Chemical Composition and Sources of PM10 and PM2.5 Aerosols in Guangzhou, China

Aerosol samples of PM10 and PM2.5 are collected in summertime at four monitoring sites in Guangzhou, China. The concentrations of organic and elemental carbons (OC/EC), inorganic ions, and elements in PM10 and PM2.5 are also quantified. Our study aims to: (1) characterize the particulate concentrations and associated chemical species in urban atmosphere (2) identify the potential sources and estimate their apportionment. The results show that average concentration of PM2.5 (97.54 μg m⁻³) in Guangzhou significantly exceeds the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) 24-h average of 65 μg m⁻³. OC, EC, Sulfate, ammonium, K, V, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd and Se are mainly in PM2.5 fraction of particles, while chloride, nitrate, Na, Mg, Al, Fe, Ca, Ti and Mn are mainly in PM2.5-10 fraction. The major components such as sulfate, OC and EC account for about 70–90% of the particulate mass. Enrichment factors (EF) for elements are calculated to indicate that elements of anthropogenic origins (Zn, Pb, As, Se, V, Ni, Cu and Cd) are highly enriched with respect to crustal composition (Al, Fe, Ca, Ti and Mn). Ambient and source data are used in the multi-variable linearly regression analysis for source identification and apportionment, indicating that major sources and their apportionments of ambient particulate aerosols in Guangzhou are vehicle exhaust by 38.4% and coal combustion by 26.0%, respetively.     

Concentrations of PM2.5-associated OC, EC, and PCDD/Fs measured during the 2003 wildfire season in Missoula, Montana

Throughout August and September, 2003, wildfires burned in close proximity to Missoula, Montana, with smoke emanating from the fires impacting the valley for much of the summer. This presented the perfect opportunity to measure the levels of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) comprising ambient forest fire smoke particles impacting the Missoula Valley. An air sampler at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) compliance site in Missoula measured hourly averages of PM₁₀ throughout the fire season. Three collocated PM_2.5 cyclones collected 24-h smoke samples using quartz filters and Polyurethane Foam (PUF) sorbent cartridges. From the quartz filters, concentrations of Organic and Elemental Carbon (OC/EC) were measured, while PCDD/F were measured from one set of a filter (particle phase) and PUF (vapor phase) aggregate of samples in an attempt to also investigate the different phases of PCDD/F in forest fire smoke impaired communities.Hourly PM₁₀ concentrations peaked at 302.9 μg m⁻³ on August 15. The highest OC concentration (115.6 μg m⁻³) was measured between August 21–22, and the highest EC concentration of 10.5 μg m⁻³ was measured August 20–21. Measurable concentrations of PM_2.5 associated PCDD/Fs were not detected from a representative aggregate sample, with the exception of small amounts of 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptachlorodibenzodioxin and octachlorodibenzodioxin. PM_2.5 samples collected during the smoke events were composed of approximately 65% OC. However, the OC fraction of the particles collected in the smoke impaired Missoula valley was not composed of significant amounts of PCDD/F.     

西宁市城区冬季PM2.5和PM10中有机碳、元素碳污染特征

2014年11月—2015年1月对西宁市冬季开展PM_(2.5)和PM_(10)的连续监测。利用DRI 2001A型热光碳分析仪(美国)对有机碳和元素碳进行分析,结果表明:西宁市冬季PM_(2.5)和PM_(10)中碳气溶胶所占比例分别为33.13%±6.83%、24.21%±6.27%,说明碳气溶胶主要集中在PM_(2.5)中;OC/EC值均大于2,说明西宁市大气中存在二次污染;SOC占PM_(2.5)和PM_(10)的质量浓度比例分别为46.50%和57.40%,PM_(2.5)中SOC浓度占PM_(10)中SOC浓度的61.88%,说明SOC主要存在于PM_(2.5)中,且SOC形成的二次污染和直接排放的一次污染都是西宁市碳气溶胶的主要来源;与其他城市比较发现,西宁市冬季PM_(2.5)中的碳气溶胶含量普遍高于其他城市,PM_(10)中OC质量浓度相对其他城市较高,EC质量浓度偏低;OC和EC的相关性不显著,说明来源不统一;进一步对OC和EC各组分质量浓度进行分析知,西宁市冬季碳气溶胶主要来源于机动车汽油排放、燃煤和生物质燃烧。     

