo, single scattering albedo, altitude and Angstrom’s wavelength exponential. Ground albedo used
in the model is 0.05 and it is found that a small variations in the surface albedo marginally affected the model
results. The maximum value of CIE-weighted (Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage) erythemal dose rate
estimated from the TUV model during summer season at Hanle at local noon time is varying between 400-450
mW/m2, which is very closed to the satellite data taken from TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer). Using
the TOMS satellite data, an extensive study of CIE-weighted erythemal dose estimated at local noon time over the
high altitude regions of Ladakh at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Hanle (Latitude: 32.76, N;
Longitude: 78.95 E; 4500 m, amsl), Leh (Latitude: 34.16 N; Longitude: 77.56 E; 3426 m, amsl) and Merak
(Latitude: 33.78 N; Longitude: 78.60 E; 4268 m, amsl) has carried out. The result is compared with Lhasa (Latitude
29.68 N; Longitude 91.17 E, 3648 m, amsl), which is one of the highest plateau in the world. It is found that a very
high dose of UV radiation is observed at the high altitude Ladakh region and the result is comparable with the
Tibetan Plateau. The increasing level of UV radiation over the present studying sites is correlating with the
decreasing trend of total ozone. It is found a decreasing trend of total ozone as -0.62+/-0.11, -0.64+/-0.11, and 0.62+/-0.11 DU/year at Hanle, Leh and Merak, respectively in Ladakh regions has noticed from the previous study
of long term trend of total ozone over the areas. The detail of these results are discussed in the paper.
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
AAAR hereby grants contributing authors full rights to the use of their own abstracts.
AAAR 2010 Specialty Conference Abstracts
Science Question: SQ3 - Pollutant Characterization and Population Exposure
Sub-Topic: T3 - Exposure
15SQ3.T3.252
Measuring Variability in Population Exposure to Biomass Smoke with Sensor Based Data: The Contributions
of Kitchen Time-Activity. ILSE RUIZ-MERCADO (1), Nick L. Lam (1), Amanda Northcross (1), Eduardo Canuz
(2), Rudinio Acevedo (2), Kirk R. Smith (1), (1) University of California, Berkeley, (2) U