Ph. Fischer et al., Traffic-related differences in outdoor and indoor concentrations of particles and volatile organic compounds in Amsterdam, ATMOS ENVIR, 34(22), 2000, pp. 3713-3722
Several studies have reported chronic health effects related to living near
major roads. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution has generally not b
een well characterised in these studies. We therefore performed a study to
evaluate differences in concentration of air pollutants outside and inside
homes in streets with low and high traffic intensity in Amsterdam, the Neth
erlands. The study was performed in the framework of the Small Area Variati
on in Air quality and Health (SAVIAH) study. In the first phase of the stud
y, an NO2-map was produced based upon a dense network and traffic intensity
information. The present study was also designed to evaluate whether other
pollutants exhibited similar spatial variation. Pollutants measured were p
articulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), the reflectance ('blackness') of the PM
10 and PM2.5 filters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile o
rganic compounds (VOC). Measurements were performed during 19 days in the w
inter and spring of 1995. Per day two to four homes were measured. In total
36 homes without major indoor sources of air pollution such as smoking wer
e included in the study, 18 in major streets and 18 ill quiet streets. Outd
oor PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 15-20% higher at homes located in hi
gh trams intensity streets compared to low traffic homes, similar to contra
sts in predicted NO2. A substantially larger contrast (about a factor two)
was found for outdoor concentration of the particulate components BaP, tota
l PAH, absorption coefficient ('soot') and the gas-phase components benzene
and total VOC, The contrasts for these pollutants were substantially large
r than the estimated contrast in average NO2 (22%). Differences of a simila
r magnitude were also found in indoor air in these homes, with the exceptio
n of the VOCs. We conclude that PM10 and PM2.5 are not specific indicators
of exposure to traffic-related air pollution. In the present study the (out
door) contrasts of BaP, total PAH, absorption coefficient, benzene and tota
l VOC were highly correlated, suggesting that any of these could have been
selected to represent exposure to traffic air pollution. Also, the study in
dicated that the earlier developed NO2-map reflected even larger contrasts
in other traffic-related pollutants. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig
hts reserved.