南京大气细颗粒中有机碳与元素碳污染特征

为了解南京城区大气细颗粒物中有机碳与元素碳的污染特征,在国控点草场门进行了连续一年的PM2.5采样,分析了有机碳(OC)、元素碳(EC)、ρ(OC)/ρ(EC)污染特征和变化规律。结果表明,采样期间有些PM2.5的日均值超过了《环境空气质量标准》(GB 3095-2012)二级标准,ρ(OC)/ρ(EC)为0.77～4.98,平均值为1.92。PM2.5样品中OC约占18%、EC约占9%。     

Ambient Aerosol and its Carbon Content in Gainesville, a Mid-Scale City in Florida

Ambient aerosols were collected during 2000–2001 in Gainesville, Florida, using a micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) to study mass size distribution and carbon composition. A bimodal mass distribution was found in every sample with major peaks for aerosols ranging from 0.32 to 0.56 μm, and 3.2 to 5.6 μm in diameter. The two distributions represent the fine mode (<2.5 μm) and the coarse mode (>2.5 μm) of particle size. Averaged over all sites and seasons, coarse particles consisted of 15% carbon while fine particles consisted of 22% carbon. Considerable variation was noted between winter and summer seasons. Smoke from fireplaces in winter appeared to be an important factor for the carbon, especially the elemental carbon contribution. In summer, organic carbon was more abundant. The maximum secondary organic carbon was also found in this season (7.0 μg m⁻³), and the concentration is between those observed in urban areas (15–20 μg m⁻³) and in rural areas (4–5 μg m⁻³). However, unlike in large cities where photochemical activity of anthropogenic emissions are determinants of carbon composition, biogenic sources were likely the key factor in Gainesville. Other critical factors that affect the distribution, shape and concentration were precipitation, brushfire and wind.     

Characteristics of Carbonaceous Aerosol at Taichung Harbor, Taiwan during Summer and Autumn Period of 2005

In recent years, suspended particle pollution has become a serious problem in Taiwan. The carbonaceous materials EC and OC are play important roles in various atmospheric processes. The primary OC/EC ratio approach is applied to assess the contribution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) to the PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ mass at the Taichung harbor sampling site. The results indicated that the average EC and OC concentration were 1.06 and 6.50 μg m⁻³, respectively, in fine particulate. And the average EC and OC concentration were 4.04 and 40.32 μg m⁻³, respectively, in coarse particulate at Taichung Harbor sampling site. In addition, and the average EC/OC rations was 8.72 in fine particle, respectively, at Taichung Harbor, Taiwan during summer and autumn period of 2005. The fine particle exhibited high particulate concentrations in October, and lower concentration particulate occurred in August. And in this study OC and EC concentrations in this study are compared with those in other cities. The results of EC and OC concentration in this study are also compare with those other cities.     

Chemical composition of ambient particulate matter and redox activity

Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) has been associated with a number of adverse health effects. Increasing studies have suggested that such adverse health effects may derive from oxidative stress, initiated by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within affected cells. The study aimed to assess physical characteristics and chemical compositions of PM and to correlate the results to their redox activity. PM_2.5 (mass aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) and ultrafine particles (UFPs, mass media aerodynamic diameter <0.1 μm) were collected in an urban area, which had heavy traffic and represented ambient air pollution associated with vehicle exhaust. Background samples were collected in a rural area, with low traffic flow. Organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals were analyzed. The dithiothreitol activity assay was used to measure the redox activity of PM. Results showed that UFPs have higher concentrations of OC, EC, and PAHs than those of PM_2.5. Several metals, including Fe, Cu, Zn, Ti, Pb, and Mn, were detected. Among them, Cu had the highest concentrations, followed by Fe and Zn. Organic carbon constituted 22.8% to 59.7% of the content on the surface of PM_2.5 and UFPs. Our results showed higher redox activity on a per PM mass basis for UFPs as compared to PM_2.5. Linear multivariable regression analyses showed that redox activity highly correlated with PAH concentrations and organic compounds, and insignificantly correlated with EC and metals, except soluble Fe, which increased redox activity in particle suspension due to the presence of ROS.     

