Fine and nano particles in the school environments and the respiratory deposition doses to schoolchildren in a Middle City of Jambi, Indonesia

Abstract

Five public high schools in Jambi, Indonesia, located on the roadside, were chosen as sampling sites, i.e., at the school gate (SG) and schoolyard (SY), to assess the respiratory deposition doses (RDDs) to schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2021 to February 2022). The fine- and nano-particles information was proven to be critical and limited during the pandemic, but school activities have resumed as usual, even though they only occur for ~4 hours per day at that time. The results show average PM concentrations at the school gate (SG) were higher than those at the schoolyard (SY) regardless of the site location, which was attributed to a difference in influences from road traffic that may be due to the distance from the road. Each PM2.5 concentration, particularly at SY during the school day, exceeded the World Health Organization’s PM2.5 daily standard (15 μg m-3), resulting in higher RDDs compared to other particle sizes, particularly for headways. The deposition of PM2.5 and PM0.1 needs more attention since RDDs have higher values and can infiltrate the alveoli more deeply. Overall, these findings will help to improve health surveillance and guide future efforts in Indonesia to develop air pollution mitigation strategies, particularly for children during the school day.