TY - JOUR
T1 - Ambient and personal PM2.5 exposure assessment in the Chinese megacity of Guangzhou
AU - Jahn, Heiko J.
AU - Kraemer, Alexander
AU - Chen, Xiao Cui
AU - Chan, Chuen Yu
AU - Engling, Guenter
AU - Ward, Tony J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) for funding this study within the framework of the Priority Programme 1233 “Megacities – Megachallenge: Informal Dynamics of Global Change”. We are also thankful to Dr. TAO Jun from the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences for logistic support, and to Dr. CAO Junji from the China Academy of Sciences for providing sampling equipment. Thanks are also due to Prof. YU Jianzhen from the Hong Kong University of Technology for help with sample/data collection at the Nansha District site. Furthermore we thank Alexandra Schneider and Katja Richter from the Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany, for producing the maps. The authors also acknowledge the help with ambient and personal sampling from numerous students from Sun Yat-sen University and assistance from Kay Chen and Raul Padilla from National Tsing Hua University with sample preparation.
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - Due to the rapid economic development and the associated increase of transportation, agricultural and industrial activities, the densely populated Pearl River Delta, China has significant problems with air pollution. With a population of almost 13 million residents, the megacity of Guangzhou is of particular interest with respect to environmental health due to its large population and numerous anthropogenic and industrial sources of fine airborne particulate matter (≤ 2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter [PM2.5]). Material and methods: During the winter months of November and December 2011, extensive ambient PM2.5 monitoring was simultaneously conducted within nine of 12 districts of Guangzhou. In addition, personal PM2.5 monitoring was carried out within eight of the 12 districts to determine the levels of PM2.5 to which individuals were exposed to over 24-h periods. Results: Results of the ambient monitoring showed average PM2.5 mass concentrations ranging from 52.4±24.1 (SD, standard deviation)μgm-3 (Median: 53.7) in the Conghua District to 106.6±31.7μgm-3 (Median: 108.1) in the Yuexiu District. Results of the personal monitoring showed average concentrations ranging from 45.4±21.2μgm-3 (Median: 53.1) in the Conghua District to 92.5±33.2μgm-3 (Median: 102.4) in the Luogang District. Three of the districts showed moderate to high correlations between ambient and personal PM2.5 (Yuexiu: Spearman's Rho [rs]=0.77, p=0.072; Panyu: rs=0.59, p=0.033; Luogang: rs=0.79, p=0.021). Five of the seven districts had ambient PM2.5 concentrations higher than personal PM2.5 concentrations. An overall correlation analysis of all ambient and personal data shows a high and significant correlation (rs=0.7, p=0.01). Discussion: This study revealed elevated PM2.5 mass concentrations throughout all of Guangzhou's districts, with ambient PM2.5 levels that consistently exceeded the 24-h standards of both the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Results from the PM2.5 personal monitoring program also revealed elevated concentrations. Conclusions: Firstly, based on findings from previous epidemiological studies, one can conclude that this level of PM2.5 burden has strong adverse effects on the inhabitants' health. Secondly, as only three of the districts showed moderate to high correlations between ambient and personal PM2.5 (with two of them being statistically significant), it is likely that the personal monitoring results were greatly influenced by indoor sources of PM2.5. The weak correlations between the ambient PM mass and personal exposure levels underline the demand for future studies measuring personal exposure in different environments with high temporal and spatial resolution, while taking into account detailed activity analyses.
AB - Due to the rapid economic development and the associated increase of transportation, agricultural and industrial activities, the densely populated Pearl River Delta, China has significant problems with air pollution. With a population of almost 13 million residents, the megacity of Guangzhou is of particular interest with respect to environmental health due to its large population and numerous anthropogenic and industrial sources of fine airborne particulate matter (≤ 2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter [PM2.5]). Material and methods: During the winter months of November and December 2011, extensive ambient PM2.5 monitoring was simultaneously conducted within nine of 12 districts of Guangzhou. In addition, personal PM2.5 monitoring was carried out within eight of the 12 districts to determine the levels of PM2.5 to which individuals were exposed to over 24-h periods. Results: Results of the ambient monitoring showed average PM2.5 mass concentrations ranging from 52.4±24.1 (SD, standard deviation)μgm-3 (Median: 53.7) in the Conghua District to 106.6±31.7μgm-3 (Median: 108.1) in the Yuexiu District. Results of the personal monitoring showed average concentrations ranging from 45.4±21.2μgm-3 (Median: 53.1) in the Conghua District to 92.5±33.2μgm-3 (Median: 102.4) in the Luogang District. Three of the districts showed moderate to high correlations between ambient and personal PM2.5 (Yuexiu: Spearman's Rho [rs]=0.77, p=0.072; Panyu: rs=0.59, p=0.033; Luogang: rs=0.79, p=0.021). Five of the seven districts had ambient PM2.5 concentrations higher than personal PM2.5 concentrations. An overall correlation analysis of all ambient and personal data shows a high and significant correlation (rs=0.7, p=0.01). Discussion: This study revealed elevated PM2.5 mass concentrations throughout all of Guangzhou's districts, with ambient PM2.5 levels that consistently exceeded the 24-h standards of both the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Results from the PM2.5 personal monitoring program also revealed elevated concentrations. Conclusions: Firstly, based on findings from previous epidemiological studies, one can conclude that this level of PM2.5 burden has strong adverse effects on the inhabitants' health. Secondly, as only three of the districts showed moderate to high correlations between ambient and personal PM2.5 (with two of them being statistically significant), it is likely that the personal monitoring results were greatly influenced by indoor sources of PM2.5. The weak correlations between the ambient PM mass and personal exposure levels underline the demand for future studies measuring personal exposure in different environments with high temporal and spatial resolution, while taking into account detailed activity analyses.
KW - Ambient and personal monitoring
KW - China
KW - Particulate matter
KW - Urban air pollution
KW - Urban health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84877819244&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.04.011
DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.04.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84877819244
SN - 1352-2310
VL - 74
SP - 402
EP - 411
JO - Atmospheric Environment
JF - Atmospheric Environment
ER -
