Abstract
Serious traffic-related pollution and high population density during the spring festival (Chinese new year) travel rush (SFTR) increases the travelers’ exposure risk to pollutants and biohazards. This study investigates personal exposure to particulate matter (PM) mass concentration when commuting in five transportation modes during and after the 2020 SFTR: China railway high-speed train (CRH train), subway, bus, car, and walking. The routes are selected between Nanjing and Xuzhou, two major transportation hubs in the Yangtze Delta. The results indicate that personal exposure levels to PM on the CRH train are the lowest and relatively stable, and so it is recommended to take the CRH train back home during the SFTR to reduce the personal PM exposure. The exposure level to PM2.5 during SFTR is twice as high as the average level of Asia, and it is higher than the WHO air quality guideline (AQG).
Highlights
(Chinese new year) travel rush (SFTR) increases the travelers’ exposure risk to pollutants and biohazards
The results show that the mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 are reduced by varying degrees in different modes except for the CRH train1 after the spring festival travel rush (SFTR)
The PM2.5 mass concentration is reduced by 2.6, 2.2, and 5.9 times for walking, subway, and car, respectively, while there is no change on CRH train1 and CRH train2 during and after the SFTR
Summary
(Chinese new year) travel rush (SFTR) increases the travelers’ exposure risk to pollutants and biohazards. This study investigates personal exposure to particulate matter (PM) mass concentration when commuting in five transportation modes during and after the 2020 SFTR: China railway highspeed train (CRH train), subway, bus, car, and walking. In-vehicle air quality can affect the exposure level of commuters. Those pollutants related to traffic emissions may include ultrafine particles (particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 100 nm, UFPs), fine particles (particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm, PM2.5 ), black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [1]. PM2.5 or BC exposure changes, but some toxic elements such as P, S, As, Cu, and Pb may Academic Editor: Daniele Sofia
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