SRA-E Lisbon 2017

This symposium will feature presentations by experts in the development, deployment, and interpretation of sensors for measuring human exposure to air quality, with a focus on transportation-related exposure to fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, and other traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP). The symposium participants represent active research teams in Europe, the United States, and China. Issues to be addressed during the symposium include user and policy needs, research needs and opportunities, instrumentation and capabilities, study objectives, study design, field data collection methods, quality assurance, data processing and analysis, and inferences from data. Methods for measurement, study design, and data analysis will be illustrated based on case studies. The case studies include measurements of traffic-realted air pollution in the cities of Surrey (UK), Raleigh (USA), and Hong Kong. The Raleigh case study features measurements of pedestrian, cyclist, motorist, and transit bus rider exposures to fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and ozone during five time periods, including winter, spring, and multiple summer study periods. The study design focuses on the following hypothesized key sources of variability in exposure concentrations for each pollutant: transportation mode, time of day, type of location, and season. Using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), paired t-tests, and other methods, the magnitude and significance of these sources of variability, and their interactions, were quantified. The findings illustrate that, despite substantial variability in ambient concentrations, it is possible to obtain statistically robust findings regarding comparisons. Furthermore, the factors that were identified as statistically significant are also plausible in terms of the expected mechanistic relationship with exposures. The results have implications for study design, data analysis, and with regard to individual and governmental decision making.