Abstract
This study aimed to assess the characteristics of exposure to both PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) among subway workers. A total of 61 subway workers, including 26, 23, and 12 subway station managers, maintenance engineers, and train drivers, respectively, were investigated in 2018. Real-time measurements of airborne PM2.5 and BC were simultaneously conducted around the breathing zones of workers. Maintenance engineers had the highest average levels of exposure to both PM2.5 and BC (PM2.5, 76 µg/m3; BC, 9.3 µg/m3), followed by train drivers (63.2 µg/m3, 5.9 µg/m3) and subway station managers (39.7 µg/m3, 2.2 µg/m3). In terms of the relationship between mass concentrations of PM2.5 and BC, train drivers demonstrated the strongest correlation (R = 0.72), indicating that the proportion of BC contained in PM2.5 is relatively steady. The average proportion of BC in PM2.5 among maintenance engineers (13.0%) was higher than that among train drivers (9.4%) and subway station managers (6.4%). Univariate and mixed effect multiple analyses demonstrated the type of task and worksite to be significant factors affecting exposure levels in maintenance engineers and subway station managers. The use of diesel engine motorcars in tunnel maintenance was found to be a key contributor to PM2.5 and BC exposure levels among subway workers.
Highlights
In metropolitan areas, subways have become an indispensable form of transport as they reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by reducing emissions from gasoline and diesel engines [1].Recently, Lu et al (2018) reported that adding new openings in the subway systems in Chinese cities between 2013 to 2017 reduced PM2.5 concentrations by an average of 18 μg/m3 and significantly improved air quality [2]
The distribution of levels of exposure to PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) according to job are presented in
The exposure levels of both PM2.5 and BC were significantly different among the types of jobs (p < 0.0001) (Figure 1)
Summary
Subways have become an indispensable form of transport as they reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by reducing emissions from gasoline and diesel engines [1]. Lu et al (2018) reported that adding new openings in the subway systems in Chinese cities between 2013 to 2017 reduced PM2.5 concentrations by an average of 18 μg/m3 and significantly improved air quality [2]. The Seoul Metropolitan subway is one of the largest metro traffic systems in the world. It comprises 22 lines, and serves Seoul, Incheon, and satellite cities in the Gyeonggi province. Most of the metropolitan subway stations in the Republic of Korea are situated deep underground. As metro traffic systems have expanded, there have been increasing concerns regarding underground air quality and the health risks of passengers [3,4]
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