Personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide in the Los Angeles Basin

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Air and Waste; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/1073161X.1994.10467236· OSTI ID:6652364

Spengler, J; Schwab, M; Ryan, P B ^[1]; Colome, S; Wilson, A L ^[2]; Billick, I ^[3]; Becker, E ^[4]

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1. Harvard Univ., Boston, MA (United States)
2. Integrated Environmental Services, Irvine, CA (United States)
3. Gas Research Institute, Chicago, IL (United States)
4. Southern California Gas Co., El Monte, CA (United States)

A large scale study of human exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO[sub 2]) was conducted in the Los Angeles Basin, the only metropolitan area in the United States that exceeds the NO[sub 2] NAAQS. Data are available for a population representative sample of 482 households and 682 individuals. Personal exposures, as well as indoor and outdoor home levels, were monitored using passive time-integrating filter badges. Monitoring extended over a one-year period (May 1987 to May 1988), with each individual providing two consecutive days of data. Information was also collected on activity patterns, household and personal characteristics, and spatial and temporal variables. This paper describes the study design, summarizes the sample characteristics and representativeness, and presents the distribution of personal, indoor, and outdoor NO[sub 2] concentrations recorded by the monitors. Over the entire sample, median personal and outdoor levels were 35 ppb; median indoor levels were 24 ppb. Personal exposures for those in homes with gas ranges with pilot lights average 10 ppb greater than those with electric ranges, and 4 ppb greater than those with gas ranges without pilot lights. Forty percent of the variation in indoor concentrations is explained by outdoor levels; 59 percent of the variation in personal exposures is explained by indoor levels; and 48 percent of the variation in personal exposures is explained by outdoor levels. 38 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6652364
• Journal Information: Air and Waste; (United States), Journal Name: Air and Waste; (United States) Vol. 44; ISSN AIWAE2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
CALIFORNIA
CHALCOGENIDES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
LOS ANGELES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
URBAN AREAS
USA
VARIATIONS