Miljøprojekt, 1003 – The indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate air-pollution and PAHs in different size fractions and assessment of exposure and health impacts in the Copenhagen population

The indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate air-pollution and PAHs in different size fractions and assessment of exposure and health impacts in the Copenhagen population

Preface

The overall goal of this study was to update our present knowledge of the indoor and outdoor air-pollution in central Copenhagen (Denmark), to investigate the importance of the infiltration of traffic generated air pollution to the indoor environment in a case-study apartment, as well as to assess the potential adverse health effects in the Copenhagen population. The measures in the study was fine (PM₁ and PM_2.5) and coarse (inhalable dust) particulate air-pollution and sixteen volatile and semivolatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with the particles.

The project was financed by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Danish EPA) and established as an extension of Work-Package C3.1 under the Centre for Traffic Research on environmental and health Impacts and Policy, TRIP (http://www.akf.dk/trip/index.htm).

The project was followed by an observation group consisting of:

- Poul Bo Larsen, Danish Environmental Protection Agency (chairman)

- Christian Lange Fog, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

- Ole Hertel, National Environmental Research Institute

- Marianne Glasius, National Environmental Research Institute

- Steffen Loft, University of Copenhagen

FieL_Dwork was conducted between January and July of 2002 in close collaboration with the TRIP WP3.1C Working Group from the National Environmental Research Institute (Roskilde), The Danish Building and Urban Research Institute (Helsingør), The Danish Environmental Protection Agency, University of Copenhagen and The National Institute of Occupational Health (Copenhagen).

The current project was conducted and reported by a working group at the National Institute of Occupational Health, Denmark, which consisted of Vivi Kofoed-Sørensen, Per Axel Clausen and Keld Alstrup Jensen. Dorte Narv and Tina Trankjær Olsen additionally supported with technical assistance during the fieL_D campaigns.

During the course of this study we have had fruitful discussions with the observation group who also reviewed the current report. Additionally, we are grateful for beneficial discussions on the HPLC method with Åse-Marie Hansen and Dorrit Meincke.