Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 105, Number 9, September 1997
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Front-door Concentrations and Personal Exposures of Danish Children to Nitrogen Dioxide
Ole Raaschou-Nielsen,
1,2
Henrik Skov,
3,4
Christian Lohse,
4,5
Birthe L. Thomsen,
1
and
Jørgen H. Olsen
1,2
1
Division for Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark
2
Center for Biochemical and Occupational Epidemiology, The Danish Environmental Research Program, Århus, Denmark
3
National Environmental Research Institute, Roskilde, Denmark
4
Center for Air Pollution Processes and Models, The Danish Environmental Research Program, Århus, Denmark
5
Department of Chemistry, University of Odense, Odense, Denmark
Abstract
The aims of the study were to evaluate the front-door concentration of traffic exhaust fumes as a surrogate for the personal exposure of children and to study factors in the behavior and the environment of children that affect their personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO
2
). The exposure to NO
2
of 103 children living in Copenhagen and 101 children living in rural areas of Denmark was studied by measuring average concentrations over 1 week with diffusive badge samplers placed outside the front door of the home, inside the child's bedroom, and on each child. Detailed information about the activities of the children involving potential exposure to NO
2
was noted in diaries. The results indicated that the front-door concentration of traffic pollution might be used to classify the personal exposure of urban children, although misclassification would be introduced. Multiple regression analysis showed several factors that affected the personal NO
2
exposure of the children independently, including the front-door concentration, the bedroom concentration, time spent outdoors, gas appliances used at home, passive smoking, and burning candles.
Key words
: air pollution, children, exposure, nitrogen dioxide, traffic.
Envion Health Perspect
105:964-970 (1997)
Address correspondence to O. Raaschou-Nielsen, Division for Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
The authors thank Ole Hertel, Ruwim Berkowicz, Åse Marie Hansen, Elisabetta Vignati, Steen Solvang Jensen, and Geert Schou for fruitful discussions and Visti Birk Larsen for assistance with data processing. Thanks are also due to the National Environmental Research Institute and the Agency of Environmental Protection, City of Copenhagen, who kindly provided monitoring data from chemiluminescence analyzers, and to all of the children and parents who participated in the study.
Received 28 February 1997, accepted 6 June 1997.
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Last Update: October 6, 1997
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