| Title: |
Personal exposure to equivalent black carbon in children in Milan, Italy : Time-activity patterns and predictors by season |
| Authors: |
Boniardi L.; Dons E.; Longhi F.; Scuffi C.; Campo L.; Van Poppel M.; Int Panis L.; Fustinoni S. |
| Contributors: |
L. Boniardi; E. Don; F. Longhi; C. Scuffi; L. Campo; M. Van Poppel; L. Int Pani; S. Fustinoni |
| Publisher Information: |
Elsevier |
| Publication Year: |
2021 |
| Collection: |
The University of Milan: Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (AIR) |
| Subject Terms: |
Black carbon; Children; Exposure modelling; Participatory research; Personal monitoring; Time-activity pattern; Carbon; Child; Citie; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Human; Italy; Particulate Matter; Season; Air Pollutants; Settore MED/44 - Medicina del Lavoro |
| Description: |
Air pollution is a global threat to public health, especially when considering susceptible populations, such as children. A better understanding of determinants of exposure could help epidemiologists in refining exposure assessment methods, and policy makers in identifying effective mitigation interventions. Through a participatory approach, 73 and 89 schoolchildren were involved in a two-season personal exposure monitoring campaign of equivalent black carbon (EBC) in Milan, Italy. GPS devices, time-activity diaries and a questionnaire were used to collect personal information. Exposure to EBC was 1.3 ± 1.5 μg/m3 and 3.9 ± 3.3 μg/m3 (mean ± sd) during the warm and the cold season, respectively. The highest peaks of exposure were detected during the home-to-school commute. Children received most of their daily dose at school and home (82%), but the highest dose/time intensity was related to transportation and outdoor environments. Linear mixed-effect models showed that meteorological variables were the most influencing predictors of personal exposure and inhaled dose, especially in the cold season. The total time spent in a car, duration of the home-to-school commute, and smoking habits of parents were important predictors as well. Our findings suggest that seasonality, time-activity and mobility patterns play an important role in explaining exposure patterns. Furthermore, by highlighting the contribution of traffic rush hours, transport-related microenvironments and traffic-related predictors, our study suggests that acting on a local scale could be an effective way of lowering personal exposure to EBC and inhaled dose of children in the city of Milan. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/33516956; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000625379400039; volume:274; firstpage:1; lastpage:11; numberofpages:11; journal:ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION; https://hdl.handle.net/2434/846133 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116530 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/2434/846133; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116530 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.9AECB643 |
| Database: |
BASE |