合肥市冬季细颗粒物中碳组分特征分析

利用2020年12月1日至2021年2月28日合肥市细颗粒物(PM_2.5)、有机碳(OC)和元素碳(EC)等环境空气质量监测数据和气象观测数据，分析了合肥市大气PM_2.5中OC和EC的污染特征，并探讨了其来源以及气象因素影响。结果表明：合肥市冬季碳质气溶胶是PM_2.5中主要组分，随着污染程度的加重，碳质气溶胶的质量浓度逐步增加，但其在PM_2.5中的占比先减小后增加。在以PM_2.5为首要污染物的不同污染级别天气条件下，OC和EC的相关性说明不同程度下碳质气溶胶来源复杂。OC/EC表明机动车尾气和燃煤源排放是碳质气溶胶的主要来源。二次有机碳(SOC)会随着污染程度的加重而呈现升高趋势。OC和EC在冬季受温度影响较小；较大的相对湿度对OC和EC具有一定的清除作用，明显降水或连续降水的清除作用更加显著；而风速对含碳气溶胶的影响主要出现在污染天气背景下。     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bulk PM2.5 and size-segregated aerosol particle samples measured in an urban environment

To analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at an urban site in Seoul, South Korea, 24-hr ambient air PM_2.5 samples were collected during five intensive sampling periods between November 1998 and December 1999. To determine the PAH size distribution, 3-day size-segregated aerosol samples were also collected in December 1999. Concentrations of the 16 PAHs in the PM_2.5 particles ranged from 3.9 to 119.9 ng m⁻³ with a mean of 24.3 ng m⁻³.An exceptionally high concentration of PAHs(∼120 ng m⁻³) observed during a haze event in December 1999 was likely influenced more by diesel vehicle exhaust than by gasoline exhaust, as well as air stagnation, as evidenced by the low carbon monoxide/elemental carbon (CO/EC) ratio of 205 found in this study and results reported by previous studies. The total PAHs associated with the size-segregated particles showed unimodal distributions. Compared to the unimodal size distributions of PAHs with modal peaks at < 0.12 μm measured in highway tunnels in Los Angeles (Venkataraman and Friedlander, 1994), four- to six-ring PAHs in our study had unimodal size distributions, peaking at the larger size range of 0.28–0.53 μm, suggesting the coagulation of freshly emitted ultrafine particles during transport to the sampling site. Further, the fraction of PAHs associated with coarse particles(> 1.8 μm) increased as the molecular weight of the PAHs decreased due to volatilization of fine particles followed by condensation onto coarse particles.     

APEC期间京津冀及周边地区PM2.5中碳组分变化特征及来源

在APEC会议期间和会期之后,分别采集北京、天津、石家庄、保定、济南5个采样点的PM2.5样品,通过分析碳组分的变化特征,研究京津冀地区污染物减排的影响以及减排后各指标的变化特征,分析大气颗粒物中碳气溶胶的可能来源。采用重量法测定组分中PM2.5的含量,利用热/光碳分析仪测定组分中OC、EC的含量,结果表明,由于采取了污染源减排措施,会议期间PM2.5、OC、EC的质量浓度均低于会期之后;会议期间和会期之后OC与EC均表现出了较好的相关性,r2为0.789~0.983,说明OC与EC的排放源基本相同;会议期间OC/EC为3.11~3.62,表明含碳气溶胶的来源主要是机动车排放,同时也存在一定的燃煤排放,会期之后为3.08~6.10,表明燃煤的排放在碳气溶胶中的比重明显增加,另外OC/EC也表明APEC会议期间和会期之后二次有机碳在各采样点均普遍存在。     

Extension of the EUROS Integrated Air Quality Model to Fine Particulate Matter by Coupling to CACM/MADRID 2

The European Operational Smog (EUROS) integrated air quality modelling system has been extended to model fine particulate matter (PM). From an extended literature study, the Caltech Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism and the Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionisation and Dissolution were selected and recently coupled to EUROS. Currently, modelling of mass and chemical composition of aerosols in two size fractions (PM_2.5 and PM_10–2.5) is possible. The chemical composition is expressed in terms of seven components: ammonium, nitrate, sulphate, elementary carbon, primary inorganic compounds, primary organic compounds and secondary organic compounds. Calculated PM₁₀ concentrations and chemical composition are presented for two summer months of the year 2003 (1 July to 31 August).     

