Association of Roadway Proximity with Indoor Air Pollution in a Peri-Urban Community in Lima, Peru

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Lindsay J. Underhill⁴  Sonali Bose¹  D𠆚nn L. Williams²  Karina M. Romero³  Gary Malpartida⁵  Patrick N. Breysse²  Elizabeth M. Klasen¹  Juan M. Combe³  William Checkley¹  Nadia N. Hansel¹  Gary Adamkiewicz⁶ 

[1] Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, School of Medicine, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; E-Mails:;Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; E-Mails:;Center for Asthma Research, A.B. PRISMA, Lima 32, Peru; E-Mails:;Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; E-Mail:;Laboratorio de Investigacion y Desarrollo, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru; E-Mail:;Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; E-Mail

关键词: air pollution;    indoor environment;    particulate matter;    black carbon;    nitrogen dioxide;    allergens;    asthma;    traffic;    childhood;    low-income and vulnerable populations;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph121013466

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The influence of traffic-related air pollution on indoor residential exposure is not well characterized in homes with high natural ventilation in low-income countries. Additionally, domestic allergen exposure is unknown in such populations. We conducted a pilot study of 25 homes in peri-urban Lima, Peru to estimate the effects of roadway proximity and season on residential concentrations. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and black carbon (BC) were measured during two seasons, and allergens were measured in bedroom dust. Allergen levels were highest for dust mite and mouse allergens, with concentrations above clinically relevant thresholds in over a quarter and half of all homes, respectively. Mean indoor and outdoor pollutant concentrations were similar (PM_2.5: 20.0 vs. 16.9 μg/m³, BC: 7.6 vs. 8.1 μg/m³, NO₂: 7.3 vs. 7.5 ppb), and tended to be higher in the summer compared to the winter. Road proximity was significantly correlated with overall concentrations of outdoor PM_2.5 (r_s = −0.42, p = 0.01) and NO₂ (r_s = −0.36, p = 0.03), and outdoor BC concentrations in the winter (r_s = −0.51, p = 0.03). Our results suggest that outdoor-sourced pollutants significantly influence indoor air quality in peri-urban Peruvian communities, and homes closer to roadways are particularly vulnerable.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.