Partners and International Organizations
(English)
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IHA, ETH Zürich (CH),Carbotech AG, Basel (VOC-Analytik) (CH), KTL, Division of Environmental Health, Kuopio (FIN), VTT, Chemical Technology Espoo (FIN), University of Athens, Medical School (GR), EC JRC, Institute of the Environment, Ispra (I), University of Milan, Institute of Occupational Health (I), RIVM, Bilthoven (NL), Institute of Genetic Ecotoxicology, Prague (CZ), University Joseph Fourier, Medical School, Grenoble (F)
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Abstract
(English)
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Epidemiological literature of the 1990's has revealed large public health impacts associated with present common air pollution levels in North American and European cities. Prior to EXPOLIS no large, population based air pollution studies have been conducted in Europe. EXPOLIS is a European multi center study for measurements of air pollution exposures of working age urban populations.
The selected urban areas are Athens, Basle, Grenoble, Helsinki, Milan and Prague. The main objectives of the EXPOLIS-study are:
-to assess the exposure of European urban populations to major air pollutants
-to analyze the personal and environmental determinants and interrelationships of these exposures
-to develop an European database for simulation of air pollution exposures
These objectives were pursued by measuring the personal exposures, home indoor and outdoor and workplace levels of PM2.5, VOCs and CO of 500 participants (Basel: 50), representing the adult population of the selected cities. Time-microenvironment activity-diaries (TMADs) and questionnaire data on home and work environment complete the collected exposure information.
Field work in Basel was carried out between February 1997 and January 1998. In each centre, identical sampling equipment, operating procedures, TMADs, questionnaires, database and data entry tools were used. To assure comparability of the data from the six cities in six countries, a strict QA/QC protocol was established and the field work was supervised by the QA unit of KTL.
First analysis of the Basel PM2.5 data has shown, that the mean PM2.5-levels of 'private' personal exposure was highest and that in non-smoking homes PM2.5-levels were significantly higher compared to smoking homes. Furthermore, the correlation between indoor and outdoor PM2.5-levels was rather high and significant for non-smoking homes (r=0.71), but low for smoking homes (0.05). This indicates, that indoor PM2.5-Ievels are primarily determined by outdoor levels, however, indoor sources such as smoking may add to these levels. In the intemational comparison, highest ambient concentrations were measured in Milano (57 ug/m3) followed by Athens (35.9), Prague (27.5), Basel (19.2) and Helsinki (9.6).
In Basel, the EXPOLlS data will be analyzed in the context of long term air pollution epidemiology. Personal exposure assessment as in EXPOLIS will never be possible in a large scale epidemiological study nor over long periods. Insights into the relationship between personal exposures and microenvironmental and ambient air pollution levels should help to improve exposure estimates based on ambient levels. The impact of errors in exposure assessment on health effect estimates will be assessed. RIVM in Bilthoven has developed a simulation model for the assessment of integrated (sub-) population exposure distributions for selected air pollutants which should be applicable in scenario studies, assessing the public health impact gains of environmental policy options.
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