Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Dimičeva ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Dimičeva ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Feb 20;912:169117. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169117. Epub 2023 Dec 7.
Fine particulate matter (PM), a detrimental urban air pollutant primarily emitted by traffic and biomass burning, poses disproportionately significant health risks at relatively limited exposure during commuting. Previous studies have mainly focused on fixed locations when assessing PM exposure, while neglecting pedestrians and cyclists, who often experience higher pollution levels. In response, this research aimed to independently validate the effectiveness of bicycle-mounted low-cost sensors (LCS) adopted by citizens, evaluate temporal and spatial PM exposure, and assess associated health risks in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The LCS quality assurance results, verified by co-location field tests by air quality monitoring stations (AQMS), showed comparable outcomes with an average percentage difference of 21.29 %, attributed to humidity-induced nucleation effects. The colder months exhibited the highest air pollution levels (μ = 32.31 μg/m) due to frequent thermal inversions and weak wind circulation, hindering vertical air mixing and the adequate dispersion of pollutants. Additionally, PM levels in all sampling periods were lowest in the afternoon (μ = 12.09 μg/m) and highest during the night (μ = 61.00 μg/m) when the planetary boundary layer thins, leading to the trapping of pollutants near the surface, thus significantly affecting diurnal and seasonal patterns. Analysis of exposure factors revealed that cyclists were approximately three times more exposed than pedestrians. However, the toxicological risk assessment indicated a minimal potential risk of PM exposure. The collaborative integration of data from official AQMS and LCS can enhance evidence-based policy-making processes and facilitates the realignment of effective regulatory frameworks to reduce urban air pollution.
细颗粒物（PM）是一种有害的城市空气污染物，主要由交通和生物质燃烧排放，在通勤期间相对有限的暴露下，对健康造成不成比例的重大风险。以前的研究主要集中在评估 PM 暴露时的固定地点，而忽略了经常处于较高污染水平的行人和骑自行车的人。有鉴于此，本研究旨在独立验证公民采用的自行车搭载低成本传感器（LCS）的有效性，评估时间和空间 PM 暴露情况，并评估斯洛文尼亚卢布尔雅那的相关健康风险。通过空气质量监测站（AQMS）的现场测试进行了 LCS 质量保证验证，结果显示与平均百分比差异 21.29%的结果相当，这归因于湿度诱导的成核效应。由于频繁的热逆温和弱风环流，寒冷月份的空气污染水平最高（μ=32.31μg/m），阻碍了垂直空气混合和污染物的充分扩散。此外，在所有采样期间，下午的 PM 水平最低（μ=12.09μg/m），晚上最高（μ=61.00μg/m），此时行星边界层变薄，导致污染物在靠近表面的地方被捕获，从而显著影响昼夜和季节性模式。暴露因素分析表明，骑自行车的人比行人暴露的风险大约高三倍。然而，毒理学风险评估表明 PM 暴露的潜在风险极小。官方 AQMS 和 LCS 数据的协作集成可以增强基于证据的决策过程，并有助于调整有效的监管框架，以减少城市空气污染。
