Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Air pollution is a major global health concern, specifically as it relates to the human exposome. The EPA criteria pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and NOx can have severe impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular health, particularly in populations with chronic illnesses such as asthma, those facing economic hardships and individuals who frequently spend time outdoors, such as bicyclists and runners. To understand the impact of air pollution on human health, it is essential to assess personal exposure. This study aimed to investigate personal exposure to air pollution levels while biking along a former elevated railway, now urban trail, in Chicago, Illinois due to the east trailhead’s proximity to the I-90 highway, a significant source of PM, NOx, CO, and CO2. Ozone (O3), a secondary air pollutant, was also monitored, but was not statistically analyzed. During summer months of 2022, portable sensors were attached to a bike rack for data collection, and GPS-captured datasets were analyzed for correlation between longitude and criteria air pollutants using linear regression in RStudio. The results of three datasets analyzed showed there were significant correlations between longitude and carbon monoxide. CO2, PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 only correlated on one day. Additionally, O3 concentrations were within standard levels along most of the trail, but there was a sudden increase in ozone levels near the west trailhead on four out of six collection datasets observed. This spike in ozone was consistent and reached or vastly exceeded 50 ppb, suggesting a persistent source of ozone. Further investigation is necessary to understand the reason for the variation in significance of the criteria air pollutants and the potential source of ozone. Funding: Undergraduate Summer Research Program (USRP) grant from DePaul University’s College of Science and Health
Included in
Monitoring Personal Exposure to Air Quality Gradients while Biking on an Elevated Urban Trail
Air pollution is a major global health concern, specifically as it relates to the human exposome. The EPA criteria pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and NOx can have severe impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular health, particularly in populations with chronic illnesses such as asthma, those facing economic hardships and individuals who frequently spend time outdoors, such as bicyclists and runners. To understand the impact of air pollution on human health, it is essential to assess personal exposure. This study aimed to investigate personal exposure to air pollution levels while biking along a former elevated railway, now urban trail, in Chicago, Illinois due to the east trailhead’s proximity to the I-90 highway, a significant source of PM, NOx, CO, and CO2. Ozone (O3), a secondary air pollutant, was also monitored, but was not statistically analyzed. During summer months of 2022, portable sensors were attached to a bike rack for data collection, and GPS-captured datasets were analyzed for correlation between longitude and criteria air pollutants using linear regression in RStudio. The results of three datasets analyzed showed there were significant correlations between longitude and carbon monoxide. CO2, PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 only correlated on one day. Additionally, O3 concentrations were within standard levels along most of the trail, but there was a sudden increase in ozone levels near the west trailhead on four out of six collection datasets observed. This spike in ozone was consistent and reached or vastly exceeded 50 ppb, suggesting a persistent source of ozone. Further investigation is necessary to understand the reason for the variation in significance of the criteria air pollutants and the potential source of ozone. Funding: Undergraduate Summer Research Program (USRP) grant from DePaul University’s College of Science and Health
