Air quality in passenger cars of the ground railway transit system in Beijing, China.

This study examined the concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, TVOC, TSP, PM(10), PM(2.5), PM(1), benzene, toluene and xylene in passenger cars of the Beijing Ground Railway Transit System (Line No. 13). This system connects the northern suburb and downtown, and is equipped with air-conditioned passenger cars. In-train air quality monitoring was performed in both summer (July and August) and winter (December). To obtain representative data, the sampling design considered both rush and regular hours, urban and suburban areas, as well as the number of passengers. Meanwhile, questionnaires were distributed to the passengers. The monitoring results indicated that, overall, the air quality in the passenger cars was acceptable with a few exceptions, which is consistent with the passengers' perception. Concentrations of some air pollutants showed significant seasonal variations and had the significant difference between rush hour and regular hour. Furthermore, the in-train air quality was greatly influenced by the number of passengers. This paper describes the experimental design, and presents the preliminary results.

[1]  S. Zou,et al.  Exposure level of carbon monoxide and respirable suspended particulate in public transportation modes while commuting in urban area of Guangzhou, China , 2002 .

[2]  A. Strömvall,et al.  Exposure of commuters to volatile aromatic hydrocarbons from petrol exhaust. , 1991, The Science of the total environment.

[3]  L. Chan,et al.  Commuter exposure to aromatic VOCs in public transportation modes in Hong Kong. , 2003, The Science of the total environment.

[4]  H. Özkaynak,et al.  Commuter exposures to VOCs in Boston, Massachusetts. , 1991, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[5]  W Rudolf,et al.  Concentrations of air pollutants inside and outside cars driving on highways. , 1990, The Science of the total environment.

[6]  J. Konz,et al.  Exposure factors handbook , 1989 .

[7]  C. Y. Chan,et al.  Commuter exposure to particulate matter in public transportation modes in Hong Kong , 2002 .

[8]  T. J. Ptak,et al.  PARTICULATE CONCENTRATION IN AUTOMOBILE PASSENGER COMPARTMENTS , 1994 .

[9]  Kun-Ho Park,et al.  Commuter exposure to volatile organic compounds under different driving conditions , 1999 .

[10]  Concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Passenger Compartments of Automobiles , 1996 .

[11]  Saffa Riffat,et al.  Drivers' exposure to carbon monoxide in Nottingham, U.K. , 1997 .

[12]  Roy M. Harrison,et al.  Roadside and in-vehicle concentrations of monoaromatic hydrocarbons , 1999 .

[13]  Peter F. Nelson,et al.  Exposure to emissions of 1,3-butadiene and benzene in the cabins of moving motor vehicles and buses in Sydney, Australia , 1997 .

[14]  L. Chan,et al.  Preliminary measurements of aromatic VOCs in public transportation modes in Guangzhou, China. , 2003, Environment international.

[15]  W. Jo,et al.  Vehicle occupants' exposure to aromatic volatile organic compounds while commuting on an urban-suburban route in Korea. , 1996, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[16]  B. Festy,et al.  Exposure of City Residents to Carbon Monoxide and Monocyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons during Commuting Trips in the Paris Metropolitan Area , 1995 .