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Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools

Hochstetler, Heather Ann
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1282577154

Abstract Details

2010, MS, University of Cincinnati, Medicine: Industrial Hygiene (Environmental Health).
Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 μg m-3. The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also the highest at the school with the highest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with moderate-to-high values of Spearman coefficients. Significant relationships were identified between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors).
Sergey Grinshpun, PhD (Committee Chair)
Patrick Ryan, PhD (Committee Member)
405 p.
Public Health
Traffic aerosol; PM 2.5; Diesel; School bus; Outdoor; Indoor

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hochstetler, H. A. (2010). Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1282577154

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hochstetler, Heather. Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools. 2010. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1282577154.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hochstetler, Heather. "Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1282577154

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1282577154
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.