Title
Association of roadway proximity with indoor air pollution in a Peri-urban community in Lima, Peru
Date Issued
26 October 2015
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Abstract
The influence of traffic-related air pollution on indoor residential exposure is not well characterized in homes with high natural ventilation in low-income countries. Additionally, domestic allergen exposure is unknown in such populations. We conducted a pilot study of 25 homes in peri-urban Lima, Peru to estimate the effects of roadway proximity and season on residential concentrations. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and black carbon (BC) were measured during two seasons, and allergens were measured in bedroom dust. Allergen levels were highest for dust mite and mouse allergens, with concentrations above clinically relevant thresholds in over a quarter and half of all homes, respectively. Mean indoor and outdoor pollutant concentrations were similar (PM2.5: 20.0 vs. 16.9 μg/m3, BC: 7.6 vs. 8.1 μg/m3, NO2: 7.3 vs. 7.5 ppb), and tended to be higher in the summer compared to the winter. Road proximity was significantly correlated with overall concentrations of outdoor PM2.5 (rs = −0.42, p = 0.01) and NO2 (rs = −0.36, p = 0.03), and outdoor BC concentrations in the winter (rs = −0.51, p = 0.03). Our results suggest that outdoor-sourced pollutants significantly influence indoor air quality in peri-urban Peruvian communities, and homes closer to roadways are particularly vulnerable.
Start page
13466
End page
13481
Volume
12
Issue
10
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Investigación climática Sistema respiratorio
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84945358741
PubMed ID
Source
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
ISSN of the container
1661-7827
Sponsor(s)
National Institutes of Health National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences R01ES018845 NIEHS
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus