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Indoor air sampling for fine particulate matter and black carbon in industrial communities in Pittsburgh
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Indoor air sampling for fine particulate matter and black carbon in industrial communities in Pittsburgh

Brett J. Tunno, Kyra Naumoff Shields, Leah Cambal, Sheila Tripathy, Fernando Holguin, Paul Lioy and Jane E. Clougherty
The Science of the total environment, v 536, pp 108-115
01 Dec 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.117
PMID: 26204046
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.117View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Black carbon Fine particulate matter Indoor air pollution Industrial emissions Multivariate modeling
Impacts of industrial emissions on outdoor air pollution in nearby communities are well-documented. Fewer studies, however, have explored impacts on indoor air quality in these communities. Because persons in northern climates spend a majority of their time indoors, understanding indoor exposures, and the role of outdoor air pollution in shaping such exposures, is a priority issue. Braddock and Clairton, Pennsylvania, industrial communities near Pittsburgh, are home to an active steel mill and coke works, respectively, and the population experiences elevated rates of childhood asthma. Twenty-one homes were selected for 1-week indoor sampling for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) during summer 2011 and winter 2012. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine contributions from both outdoor concentrations and indoor sources. In the models, an outdoor infiltration component explained 10 to 39% of variability in indoor air pollution for PM2.5, and 33 to 42% for BC. For both PM2.5 models and the summer BC model, smoking was a stronger predictor than outdoor pollution, as greater pollutant concentration increases were identified. For winter BC, the model was explained by outdoor pollution and an open windows modifier. In both seasons, indoor concentrations for both PM2.5 and BC were consistently higher than residence-specific outdoor concentration estimates. Mean indoor PM2.5 was higher, on average, during summer (25.8±22.7μg/m3) than winter (18.9±13.2μg/m3). Contrary to the study's hypothesis, outdoor concentrations accounted for only little to moderate variability (10 to 42%) in indoor concentrations; a much greater proportion of PM2.5 was explained by cigarette smoking. Outdoor infiltration was a stronger predictor for BC compared to PM2.5, especially in winter. Our results suggest that, even in industrial communities of high outdoor pollution concentrations, indoor activities – particularly cigarette smoking – may play a larger role in shaping indoor exposures. •PM2.5 and BC indoor concentrations were assessed near industrial sources.•Indoor concentrations were consistently higher than outdoors during both seasons.•We detected higher indoor PM2.5 concentrations during summer than winter.•Smoking explained greater variability in indoor PM2.5 than outdoor estimates.

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42 citations in Web of Science
47 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
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