Personal Exposure to Black Carbon, Particulate Matter and Nitrogen Dioxide in the Paris Region Measured by Portable Sensors Worn by Volunteers

Abstract

Portable sensors have emerged as a promising solution for personal exposure (PE) measurement. For the first time in Île-de-France, PE to black carbon (BC), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was quantified based on three field campaigns involving 37 volunteers from the general public wearing the sensors all day long for a week. This successful deployment demonstrated its ability to quantify PE on a large scale, in various environments (from dense urban to suburban, indoor and outdoor) and in all seasons. The impact of the visited environments was investigated. The proximity to road traffic (for BC and NO2), as well as cooking activities and tobacco smoke (for PM), made significant contributions to total exposure (up to 34%, 26%, and 44%, respectively), even though the time spent in these environments was short. Finally, even if ambient outdoor levels played a role in PE, the prominent impact of the different environments suggests that traditional ambient monitoring stations is not a proper surrogate for PE quantification.

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Low-Cost Portable PM2.5 Monitor for Mobile Deployment

“…Collocating portable monitors with stationary reference air monitors prior to mobile deployment is a common practice in the field of using portable monitors for air quality monitoring [ 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. Collocation refers to operating sensors and a reference instrument at the same time and the same place under real world conditions [ 10 ].…”

NO2, BC and PM Exposure of Participants in the Polluscope Autumn 2019 Campaign in the Paris Region

“…PE has no clear definition or standard procedure for quantification [ 10 ]. Different studies have used various definitions and techniques.…”

“…In addition, it has been investigated in specific environments such as the street and various modes of transportation [ 12 , 13 ]. The pollutants measured in the studies vary, with several focusing on particulate pollution, particularly by measuring black carbon (BC) [ 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Other studies have focused on assessing PM ranging from ultra-fine particles to PM 10 [ 10 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…The pollutants measured in the studies vary, with several focusing on particulate pollution, particularly by measuring black carbon (BC) [ 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Other studies have focused on assessing PM ranging from ultra-fine particles to PM 10 [ 10 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. One of these included 50 participants, allowing a better representation [ 18 ].…”

“…One of these included 50 participants, allowing a better representation [ 18 ]. The diverse gas-phase pollutants studied, such as NO 2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), presented a more accurate picture of everyday exposures [ 10 , 12 , 20 ]. These different studies have led to a better understanding of PE in various environments.…”