Estudo da exposição e dose inalada de poluição atmosférica em crianças e adolescentes asmáticos na cidade de Vitória

Abstract

In this study, exposure and inhaled dose of atmospheric pollutants, including PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2, were assessed in children and adolescent asthma patients residing in the city of Vitória, ES, as part of the ASMAVIX project. Data from modeling, measurements from monitoring stations, personal samplers, and routine questionnaires were employed. Four approaches were utilized to calculate participants' daily exposures: monitoring station data, CALPUFF dispersion modeling, monitoring station data with indoor exposure inclusion, and CALPUFF modeling with indoor exposure inclusion. These four approaches were compared against personal Ogawa monitors for NO2. The results underscore the importance of considering the indoor exposure period in exposure and dose calculations, as estimates that included it closely approximated direct measurements. In contrast, approaches solely based on monitoring station data without indoor exposure inclusion exhibited larger discrepancies. Despite the spatial coverage provided by the dispersion model's exposure results, the performance comparison in estimating NO2 exposure revealed significant deviations from direct measurements. Exposures varied between project campaigns, with higher levels observed in areas with heavy traffic and higher emissions. Correction for indoor pollutant concentrations had a substantial impact, particularly for PM10 and PM2.5. Daily inhaled dose assessments indicated that children and adolescents inhale more particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), followed by NO2 and SO2, due to elevated concentrations indoors, such as in homes and schools. The contribution of microenvironments varied by pollutant, with indoor exposure playing a significant role for particulate matter, while travel and outdoor exposure had a slight influence on NO2 dose. SO2 exhibited substantial variations in contributions, with up to 52% originating from outdoor exposures, differing from other pollutants. The conclusions underscore the fundamental importance of indoor air quality in determining exposure and inhaled dose of atmospheric pollutants, emphasizing the need to consider various microenvironments when employing indirect approaches. Despite identified limitations, indirect methods that incorporate more comprehensive information on individual exposures can be adopted with significant implications for public health and the formulation of air pollution control policies.