A panel study of airborne particulate matter concentration and impaired cardiopulmonary function in young adults by two different exposure measurement

Abstract This study sought to clarify the correlation of individual exposure measurements and PM 2.5 measurements collected at regulatory monitoring sites in short-term panel study settings. To achieve this goal, 30 young, healthy adult participants were assigned to three groups with 4 samplers in each group to collect individual exposures during four weekends in March 2016. Participants also completed cardiopulmonary function tests during the same periods. For comparison, ambient air pollution data were obtained from the Air Pollution Surveillance Network in Guangzhou, China. The 8-h ambient pollutant averages and group sampler concentrations were used as separate indicators of air pollution exposure. Results showed that the 8-h mean concentration of personal PM 2.5 exposure was 65.09 ± 22.18 μg/m 3 , which was 24.34 μg/m 3 statistically higher than the ambient concentrations over the same period (p  2.5 and PM 10 exposures were related to lower lung function of maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF). A 10 μg/m 3 higher PM was associated with 0.11 L/S to 0.52 L/S lower MMEF. No effects on cardiovascular function were found. In conclusion, personal PM 2.5 exposure might be higher than ambient concentrations. Young, healthy adults in urban areas may experience reduced lung function (lower MMEF), even after just 8 h of exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 .