Estimation of the contributions of long range transported aerosol in East Asia to carbonaceous aerosol and PM concentrations in Seoul, Korea using highly time resolved measurements: a PSCF model approach

The contributions of long range transported aerosol in East Asia to carbonaceous aerosol and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in Seoul, Korea were estimated with potential source contribution function (PSCF) calculations. Carbonaceous aerosol (organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC)), PM(2.5), and PM(10) concentrations were measured from April 2007 to March 2008 in Seoul, Korea. The PSCF and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) receptor models were used to identify the spatial source distributions of OC, EC, PM(2.5), and coarse particles. Heavily industrialized areas in Northeast China such as Harbin and Changchun and East China including the Pearl River Delta region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Beijing-Tianjin region were identified as high OC, EC and PM(2.5) source areas. The conditional PSCF analysis was introduced so as to distinguish the influence of aerosol transported from heavily polluted source areas on a receptor site from that transported from relatively clean areas. The source contributions estimated using the conditional PSCF analysis account for not only the aerosol concentrations of long range transported aerosols but also the number of transport days effective on the measurement site. Based on the proposed algorithm, the condition of airmass pathways was classified into two types: one condition where airmass passed over the source region (PS) and another condition where airmass did not pass over the source region (NPS). For most of the seasons during the measurement period, 249.5-366.2% higher OC, EC, PM(2.5), and coarse particle concentrations were observed at the measurement site under PS conditions than under NPS conditions. Seasonal variations in the concentrations of OC, EC, PM(2.5), and coarse particles under PS, NPS, and background aerosol conditions were quantified. The contributions of long range transported aerosols on the OC, EC, PM(2.5), and coarse particle concentrations during several Asian dust events were also estimated. We also investigated the performance of the PSCF results obtained from combining highly time resolved measurement data and backward trajectory calculations via comparison with those from data in low resolutions. Reduced tailing effects and the larger coverage over the area of interest were observed in the PSCF results obtained from using the highly time resolved data and trajectories.     

Evaluation of the Impact of Long-range Transport and Aerosol Concentration Temporal Variations at the Eastern Coast of the Baltic Sea

Ambient particles vary greatly in their ability to affect visibility, climate and human health. The fine fraction of aerosol is responsible for greater and wider effects on human health; thus, investigation of this fraction is very important. Continuous measurements of PM2.5 (particulate matter below 2.5 μm in size) concentrations at the Preila monitoring station started in 2003. During a period of 2 years, the episodes of high daily and semi-hourly concentrations of PM2.5 were measured. These episodes did not depend on the season or time of day. The substantial role of long-range transport of pollutants to these increases in concentration was shown using chemical and statistical analysis. It was found that most of the severe episodes occurred when air masses came from a specific site besides it was established that air masses of different origin were characterized by different mixing layer depth. Lower mixing depth was observed in air masses characterized by higher observed concentrations at the measuring site and vice versa. PM2.5 concentrations showed diurnal and seasonal variations whose pattern reflected the regional origin of the aerosol. The regional pollution level was evaluated by the statistical analysis of PM2.5 concentrations. The background annual average of PM2.5 mass concentration for the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea was 15.1 ± 0.8 μg m⁻³.     

秸秆焚烧对空气质量影响特征及判别方法的研究

利用南京空气自动监测数据及PM_(2.5)组分监测结果,分析了2011年夏收秸秆焚烧期间大气污染特征,并探寻快速判别秸秆焚烧影响的指标及方法。结果表明:秸秆焚烧期间PM_(2.5)污染特征显著,其组分中K~+、EC、OC等浓度相对偏高。基于离子组分及碳元素在线监测数据,可选取K~+作为快速判别指标,并根据K~+与PM_(2.5)的相关性,计算秸秆焚烧对PM_(2.5)的贡献。同时结合OC、EC浓度变化,综合判别秸秆焚烧对空气质量的影响程度。     

2014-2018年南京PM2.5中碳组分污染特征分析

利用在线高分辨率仪器对2014-2018年南京市PM2.5中有机碳(OC)、元素碳(EC)进行了连续监测,结果表明:离线分析法与在线分析法对OC、EC的测定结果具有很好的线性相关性,离线分析的EC、OC浓度高于在线自动监测值;2014-2018年南京OC与EC的平均质量浓度分别为(6. 38±3. 91)μg/m^3和(3. 12±1. 76)μg/m^3,整体呈下降趋势,冬季OC与EC均较高,夏季两者质量浓度较低。OC和EC均呈现夜间高、白天低的日变化规律,OC与EC第一个峰值均出现在08:00左右,OC第二个峰值出现在20:00前后;夏季OC与EC相关性最低,冬季最高,NO2、CO与OC、EC的相关性总体高于SO2,表明燃料燃烧对碳气溶胶有一定贡献,但没有交通源的贡献显著,夏季O3与OC呈现一定程度的正相关性。利用最小相关系数法(MRS)计算大气OC中一次有机碳(POC)和二次有机碳(SOC),结果显示OC中以POC为主,但SOC呈逐年上升趋势,2018年SOC质量浓度达1. 96μg/m3,在OC中占比达31. 9%,后续颗粒物污染治理的重点可能应关注VOCs。     

