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Personal exposure monitoring using GPS-enabled portable air pollution sensors: A strategy to promote citizen awareness and behavioral changes regarding indoor and outdoor air pollution

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Little is known about how individuals are exposed to air pollution in various daily activity spaces due to a lack of data collected in the full range of spatial contexts in which they spend their time. The limited understanding makes it difficult for people to act in informed ways to reduce their exposure both indoors and outdoors.

Objective

This study aimed to (1) assess whether personalized air quality data collected using GPS-enabled portable monitors (GeoAir2), coupled with travel-activity diaries, promote people’s awareness and behavioral changes regarding indoor and outdoor air pollution and (2) demonstrate the effect of places and activities on personal exposure by analyzing individual exposure profiles.

Methods

44 participants carried GeoAir2 to collect geo-referenced air pollution data and completed travel-activity diaries for three days. These data were then combined for spatial data analysis and visualization. Participants also completed pre- and post-session surveys about awareness and behaviors regarding air pollution. Paired-sample t-tests were performed to evaluate changes in knowledge, attitudes/perceptions, and behavioral intentions/practices, respectively. Lastly, follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of participants.

Results

Most participants experienced PM2.5 peaks indoors, especially when cooking at home, and had the lowest exposure in transit. Participants reported becoming more aware of air quality in their surroundings and more concerned about its health effects (t = 3.92, p = 0.000) and took more action or were more motivated to alter their behaviors to mitigate their exposure (t = 3.40, p = 0.000) after the intervention than before. However, there was no significant improvement in knowledge (t = 0.897; p = 0.187).

Significance

Personal exposure monitoring, combined with travel-activity diaries, leads to positive changes in attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors related to air pollution. This study highlights the importance of citizen engagement in air monitoring for effective risk communication and air pollution management.

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Fig. 1: Portable air monitor and the three ways to carry/wear the monitor.
Fig. 2: An example of a travel-activity diary data entry.
Fig. 3: Data collection workflow.
Fig. 4: Two time-series graphs for one participant’s data.
Fig. 5: Examples of PM2.5 peaks at workplaces and places of worship.
Fig. 6: Box plots of scores for the three thematic areas in the awareness/behavior survey.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available because they include personally identifiable information that could compromise research participant privacy/consent.

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Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number P30ES025128. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment, Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA

    Yoo Min Park & Denise Chavez

  2. Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA

    Sinan Sousan

  3. North Carolina Agromedicine Institute, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA

    Sinan Sousan

  4. Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA

    Natalia Figueroa-Bernal

  5. Association of Mexicans in North Carolina, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA

    Natalia Figueroa-Bernal, Jenifer Rodríguez Alvarez & Juvencio Rocha-Peralta

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  1. Yoo Min Park
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Contributions

YMP conceptualized the study, designed the methodology, developed study materials, performed the spatial data analyses and visualization, interpreted the results, and wrote the manuscript. DC performed statistical analyses and drafted a portion of the methods section. YMP and DC led the data collection. SS contributed to the design of the study. NF-B, JRA, and JR-P contributed to the development of study materials, data collection, and result interpretation. YMP and SS secured funding for the research study. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript and approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoo Min Park.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

The project protocol and materials were approved by the University and Medical Center Institutional Review Board at East Carolina University on June 16, 2020 (IRB#: UMCIRB 20-001302).

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Park, Y.M., Chavez, D., Sousan, S. et al. Personal exposure monitoring using GPS-enabled portable air pollution sensors: A strategy to promote citizen awareness and behavioral changes regarding indoor and outdoor air pollution. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-022-00515-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-022-00515-9

Keywords

  • Air pollution; environmental monitoring; geospatial analyses; particulate matter; personal exposure; sensors

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