Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China
In most major cities of China, commuters inevitably spend a considerable amount of time in vehicle cabins due to the escalation of traffic congestion and a rapidly increasing vehicle population. The in-vehicle microenvironment that is in close proximity to traffic emission sources is at particular r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018322839 |
| _version_ | 1819210978599895040 |
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| author | Zheming Tong Yue Li Dane Westerdahl Gary Adamkiewicz John D. Spengler |
| author_facet | Zheming Tong Yue Li Dane Westerdahl Gary Adamkiewicz John D. Spengler |
| author_sort | Zheming Tong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In most major cities of China, commuters inevitably spend a considerable amount of time in vehicle cabins due to the escalation of traffic congestion and a rapidly increasing vehicle population. The in-vehicle microenvironment that is in close proximity to traffic emission sources is at particular risk of increased exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs). In this study, a mobile measurement campaign was carried out to investigate in-vehicle exposure to TRAPs in China where the elevated level of TRAPs has drawn worldwide attention in recent years. Our analysis demonstrates that vehicle ventilation mode (i.e., mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation, hybrid ventilation, and infiltration) played a critical role in determining the level of in-vehicle exposure. Although the outside air (OA) mode of mechanical ventilation provided adequate air exchange to passengers, the average in-vehicle PM2.5 and UFP concentrations (119 μg/m3 and 97,227 cm−3 on freeway, and 93 μg/m3 and 42,829 cm−3 on local roadway) during a 20-min sampling period were observed at the level that are markedly greater than those from studies conducted in the U.S., posing a serious health threat to vehicle occupants. We elaborated how our results collected in China with a significantly more polluted on-road environment differ from existing studies in terms of ventilation and driving conditions. In addition, we made the first effort to examine in-vehicle exposure under hybrid ventilation that is a common ventilation practice in everyday commute to potentially reduce symptoms similar to sick building syndrome (SBS). Our data indicate that vehicle occupants under hybrid ventilation are at much greater risk of TRAPs exposure if operating in a polluted on-road environment, and we call for future research on automated ventilation system with advanced window control especially for vans and buses with a large cabin volume. Keywords: In-cabin exposure, China, Ultrafine particle, Ventilation, Air change rate, PM |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:19:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f83eac9986a84698bb8059a9711f1423 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:19:46Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-f83eac9986a84698bb8059a9711f14232022-12-21T17:57:13ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202019-06-01127773784Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in ChinaZheming Tong0Yue Li1Dane Westerdahl2Gary Adamkiewicz3John D. Spengler4State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Center for Green Buildings and Cities, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Corresponding author at: School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China, and Center for Green Buildings and Cities, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, ChinaDivision of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon 999077, Hong KongDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USADepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USAIn most major cities of China, commuters inevitably spend a considerable amount of time in vehicle cabins due to the escalation of traffic congestion and a rapidly increasing vehicle population. The in-vehicle microenvironment that is in close proximity to traffic emission sources is at particular risk of increased exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs). In this study, a mobile measurement campaign was carried out to investigate in-vehicle exposure to TRAPs in China where the elevated level of TRAPs has drawn worldwide attention in recent years. Our analysis demonstrates that vehicle ventilation mode (i.e., mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation, hybrid ventilation, and infiltration) played a critical role in determining the level of in-vehicle exposure. Although the outside air (OA) mode of mechanical ventilation provided adequate air exchange to passengers, the average in-vehicle PM2.5 and UFP concentrations (119 μg/m3 and 97,227 cm−3 on freeway, and 93 μg/m3 and 42,829 cm−3 on local roadway) during a 20-min sampling period were observed at the level that are markedly greater than those from studies conducted in the U.S., posing a serious health threat to vehicle occupants. We elaborated how our results collected in China with a significantly more polluted on-road environment differ from existing studies in terms of ventilation and driving conditions. In addition, we made the first effort to examine in-vehicle exposure under hybrid ventilation that is a common ventilation practice in everyday commute to potentially reduce symptoms similar to sick building syndrome (SBS). Our data indicate that vehicle occupants under hybrid ventilation are at much greater risk of TRAPs exposure if operating in a polluted on-road environment, and we call for future research on automated ventilation system with advanced window control especially for vans and buses with a large cabin volume. Keywords: In-cabin exposure, China, Ultrafine particle, Ventilation, Air change rate, PMhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018322839 |
| spellingShingle | Zheming Tong Yue Li Dane Westerdahl Gary Adamkiewicz John D. Spengler Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China Environment International |
| title | Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China |
| title_full | Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China |
| title_short | Exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in-vehicle exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in China |
| title_sort | exploring the effects of ventilation practices in mitigating in vehicle exposure to traffic related air pollutants in china |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018322839 |
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