The 1999 Fresno Particulate Matter Exposure Studies: Comparison of Community,Outdoor, and Residential PM Mass Measurements

ABSTRACT

Two collaborative studies have been conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory to determine personal exposures and physiological responses to par-ticulate matter (PM) of elderly persons living in a retirement facility in Fresno, CA. Measurements of PM and other criteria air pollutants were made inside selected individual residences within the retirement facility and at a central outdoor site on the premises. In addition, personal PM exposure monitoring was conducted for a subset of the participants, and ambient PM monitoring data were available for comparison from the NERL PM research monitoring platform in central Fresno. Both a winter (February 1-28, 1999) and a spring (April 19-May 16, 1999) study were completed so that seasonal effects could be     

Ozone Indicators Determined at Rural Sites in the Eastern United States by two Monitoring Networks

Ozone levels at Clean Air Status andTrends Network (CASTNet) and nearby rurally-designatedState and Local Air Monitoring Stations (SLAMS) siteslocated in the eastern United States (U.S.) arecompared using daily indicators (i.e., maximum, range,and SUM06) based on hourly O₃ measurements. Comparisons are also made using monthly and summertimethree-month SUM06 determinations aggregated from dailydata. Comparison of O₃ indicators at the pairedCASTNet-SLAMS sites generally shows better agreementfor O₃ maximum than for range or SUM06. Thehighest correlation of daily O₃ indicators occursfor paired sites that are separated by less than 100miles, and the correlation diminishes with increasingseparation distance. Correlation coefficients exceed0.70 in 49% of the comparisons of maximum, in23% of range comparisons and in 5% ofSUM06 comparisons, suggesting that substitution ofSLAMS for CASTNet O₃ measurements would fail tocapture a substantial amount of the variability inO₃ indicators present at the CASTNet sites. Correlations of O₃ indicators at CASTNet andpaired nearby SLAMS sites are 0.80 in a relativelysmall number of cases. Despite the high correlationin even these cases, O₃ behavior at paired sitesis not identical and shows systematic differences thatare reflected in the O₃ minimum, hourly averageconcentrations, and the monthly and three-month SUM06. Ozone measurements at nearby rurally-designated SLAMSsites may not capture the `rural' nature of the airquality being monitored at CASTNet sites and, in mostcases, may not be sufficiently representative of theconcentration at CASTNet sites to permit O₃measurements at SLAMS sites to be used in lieu ofmeasurements at CASTNet sites. As a result, if ruralO₃ concentration data are needed, then O₃monitoring at carefully chosen, rurally representativesites is recommended.     

Use of a Continuous Nephelometer to Measure Personal Exposure to Particles During the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Baltimore and Fresno Panel Studies

ABSTRACT

In population exposure studies, personal exposure to PM is typically measured as a 12- to 24-hr integrated mass concentration. To better understand short-term variation in personal PM exposure, continuous (1-min averaging time) nephelometers were worn by 15 participants as part of two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) longitudinal PM exposure studies conducted in Baltimore County, MD, and Fresno, CA. Participants also wore iner-tial impactor samplers (24-hr integrated filter samples) and recorded their daily activities in 15-min intervals. In Baltimore, the nephelometers correlated well (R² = 0.66) with the PM₂₅ impactors. Time-series plots of personal nephelometer data showed each participant's PM exposure to consist of a series of peaks of relatively short duration. Activities corresponding to a significant instrument response included cooking, outdoor activities, transportation, laundry, cleaning, shopping, gardening, moving between microenvironments, and removing/putting on the instrument. On average, 63-66% of the daily PM exposure occurred indoors at home (about 2/3 of which occurred during waking hours), primarily due to the large amount of time spent in that location (an average of 7277%). Although not a reference method for measuring mass concentration, the nephelometer did help identify PM sources and the relative contribution of those sources to an individual's personal exposure.     

Sustainable livelihoods and people’s vulnerability in the face of coastal hazards

The present study investigates into the link between people’s vulnerability in the face of coastal hazards and sustainable livelihoods. It focuses on the town of Borongan in the Philippines and draws on questionnaire-based surveys and focus group discussions. This research shows that local fishermen are often compelled to go out fishing despite pending typhoon or storm surge to sustain the daily needs of their family. Its also demonstrates that the capacity of these people to protect themselves from the threat is constrained by poor and fragile livelihoods. In the event of a crisis, the study argues that people resort to a range of adjustments on their daily life which is rooted in the strength and diversity of their livelihoods. To reduce people’s vulnerability and enhance capacities to face coastal hazards, the study fosters Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction with special emphasis to sustainable livelihoods.     

