Short-Term Exposure to PM10 and Black Carbon in Residential Microenvironments in Bragança, Portugal: A Case Study in Bedrooms, Living Rooms, and Kitchens

Abstract

Several studies have evaluated PM concentrations in single specific microenvironments as a measure of exposure in the entire house. In this study, PM10 was monitored at the same time in three microenvironments (bedroom, living room, and kitchen) from three dwellings located in a small inland town of the Iberian Peninsula to assess whether exposure varies significantly between them. Real-time optical instruments and low-volume gravimetric samplers were employed. A multi-wavelength absorption instrument was used to determine black carbon (BC) concentrations on the filters. The Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry Model (MPPD) was applied to evaluate the deposition of PM10 and BC in the airways of adults. For all dwellings, the highest PM10 concentrations were recorded in bedrooms (B1 = 22.7 µg m−3; B2 = 19.5 µg m−3; and B3 = 68.1 µg m−3). Houses 1 and 3 did not show significant differences between microenvironments. This did not happen in house 2, suggesting that ventilation is a determining factor for concentrations. BC originated mainly from fossil fuel emissions (90%), while biomass burning represented a minor contribution (10%). MPPD showed that PM10 is predominantly deposited in the head region (≥85% of the total dose), while BC is mainly deposited in the pulmonary region (14%). Higher doses were estimated for males than for females.