Ambient site, home outdoor and home indoor particulate concentrations as proxies of personal exposures

Despite strong longitudinal associations between particle personal exposures and ambient concentrations, previous studies have found considerable inter-personal variability in these associations. Factors contributing to this inter-personal variability are important to identify in order to improve our ability to assess particulate exposures for individuals. This paper examines whether ambient, home outdoor and home indoor particle concentrations can be used as proxies of corresponding personal exposures. We explore the strength of the associations between personal, home indoor, home outdoor and central outdoor monitoring site ("ambient site") concentrations of sulfate, fine particle mass (PM(2.5)) and elemental carbon (EC) by season and subject for 25 individuals living in the Boston, MA, USA area. Ambient sulfate concentrations accounted for approximately 70 to 80% of the variability in personal and indoor sulfate levels. Correlations between ambient and personal sulfate, however, varied by subject (0.1-1.0), with associations between personal and outdoor sulfate concentrations generally mirroring personal-ambient associations (median subject-specific correlations of 0.8 to 0.9). Ambient sulfate concentrations are good indicators of personal exposures for individuals living in the Boston area, even though their levels may differ from actual personal exposures. The strong associations for sulfate indicate that ambient concentrations and housing characteristics are the driving factors determining personal sulfate exposures. Ambient PM(2.5) and EC concentrations were more weakly associated with corresponding personal and indoor levels, as compared to sulfate. For EC and PM(2.5), local traffic, indoor sources and/or personal activities can significantly weaken associations with ambient concentrations. Infiltration was shown to impact the ability of ambient concentrations to reflect exposures with higher exposures to particles from ambient sources during summer. In contrast in the winter, lower infiltration can result in a greater contribution of indoor sources to PM(2.5) and EC exposures. Placing EC monitors closer to participants' homes may reduce exposure error in epidemiological studies of traffic-related particles, but this reduction in exposure error may be greater in winter than summer. It should be noted that approximately 20% of the EC data were below the field limit of detection, making it difficult to determine if the weaker associations with the central site for EC were merely a result of methodological limitations.     

Indoor and outdoor PM mass and number concentrations at schools in the Athens area

Simultaneous indoor and outdoor PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentration measurements were conducted in seven primary schools in the Athens area. Both gravimetric samplers and continuous monitors were used. Filters were subsequently analyzed for anion species. Moreover ultrafine particles number concentration was monitored continuously indoors and outdoors. Mean 8-hr PM₁₀ concentration was measured equal to 229 ± 182 μg/m³ indoors and 166 ± 133 μg/m³ outdoors. The respective PM_2.5 concentrations were 82 ± 56 μg/m³ indoors and 56 ± 26 μg/m³ outdoors. Ultrafine particles 8-h mean number concentration was measured equal to 24,000 ± 17,900 particles/cm³ indoors and 32,000 ± 14,200 particles/cm³ outdoors. PM₁₀ outdoor concentrations exhibited a greater spatial variability than the corresponding PM_2.5 ones. I/O ratios were close or above 1.00 for PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 and smaller than 1.00 for ultrafine particles. Very high I/O ratios were observed when intense activities took place. The initial results of the chemical analysis showed that accounts for the 6.6 ± 3.5% of the PM₁₀ and for the 3.1 ± 1.4%.The corresponding results for PM_2.5 are 12.0 ± 7.7% for and 3.1 ± 1.9% for . PM_2.5 indoor concentrations were highly correlated with outdoor ones and the regression line had the largest slope and a very low intercept, indicative of no indoor sources of fine particulate . The results of the statistical analysis of indoor and outdoor concentration data support the use of as a proper surrogate for indoor PM of outdoor origin.     