Use of a continuous nephelometer to measure personal exposure to particles during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Baltimore and Fresno Panel studies

In population exposure studies, personal exposure to PM is typically measured as a 12- to 24-hr integrated mass concentration. To better understand short-term variation in personal PM exposure, continuous (1-min averaging time) nephelometers were worn by 15 participants as part of two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) longitudinal PM exposure studies conducted in Baltimore County, MD, and Fresno, CA. Participants also wore inertial impactor samplers (24-hr integrated filter samples) and recorded their daily activities in 15-min intervals. In Baltimore, the nephelometers correlated well (R2 = 0.66) with the PM2.5 impactors. Time-series plots of personal nephelometer data showed each participant's PM exposure to consist of a series of peaks of relatively short duration. Activities corresponding to a significant instrument response included cooking, outdoor activities, transportation, laundry, cleaning, shopping, gardening, moving between microenvironments, and removing/putting on the instrument. On average, 63-66% of the daily PM exposure occurred indoors at home (about 2/3 of which occurred during waking hours), primarily due to the large amount of time spent in that location (an average of 72-77%). Although not a reference method for measuring mass concentration, the nephelometer did help identify PM sources and the relative contribution of those sources to an individual's personal exposure.     

Academic publishing in disaster risk reduction: past,present, and future

Nowadays there are approximately 80 Anglophone journals that deal primarily with disaster risk reduction (DRR) and allied fields. This large array signals a sustained, if uneven, growth in DRR scholarship but also competition between the offerings of different publishers and institutions. The purpose of this article is first to summarise the development of academic publishing on DRR from its early beginnings to the present day. The paper then evaluates the current state of publishing in this field and discusses possible future trends. Next, it identifies some possible opportunities, challenges, expectations, and commitments for journal editors both within DRR and academia more broadly, including those that refer to changes in the use of terminology, the relentless increase in the number of papers submitted, the expansion and dangers of predatory journals, different peer review models, open access versus paywalls, citations and bibliography metrics, academic social networks, and copyright and distribution issues.     

Evaluation of the Sodium Arsenite Method for Measurement of NO2 in Ambient Air

The sodium arsenite method for measurement of nitrogen dioxide in ambient air was evaluated. The method has a constant-high collection efficiency (82%) for nitrogen dioxide, and is insensitive to normal variations in operating parameters. Nitric oxide and carbon dioxide are positive and negative interferents, respectively. The combined average effect of these interferents, over ambient levels, is a positive bias of 9.9 µg/m³. This bias, although statistically significant, is minor ( 10 % ) in relation to the ambient air standard of 100 µg NO₂/m³ and does not warrant modification of the method to remove the interference.     

The 1999 Fresno particulate matter exposure studies: comparison of community, outdoor, and residential PM mass measurements

Two collaborative studies have been conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory to determine personal exposures and physiological responses to particulate matter (PM) of elderly persons living in a retirement facility in Fresno, CA. Measurements of PM and other criteria air pollutants were made inside selected individual residences within the retirement facility and at a central outdoor site on the premises. In addition, personal PM exposure monitoring was conducted for a subset of the participants, and ambient PM monitoring data were available for comparison from the NERL PM research monitoring platform in central Fresno. Both a winter (February 1-28, 1999) and a spring (April 19-May 16, 1999) study were completed so that seasonal effects could be evaluated. During the spring study, a more robust personal exposure component was added, as well as a more detailed evaluation of physical factors, such as air-exchange rate, that are known to influence the penetration of particles into the indoor environment. In this paper, comparisons are made among measured personal PM exposures and PM mass concentrations measured at the NERL Fresno Platform site, outside on the premises of the retirement facility, and inside selected residential apartments at the facility during the two 28-day study periods. The arithmetic daily mean personal PM2.5 exposure during the winter study period was 13.3 micrograms/m3, compared with 9.7, 20.5, and 21.7 micrograms/m3 for daily mean overall apartment, outdoor, and ambient (i.e., platform) concentrations, respectively. The daily mean personal PM2.5 exposure during the spring study period was 11.1 micrograms/m3, compared with 8.0, 10.1, and 8.6 micrograms/m3 for the daily mean apartment, outdoor, and ambient concentrations, respectively.     

Integrated Sampling and Analysis Methods for Determining NO x Emissions at Electric Utility Plants

Two integrated sampling and analysis methods for determining NO_x emissions in electric utility plants were developed and field tested. The collection systems consist of: a 4.0% potassium permanganate-2.0% sodium hydroxide solution in restricted-orifice impingers, and a 5A° molecular sieve in midget impingers. Sample analysis is accomplished by a colorimetric or ion-chromatographic procedure with the alkaline-permanganate method and by a colorimetric procedure with the molecular sieve method. The alkalinepermanganate method gives excellent agreement with the EPA reference method, Method 7, for NO _x measurements. The molecular sieve method shows a significant negative bias relative to Method 7. It is anticipated that the permanganate methods will be proposed as alternates to Method 7, for NO _x determinations, under the EPA New Source Performance Standards.