| Abstract: | Personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and time spent in various locations were measured for 66 family members from 19 homes in the Portage, WI area during March 1981. Passive diffusion NO2 monitors were placed outdoors, in the kitchen, and in one bedroom on each floor of the homes, and were worn by family members. Individuals from gas-cooking homes had significantly higher average NO2 exposures than those from homes using electricity for cooking (mean difference 19.37 μg/m3). Personal exposures were more closely related to bedroom levels than to kitchen or outdoor concentrations for both cooking fuel groups. Several preliminary models are presented which relate average personal NO2 exposure to indoor and ambient levels, and also to the proportion of time spent in different locations. These models are capable of explaining nearly 90% of the variation about the mean in personal exposure. |
