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Measured and modeled personal and environmental NO2 exposure

Stroh, Emilie LU orcid ; Rittner, Ralf LU orcid ; Oudin, Anna LU ; Ardö, Jonas LU orcid ; Jakobsson, Kristina LU ; Björk, Jonas LU and Tinnerberg, Håkan LU (2012) In Population Health Metrics 10(10).
Abstract
Abstract in Undetermined
Background: Measured or modeled levels of outdoor air pollution are being used as proxies for individual exposure in a growing number of epidemiological studies. We studied the accuracy of such approaches, in comparison with measured individual levels, and also combined modeled levels for each subject's workplace with the levels at their residence to investigate the influence of living and working in different places on individual exposure levels.

Methods: A GIS-based dispersion model and an emissions database were used to model concentrations of NO2 at the subject's residence. Modeled levels were then compared with measured levels of NO2. Personal exposure was also modeled based on levels of NO2 at... (More)
Abstract in Undetermined
Background: Measured or modeled levels of outdoor air pollution are being used as proxies for individual exposure in a growing number of epidemiological studies. We studied the accuracy of such approaches, in comparison with measured individual levels, and also combined modeled levels for each subject's workplace with the levels at their residence to investigate the influence of living and working in different places on individual exposure levels.

Methods: A GIS-based dispersion model and an emissions database were used to model concentrations of NO2 at the subject's residence. Modeled levels were then compared with measured levels of NO2. Personal exposure was also modeled based on levels of NO2 at the subject's residence in combination with levels of NO2 at their workplace during working hours.

Results: There was a good agreement between measured facade levels and modeled residential NO2 levels (r(s) = 0.8, p > 0.001); however, the agreement between measured and modeled outdoor levels and measured personal exposure was poor with overestimations at low levels and underestimation at high levels (r(s) = 0.5, p > 0.001 and r(s) = 0.4, p > 0.001) even when compensating for workplace location (r(s) = 0.4, p > 0.001).

Conclusion: Modeling residential levels of NO2 proved to be a useful method of estimating facade concentrations. However, the agreement between outdoor levels (both modeled and measured) and personal exposure was, although significant, rather poor even when compensating for workplace location. These results indicate that personal exposure cannot be fully approximated by outdoor levels and that differences in personal activity patterns or household characteristics should be carefully considered when conducting exposure studies. This is an important finding that may help to correct substantial bias in epidemiological studies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Population Health Metrics
volume
10
issue
10
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000309835900001
  • scopus:84861958227
ISSN
1478-7954
DOI
10.1186/1478-7954-10-10
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a56bfbfc-ef1e-4756-a512-0a494fc8a604 (old id 3158137)
alternative location
http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/10/1/10
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:42:18
date last changed
2022-01-27 20:37:15
@article{a56bfbfc-ef1e-4756-a512-0a494fc8a604,
  abstract     = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br>
Background: Measured or modeled levels of outdoor air pollution are being used as proxies for individual exposure in a growing number of epidemiological studies. We studied the accuracy of such approaches, in comparison with measured individual levels, and also combined modeled levels for each subject's workplace with the levels at their residence to investigate the influence of living and working in different places on individual exposure levels.<br>
<br>
Methods: A GIS-based dispersion model and an emissions database were used to model concentrations of NO2 at the subject's residence. Modeled levels were then compared with measured levels of NO2. Personal exposure was also modeled based on levels of NO2 at the subject's residence in combination with levels of NO2 at their workplace during working hours.<br>
<br>
Results: There was a good agreement between measured facade levels and modeled residential NO2 levels (r(s) = 0.8, p &gt; 0.001); however, the agreement between measured and modeled outdoor levels and measured personal exposure was poor with overestimations at low levels and underestimation at high levels (r(s) = 0.5, p &gt; 0.001 and r(s) = 0.4, p &gt; 0.001) even when compensating for workplace location (r(s) = 0.4, p &gt; 0.001).<br>
<br>
Conclusion: Modeling residential levels of NO2 proved to be a useful method of estimating facade concentrations. However, the agreement between outdoor levels (both modeled and measured) and personal exposure was, although significant, rather poor even when compensating for workplace location. These results indicate that personal exposure cannot be fully approximated by outdoor levels and that differences in personal activity patterns or household characteristics should be carefully considered when conducting exposure studies. This is an important finding that may help to correct substantial bias in epidemiological studies.}},
  author       = {{Stroh, Emilie and Rittner, Ralf and Oudin, Anna and Ardö, Jonas and Jakobsson, Kristina and Björk, Jonas and Tinnerberg, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{1478-7954}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Population Health Metrics}},
  title        = {{Measured and modeled personal and environmental NO2 exposure}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-10-10}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1478-7954-10-10}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}