David D. Massey

Exposure of children studying in schools of India to PM levels and metal contamination: sources and their identification

The concentration of particulate matter (PM)10, PM5.0, PM2.5, PM1.0, PM0.50, and PM0.25 was measured along with heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb) collected from settling dust in the indoor–outdoor environment of roadside and residentially located schools of Agra City, from January 2008 to May 2009. PM indoor/outdoor ratios at the roadside and residentially located schools were also determined by the meteorological parameters like temperature, humidity, and wind speed and air exchange rate. Metal geoaccumulation index shows that the contamination of Fe, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Mn was in abundant quantity in residential and roadside soil dust of the schools. The enrichment factor was calculated using Ca as a reference to the trace metal species to identify the sources. Three factors in inside and three outside the classrooms of roadside and residentially located schools were identified. These factors reflected source soil dust, road dust, vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, metal processes, and incineration activities and their contributions were estimated using principal component analysis. Measurements of such exposure levels would be helpful in prevention of environmental risks to schoolchildren at a global level for better and healthy mind of children studying at schools.

Personal and ambient PM2.5 exposure assessment in the city of Agra

Human exposure to fine particles can have significant harmful effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular system. To investigate daily exposure characteristics to PM2.5 with ambient concentrations in an urban environment, a personal exposure measurements were conducted for school children, office workers and at their residents, in the city of Taj ‘Agra’, India. In order to account for all the sources of particulate matter exposure, measurements on several different days during December 2013 to February 2014 were carried out. Personal environment monitors (PEM) and APM 550 were used to measure PM2.5 concentration. The research findings provide insight into possible sources and their interaction with human activities in modifying the human exposure levels.

Emission and Formation of Fine Particles from Hardcopy Devices: the Cause of Indoor Air Pollution

The last few decades have seen major changes in the home and work environments. The economies of the Indian and other industrialized nations have shifted from manufacturing towards services that engage information technologies. Advances in information technology have increased the quantity and transformed the nature of equipment used in proximity to office worker due to which electronic media used for entertainment, telecommunications and data processing have become widespread in daily life. Typical examples are television sets, video recorders, hi-fi systems, and computers with their peripherals such as monitors and printers, scanners and copiers. Tabletop printers serve individual users in their workspace or home, or clusters of users in an office suite. Scanning machines and photocopiers are prevalent in office environments (Newburger, 2001). In addition, the use of notebook computers spanning both work and non work environments is on the rise. These devices are predominantly made of polymeric components and materials which can contain not only additives, such as flame retardants and plasticizers (Wensing et al., 2005), but also chemical residues from production processing aids (Wensing et al., 2002). There is growing concern about the levels of potentially harmful pollutants that may be emitted from office equipment and for which either toxicological effects or potentially significant exposures have been described in the literature. Office equipment has been found to be a source of ozone, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). VOC, SVOC and particles can also be emitted by the paper processed during printing and copying (Wolkoff et al., 1993). Many studies have investigated the health effects of photocopier toner dust and concluded that siderosilicosis and sarcoidosis-like pulmonary diseases are associated with human exposure to photocopier toner dust (Armbruster et al., 1996). Black and Worthan (1999) have described the VOC/ TVOC, particle and ozone emissions of laser printers, dryprocess photocopiers and personal computers. Wolkoff (1999) study dealt with photocopiers and indoor air pollution. Later on Lee et al. (2001) characterized VOC, ozone and PM10 emissions from office equipment. Today discussion focuses in particular on particle release from hardcopy devices, printers and photocopiers and its impact on the health of office workers (Roller, 2006). Recent advances in measurement techniques have enabled researchers to measure the

Exposure from particle and ionic contamination to children in schools of India

Abstract The high levels of indoor particulate matter in developing countries and the apparent scale of its impact on the global burden of disease underline the importance of particulate matter as an environmental health risk and the consequent need for monitoring them particularly in indoor school microenvironments. The concentrations of PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1.0 , were measured along with ionic concentrations K + , Ca 2+ , Na + , Mg 2+ , SO 4 2– , NO 3 – , Cl – and F – collected from settled dust in the indoor–outdoor environment of roadside and residentially located schools in Agra City, from January to May 2008–09. Along with PM concentrations at the roadside and residentially located schools meteorological parameters like temperature, humidity, and wind speed and air exchange rate was also calculated during the study period. The enrichment factor was calculated using Ca as a reference to the trace ionic species to identify the sources. Principle component analysis showed three to two factors inside and three factors outside the classrooms of the roadside and residentially located schools. These factors reflected sources like soil dust, road dust, vehicle emissions, anthropogenic sources, industrial emissions, metal processes, and incineration activities and their contributions were estimated using principal component analysis. Symptoms like asthma, dizziness, coughing, itching, eye irritation, shortness of breath, headache, cold and flu were observed. Measurements of such exposure levels would be helpful in the prevention of environmental risks to school children.

A Study on Indoor/Outdoor Concentration of Particulate Matter in Rural Residential Houses in India

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a matter of public concern these days whereas air pollution is normally monitored outdoors as required under national air quality strategies. In consequence, much less is known about air pollution levels indoors. As about 70% of the Indian population lives in villages in rural areas this study attempt to provide information about the present IAQ based upon particulate matter concentrations in rural residents homes of Agra region ( the city of Taj Mahal). Samples were collected during March-2008 to March-2009 in the indoors and outdoors of five rural homes having different indoor and outdoor kitchen configurations using Grimm aerosol spectrometer model no: 1.109. The mean concentration of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 were 217.75±66.62µgm-3, 156.87±66.76µgm-3, and 94.01±37.87µgm-3 indoors, whereas 187.86±41.01µgm-3, 127.94±34.65µgm-3, 80.64±18.47µgm-3 outdoors respectively. Concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 has been compared with prescribed WHO standards and were found to be much higher. Significant Spatial as well as seasonal variations of particulate pollutants were also obtained.