Comparison of exposure to traffic-related pollutants on different commuting routes to a primary school in Jinan, China

• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18362-w
• Publication Date: 2022-02-01T13:03:08Z
• Authors: Farun An; Jiying Liu; Wanpeng Lu; Daranee Jareemit
• Keywords: Air Pollutants; Schools; Transportation; Environmental Exposure; 01 natural sciences; 3. Good health; 13. Climate action; Air Pollution; 11. Sustainability; Humans; Particulate Matter; Research Article; Environmental Monitoring; Vehicle Emissions; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Traffic-related pollutants seriously affect human health, and the commute time to and from school is the time when students are exposed greatest to traffic pollution sources. Field measurements were conducted with hand-held instruments while walking along two selected commuting routes in winter and spring. The measured data were then compared with background monitoring data, and the respiratory deposition dose (RDD) was calculated to assess the exposure risk. Particulate matter intake from 2018 to 2020 was calculated. In winter, the average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were higher in the afternoon than in the morning. The highest concentration was 2.94 times greater than the background value. The low-concentration distribution area of the low-traffic route that is off the main road (route B) was more significant than that of the high-traffic route that is near the main road (route A). Moreover, the RDD of route B was consistently lower than that of route A, while the average annual amount of PM2.5 inhalation on route B in 3 years was 16.3% lower than that on route A. Overall, route B is more suitable than route A for students to commute on foot. Based on the findings, a walking route located within a community is a good choice.