Abstract

Adverse health effects from exposure to air pollution are a global challenge and of widespread concern. Therefore, the present study attempted to pave the way in the study of indoor air pollution by coarse and fine particulate matter and picturesque its relation with the different indoor microenvironment. A campaign study was conducted in the city of Taj "Agra," India in which different microenvironments were selected (i.e., offices, shops, and commercial centers). For each site, two different locations were chosen to examine the coarse particles (PM10 and PM5.0) and fine particles (PM2.5, PM1.0, PM0.5 and PM0.25) concentrations and metal concentration of Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Cr, Cd, Mg and Cu in PM2.5 and for their related health effects. The exposure factor and health risk assessment for carcinogenic effects due to heavy metal contaminants have also been calculated for adults working in different microenvironment by following the methodology prescribed by US EPA.

Keywords: indoor microenvironment, particulate matter, multivariate statistical analysis, carcinogenic and related health effects

#### 1. Introduction

World Health Organization explains a healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those corporal and communal environments and expanding those community assets that enable people to mutually support each other in achieving all the purposes of life and in developing to their maximum potential. While the basic tasks of the urban environment are climate change, the wasteful use of natural resources, the health impacts of airborne pollutants and exposure to vast arrays of hazardous chemicals. These problems are bound up with the modern lifestyles and at the same time require attention and action of many different parts of society. Environmental awareness to people is at rise, as more and more individuals are search for higher living standards and a better living surroundings. Thus the development of sound environmental policy requires both scientific information about the linkages between pollutant emissions and human health effects and value judgments about the importance of these effects relative to other social concerns.

Asia is one of the significant part of the world in the view of atmospheric aerosol loading because of the presence of growing economies like India, China and other

developed and developing countries. Mechanization, expansion, financial growth and connected increase of energy demands have resulted in profound deterioration of urban air quality [1, 2]. The developing countries like India have shifted their economics from manufacturing toward services that involve information technologies. Growth in information technology have amplified the quantity and extended the use of equipment used in proximity to office worker due to which electronic media used for entertainment, telecommunications and data processing have become widespread in daily life [3, 4]. Typical examples are television, audio-visual recorders, stereo systems, and CPUs with their peripherals such as monitors and printers, scanners and copiers. There is growing concern about the levels of potentially harmful pollutants that may be emitted from office and other commercial centers equipment. Office equipment has been found to be a source of ozone, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) [5]. Several studies have revealed more consistent correlation for the concentration of fine (PM2.5) and inhalable (PM10) particles with health than any other air pollutant [6, 7]. In cities, a major fraction of ultrafine aerosol particles (particle diameter, Dp <100 nm) cause adverse health effects in sensitive human beings more than larger particles due to their increased lung deposition efficiency [8]. With possible adverse health effects, the question of the chemical characterization of the fine particles released by such devices is of special importance [9]. Trace elements associated with PM2.5 and below are nonvolatile in nature; they are less vulnerable to chemical alterations and remain in the form as they were emitted, even though they tend to undergo long range atmospheric transport [2, 10, 11]. Particulate metal components can have severe carcinogenic and toxic effects on occupants when inhaled in higher concentration. Short-term differences of atmospheric metal concentration have been observed in a day-to-day or even an hour-to-hour basis [1, 12]. Epidemiological studies show that these ultrafine particles cause more adverse health effects in sensitive human beings more than larger particles due to their increased lung deposition efficiency. Therefore the reduction of particulate and associated metal pollution to some acceptable levels is an important environmental issue. The objective of this study helps in pinpointing the integrated actions essential to reduce the particulate pollutant and eliminate the toxicological environment impacts of Indian urban environment. This can enhance the capacity of national environment within the city and which can be implemented to other towns and cities of India that can benefit health, quality of life and the economy.

environment of three different location (two shops, two commercial buildings and two offices) in different parts of Agra city (Figure 1A and B). Indoor PM5 was also collected from these sites for chemical characterization. The detailed description of

Mass and Number and Its Chemical Composition Distribution of Particulate Matter in Different…

A short term study was conducted from September 2011 to November 2011 to determine number and mass concentration of coarse and fine particles, i.e., PM10, PM5.0, PM2.5, PM1.0, PM0.5, and PM0.25 in indoors of commercial centers, shops and offices in of Agra city. Chemical characterization in PM5 was also carried for heavy metal detection. A total of 36 samples (i.e., 18 samples each for PM mass and

these sites is shown in Table 1.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82801

2.2 Sample collection

Figure 1.

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(A) Map of Agra city showing different sampling sites and (B) different sampling sites.
