BACKGROUND Air pollution data in Bangkok, Thailand, indicate that levels of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < or = 10 microm (PM(10)) are significantly higher than in most cities in North America and Western Europe, where the health effects of PM(10) are well documented. However, the pollution mix, seasonality, and demographics are different from those in developed Western countrie...

Several studies have shown the association between ambient particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects and climate change, thus highlighting the need to limit the anthropogenic sources of PM. PM Exposure is commonly monitored as mass concentration of PM10 (particle aerodynamic diameter < 10μm) or PM2.5 (particle aerodynamic diameter < 2.5μm), although increasing toxicity with decreasing ...

Satellite sensors have provided new datasets for monitoring regional and urban air quality. Satellite sensors provide comprehensive geospatial information on air quality with both qualitative imagery and quantitative data, such as aerosol optical depth. Yet there has been limited application of these new datasets in the study of air pollutant sources relevant to public policy. One promising app...

Three types of uncatalyzed diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems, three types of high-temperature disposable filter elements (DFEs), and one diesel oxidation catalytic converter (DOC) were evaluated in underground mine conditions for their effects on the concentrations and size distributions of diesel aerosols. Those effects were compared with the effects of a standard muffler. The experiment...

INTRODUCTION The health effects on young children of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) are well described. Recent work suggests that over one quarter of school-aged children in Scotland are regularly exposed to SHS in the home. The study was designed to describe SHS exposure in preschool children whose mothers smoked and identify factors that influence exposure. METHODS Smoking mothers with ...

BACKGROUND Recent toxicological and epidemiological studies have shown associations between particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects, but which PM components are most influential is less well known. OBJECTIVES In this study, we used time-series analyses to determine the associations between daily fine PM [PM ≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)] concentrations and daily mortalit...

We hypothesized that the reduction in hospital respiratory admissions in the Utah Valley during closure of a local steel mill in 1986-1987 was attributable in part to decreased toxicity of ambient air particles. Sampling filters for particulate matter < 10 μm (PM10) were obtained from a Utah Valley monitoring station for the year before ( year 1), during ( year 2), and after ( year 3) the steel...

In the last years a great deal of research has been focused on the determination of harmful trace metals such as Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni or Pb in airborne particulate matter (APM). However, the commonly applied determination of total element concentrations in APM provides only an upper-end estimate of potential metal toxicity. For improved risk assessment it is important to determine bio-accessible ...

BACKGROUND Studies on the association between prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and term low birth weight (LBW) have resulted in inconsistent findings. Most studies were conducted in snapshots of small geographic areas and no national study exists. OBJECTIVES We investigated geographic variation in the associations between ambient PM2.5 duri...

To provide quantitative evidence of the impact on people of a neighboring metropolitan airport, La Guardia Airport (LGA) in New York City, (1) airborne particulate matter (PM) was measured to determine whether concentration differences could be detected between homes that are upwind and downwind of the airport; (2) 24-hr noise measurements were made in 12 homes near the airport; and (3) the imp...