A case study of personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide using a new high sensitive diffusive sampler.

Personal NO(2) exposure measurements were achieved during two campaigns in a large northern France city. These campaigns were following an innovating approach based on sequential exposure measurements by diffusive samplers distinguishing four categories of microenvironments ("home", "other indoor places", "transport" and "outdoors"). The objective of these campaigns was to obtain NO(2) personal exposure data in different microenvironments and to examine the determinants of personal exposure to this pollutant. Each campaign comprised two 24-h sampling periods: one during a working day and the second during the weekend. The average total NO(2) personal exposure ranged from 17 microg m(-3) for the summer weekend samplings to 38 microg m(-3) for the winter weekday samplings. The highest levels were found in transports and outdoors, the intermediate ones in other indoor places and the lowest in homes. Despite their weak levels, indoor environments contributed for more than 78% to total NO(2) personal exposure because of more time spent in these living places. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) highlighted the determinants of NO(2) personal exposure in the "home" and "transport" microenvironments. This led to a classification of NO(2) personal exposure levels according to different means of transport: from the lowest to the highest exposure levels, train, tramway or underground, bicycle, car or motorcycle. In homes, the rise of NO(2) personal exposures is mainly due to the use of gas stoves and gas heating and the absence of automatic airing system. A classification of NO(2) personal exposure levels was set up according to the characteristics of homes. An analysis of correlations between the home NO(2) personal exposures and outdoor concentrations measured by fixed ambient air monitoring stations showed weak relations suggesting that the data of these stations are poor predictors of NO(2) personal exposures in homes.

Validation tests of a new high uptake rate passive sampler for nitrogen dioxide measurements.

This study explains the main characteristics of a new passive sampler which is able to give reliable nitrogen dioxide measurements for short time sampling. The sampling rate was found to be on average 0.89 cm3 s(-1) for indoor sampling and 1.00 cm3 s(-1) for outdoor sampling. The detection limit was evaluated at 11 microg m(-3) for a one-hour measurement. In field conditions, the passive sampler measurements were in agreement with those of the chemiluminescent NOx monitors. Measurement uncertainties were estimated at 34% and 38% for laboratory tests in conditions corresponding respectively to indoor and outdoor measurements and were evaluated at 28 to 37% depending on the nitrogen dioxide concentration for field experiments. The effects of various factors on the passive sampler were determined in an exposure chamber. The sampling rate of the retained sampler version was not significantly influenced by wind speeds superior to 0.3 m s(-1). A decrease of the uptake rate is observed for high nitrogen dioxide doses. The sampling rate increases linearly with temperature (2% per degree C). The relative humidity has only a weak effect.