宁波市区冬季大气颗粒物及其主要组分的污染特征分析

为了更好地研究影响宁波市区环境空气质量的污染物变化特征,于2010年1月20—30日进行了加强监测。研究结果表明,宁波市区大气中PM₁₀和PM_2.5质量浓度较高,其中PM_2.5/PM₁₀为0.5~0.85。对PM₁₀和PM_2.5采样膜分析,水溶性粒子和含碳组分分别占PM₁₀和PM_2.5质量浓度的56.7%和66.9%,其中二次污染的水溶性离子SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NH₄⁺是PM₁₀和PM_2.5中浓度较高的离子组分;PM_2.5样品中OC与EC的相关性较好,表明OC与EC的来源相对一致,可能主要来自机动车尾气的贡献;但PM₁₀样品中OC与EC的相关性较差,表明其来源相对复杂;其中SOC的浓度占OC的13%~35%,说明宁波市区冬季导致二次污染的光化学反应不活跃。     

Local and regional air pollution in Ireland during an intensive aerosol measurement campaign

An intensive two month measurement campaign has been performed during a two year study of major component composition of urban PM10 and PM2.5 in Ireland (J. Yin, A. G. Allen, R. M. Harrison, S. G. Jennings, E. Wright, M. Fitzpatrick, T. Healy, E. Barry, D. Ceburnis and D. McCusker, Atmos. Res., 2005, 78(3-4), 149-165). Measurements included size-segregated mass, soluble ions, elemental carbon (EC) distributions, fine and coarse fraction organic carbon (OC) and major gases along with standard meteorological measurements. The study revealed that urban emissions in Ireland had mainly a local character and therefore were confined within a limited area of 20-30 km radius, without significantly affecting regional air quality. Gaseous measurements have shown that urban emissions in Ireland had clear, but fairly limited influence on the regional air quality due to favorable mixing conditions at higher wind speeds, in particular from the western sector. Size-segregated mass and chemical measurements revealed a clear demarcation size between accumulation and coarse modes at about 0.8 microm which was constant at all sites. Carbonaceous compounds at the urban site accounted for up to 90% of the particle mass in a size range of 0.066-0.61 microm. Nss SO4(2-) concentrations in PM2.5 were only slightly higher at the urban site compared to the rural or coastal sites, while NO3- and NH4+ concentrations were similar at the urban and coastal sites, but were a factor of 2 to 3 higher than at the rural site. OC was highly variable between the sites and revealed clear seasonal differences. Natural or biogenic OC component accounted for <10% in winter and up to 30% in summer of the PM2.5 OC at urban sites. A contribution of biogenic OC component to PM2.5 OC mass at rural site was dominant.     

Indoor air pollution levels in public buildings in Thailand and exposure assessment

Levels of pollutants including PM2.5 and PM2.5 composition (black carbon and water soluble ions), SO(2), NO(2), CO, CO(2), and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) were monitored for indoor and outdoor air at a university campus and a shopping center, both located in the Northern suburb of Bangkok. Sampling was done during December 2005-February 2006 on both weekdays and weekends. At the university, indoor monitoring was done in two different air conditioned classrooms which shows the I/O ratios for all pollutants to be below 0.5-0.8 during the weekends. However, on weekdays the ratios for CO(2) and most detected BTEX were above 1.0. The concept of classroom occupancy was defined using a function of the student number in a lecture hour and the number of lecture hours per day. Classroom 2, which had a higher occupancy than classroom 1, was characterized by higher concentrations of most pollutants. PM2.5 was an exception and was higher in classroom 1 (37 microg/m(3), weekdays) as compared to classroom 2 (26 microg/m(3), weekdays) which was likely linked to the dust resuspension from the carpeted floor in the former. Monitoring was also done in the shopping mall at three different sites. Indoor pollutants levels and the I/O ratios at the shopping mall were higher than at the university. Levels of all pollutants measured at the car park, except for toluene and CO(2), were the highest. I/O ratios of the pollutants at the mall were above 1.0, which indicates the relatively higher influence of the indoor sources. However, the black carbon content in PM2.5 outdoor is higher than indoor, which suggest the important contribution from outdoor combustion sources such as the traffic. Major sources of outdoor air pollution in the areas were briefly discussed. Exposure modeling was applied using the time activity and measured pollutant concentrations to assess the exposure of different groups of people in the study areas. High exposure to PM2.5, especially for the people working in the mall, should be of health effect concern.