| Title: | Effects of architecture structure on volatile organic compound and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon diffusion in Singapore's Integrated Transport Hubs |
| Author(s): | Lee SH; Shen J; Tan ST; Ng LC; Fang M; Jia S; |
| Address: | "School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore. Environmental Health Institute NEA, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667, Singapore. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore; Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore, 637141, Singapore. Electronic address: mlfang@ntu.edu.sg. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore; Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore, 637141, Singapore. Electronic address: sljia@ntu.edu.sg" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132067 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1298 (Electronic) 0045-6535 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Millions of passengers wait for buses at Integrated Transport Hubs (ITH) daily in metropolitan cities. Environmental exposure and associated risk for passengers is of great public concern. In this study, eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the 16 EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in airborne samples collected from indoor waiting areas (Indoor) and bus parks of nine Singapore ITH, which comprises of two types of architectural structure (i.e., fully sheltered and open/partially enclosed). The median concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs), total gaseous PAHs (TgPAHs) and total airborne particles-adsorbed PAH (TpPAHs) concentrations in Indoor were 30.42 mug/m(3), 18.99 ng/m(3) and 1.38 ng/m(3); respectively. A strong correlation (r >/= 0.75, p < 0.001) was observed between Indoor and bus parks air compounds. The 'Indoor' to bus park pollutant concentration ratio (I/B ratio) showed lower values in the bus interchanges with fully sheltered bus parks (TVOCs: 0.98; TgPAHs: 0.76; TpPAHs: 0.71) than those with open/partially enclosed ones (TVOCs: 1.28; TgPAHs: 1.31; TpPAHs: 0.90). This result suggests that fully sheltered structure may cause the accumulation of air pollutants. The daily VOC and PAH exposure for commuters were further estimated by considering inhalation and dermal doses using Monte Carlo simulation (n = 100,000). Overall, the result showed that the risk is still within international guideline values. In sum, the effect of architecture structure on the migration of air pollutants should be taken into consideration in future transport hub design to reduce pollutant exposure to commuters" |
| Keywords: | *Air Pollutants/analysis Environmental Monitoring *Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/analysis Singapore *Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis Bus interchange Exposure assessment I/B ratio VOCs gPAHs pPAHs; |
| Notes: | "MedlineLee, Suk Hyun Shen, Joanna Tan, Sze Tat Ng, Lee Ching Fang, Mingliang Jia, Shenglan eng England 2021/09/04 Chemosphere. 2022 Jan; 287(Pt 1):132067. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132067. Epub 2021 Aug 27" |
