PM2.5 and Trace Elements in Underground Shopping Districts in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, Korea.

Soo Ran Won,In-Keun Shim,Young Sung Ghim,Yumi Lee,Hyun Ah Ji,Jongchun Lee,Jeonghoon Kim

doi:10.3390/ijerph18010297

Abstract

We measured PM2.5 in 41 underground shopping districts (USDs) in the Seoul metropolitan area from June to November 2017, and associated 18 trace elements to determine the sources and assess the respiratory risks. The PM2.5 concentrations were 18.0 ± 8.0 μg/m3 inside USDs, which were lower than 25.2 ± 10.6 μg/m3 outside. We identified five sources such as indoor miscellanea, soil dust, vehicle exhaust/cooking, coal combustion, and road/subway dust, using factor analysis. Almost 67% of the total trace element concentration resulted from soil dust. Soil dust contribution increased with the number of stores because of fugitive dust emissions due to an increase in passers-by. Vehicle exhaust/cooking contribution was higher when the entrances of the USDs were closed, whereas coal combustion contribution was higher when the entrances of the USDs were open. Although miscellanea and coal combustion contributions were 3.4% and 0.7%, respectively, among five elements with cancer risk, Cr and Ni were included in miscellanea, and Pb, Cd, and As were included in coal combustion. The excess cancer risk (ECR) was the highest at 67 × 10−6 for Cr, and the ECR for Pb was lower than 10−6, a goal of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for hazardous air pollutants.

Highlights

PM2.5 refers to particular matter (PM) having a diameter less than 2.5 μm
The mean indoor PM2.5 concentration is 18.0 μg/m3, which is lower than the 24-h average standard mandated by the Indoor Air Quality Control
25.2 μg/m3, but approximately 20% (8 of 41 underground shopping districts (USDs)) was exceeded the 24-h average standard for outdoor air (35 μg/m3 at the time of measurement). This shows that indoor PM2.5 concentrations in the USDs met the standard even with outdoor air quality being exceeded on multiple days

Summary

Introduction

PM2.5 refers to particular matter (PM) having a diameter less than 2.5 μm. PM2.5 introduced in the human body through breathing may cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and even premature death by infiltrating the lungs, alveoli, and blood vessels [1].Every 10 μg/m3 increase in short-term exposure to PM2.5 concentrations caused a 0.38%increase in mortality owing to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases [2,3]. PM2.5 introduced in the human body through breathing may cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and even premature death by infiltrating the lungs, alveoli, and blood vessels [1]. Every 10 μg/m3 increase in short-term exposure to PM2.5 concentrations caused a 0.38%. Increase in mortality owing to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases [2,3]. PM2.5 acts as a medium that introduces toxic substances in the human body because it facilitates the binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, trace elements, bacteria, and viruses to large surface areas with high absorptivity [4]. People living in cities spend approximately 80–90% of their time indoors in houses, schools, public transportation, and shopping malls, which increases their exposure to pollutants emitted from construction materials, home appliances, and electronic products [6,7].

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Results

Conclusion