Abstract
Occupational and nonoccupational personal nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) exposures were measured using passive samplers for 31 taxi drivers in Asan and Chunan, Korea. Exposures were also estimated using a microenvironmental time-weighted average model based on indoor, outdoor and inside the taxi area measurements. Mean NO2 indoor and outdoor concentrations inside and outside the taxi drivers' houses were 24.7±10. 7 and 23.3±8.3ppb, respectively, with a mean indoor to outdoor NO 2 ratio of 1.1. Mean personal NO2 exposure of taxi drivers was 30.3±9.7ppb. Personal NO2 exposures for drivers were more strongly correlated with interior vehicle NO2 levels (r=0.89) rather than indoor residential NO2 levels (r=0.74) or outdoor NO2 levels (r=0.71). The main source of NO2 exposure for taxi drivers was considered to be occupational driving. Interestingly, the NO2 exposures for drivers' using LPG-fueled vehicles (26.3±1.3ppb) were significantly lower than those (38.1±1.3ppb) using diesel-fueled vehicle (P<0.01). Since drivers spent most of their time inside their vehicle and indoors at home, a microenvironmental model was used to estimate the personal NO2 exposure with indoor and outdoor NO2 levels of the residence, and interior vehicle NO2 levels (P<0.001). Some subpopulations, such as professional drivers, might be exposed to high NO2 levels because they drive diesel-using vehicles outdoors in Korea.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 291-296 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Environmental research |
Volume | 94 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2004 |
Keywords
- Exposure
- Microenvironmental model
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Passive sampler
- Taxi driver
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- General Environmental Science