Validity of Using Annual Mean Particulate Matter Concentrations As Measured at Fixed Site in Assessing Personal Exposure: an Exposure Assessment Study in Japan

From 2003 through 2005, we compared annual mean particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations as measured at fixed-site monitoring stations in 6 Japanese cities with those measured inside and outside subject residences and during personal monitoring. A total of 65 households participated in indoor and outdoor residential exposure monitoring. In summer and autumn, we also performed personal monitoring of one resident of each household. On each day, personal samplers were used to collect 24-h samples of PM and NO₂ simultaneously from the fixed sites, indoor and outdoor, and from those undergoing personal monitoring. We found good correlations between the fixed-site and outdoor measurements for annual mean (average of 7-day × 4-season) concentrations of PM₂.₅, PM₁₀₋₂.₅, PM10 and NO₂ (Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (ρ) ≥ 0.75). However, the correlations between the fixed-site and indoor measurements were moderate to low. In summer and autumn, the correlations between the fixed-site and personal mean concentrations of PM₂.₅ (ρ = 0.62), PM10 (ρ = 0.58), and NO₂ (ρ = 0.70) were acceptable. However, because people spend most of their time indoors, these correlations for annual mean concentrations were not estimated to be high. Our results are important in allowing researchers to estimate the effects of resulting measurement errors of PM and NO₂.