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EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY PATTERNS ON PERSONAL PM 2.5 CONCENTRATIONS OF RESIDENTS IN A RETIREMENT FACILITY
Citation:
Zufall, M J., J M. Burke, R W. Williams, J C. Suggs, R K. Kwok, D. B. Walsh, J P. Creason, AND L S. Sheldon. EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY PATTERNS ON PERSONAL PM 2.5 CONCENTRATIONS OF RESIDENTS IN A RETIREMENT FACILITY. Presented at PM 2000 AWMA Conference, Charleston, SC, January 24-28, 2000.
Description:
Measurements of ambient, outdoor, indoor, and personal particulate matter concentrations (PM) were made at a multi-story retirement facility near Baltimore, MD from July 26 to August 21, 1998. The overall aim of this study was to quantify the relationships between these different PM measurements and between the concentration measurements and health endpoints in an elderly population (persons > 65 years old). Study participants wore personal PM2.5 monitors, recorded their activities, and underwent daily physical monitoring.
One of the specific goals was to determine to what extent an individual's activities affect their PM exposures. Personal PM2.5 concentrations averaged 13 ug/m3, while concentrations in individual apartments and outdoors averaged 11 ug/M3 and 22 ug/m3, respectively. Study participants generally remained in their apartments or inside the facility, and were outside of the retirement home less than 10% of the time. Analysis of time-activity information and PM measurements showed that the highest average personal PM2.5 concentrations generally occurred for people who traveled by car or bus, cooked, or were outdoors for a significant period of time. Although correlations between PM2.5 concentrations and time spent in specific activities/locations were weak across the entire population, individual correlations existed for time spent in vehicles, time spent in commercial buildings, and total "active" time (time spent outside of the facility or being physically active). In addition, statistical analyses were undertaken to determine the mass contribution to PM exposure made by specific activities, including: going outside, traveling by car or bus, cooking, exercising, cleaning, eating in a restaurant or dining facility, going to various commercial locations, and opening apartment windows.
This work has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under contract 68-D5-0040 to the Research Triangle Institute. It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.