Exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 While Commuting: Utility of Low-Cost Sensor
Source abstract
Abstract
This study examines variations in personal exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 while commuting by bicycle, vehicle, and walking during heating and non-heating seasons in Gliwice, an industrial city in Upper Silesia, Poland. Understanding these variations is crucial for assessing health risks and developing effective mitigation strategies. Personal exposure was measured using low-cost sensors, while stationary measurements provided comparative background concentrations. The results indicate statistically significant seasonal differences in pollutant concentrations. NO2 levels were higher during the heating season (mean: 30.84 µg/m3, median: 25.60 µg/m3) than in the non-heating season (mean: 22.61 µg/m3, median: 20.37 µg/m3; p = 0.025). In contrast, PM2.5 concentrations were higher in the non-heating season (mean: 12.1 µg/m3) compared to the heating season (mean: 9.5 µg/m3; p = 0.032). Inhaled doses instead of concentrations evaluated the exposure of participants. The inhaled doses of NO2 and PM2.5 per km were significantly higher for walking (mean: 141.3 and 30.7 µg/km for the male participant; 77.9 and 31.6 µg/km for the female participant) than for bicycle and walking (p < 0.05). These findings underscore the impact of transport mode and seasonality on air pollution exposure, highlighting the necessity for targeted mitigation strategies to reduce commuters’ exposure to traffic-related pollutants.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Vehicle emissions and performance
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Air Protection, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 22B, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Department of Automatic Control and Robotics, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics, and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdańsk, Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
Regional Teacher Training Center “WOM” in Bielsko-Biała, Legionów 25, 43-300 Bielsko-Biała, Poland
Secondary School Named After Marii Skłodowska-Curie in Czechowice-Dziedzice, ul. Konopnicka 9, 43-502 Czechowice-Dziedzice, Poland
International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Funding
Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering · Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics, and Computer Science
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