10th International Aerosol Conference
September 2 - September 7, 2018
America's Center Convention Complex
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Abstract View


Indoor Black Carbon and Particle Number Concentrations at Two Intercity Bus Terminals in Taipei City

YU-HSIANG CHENG, An-Chi Li, Ming Chi University of Technology

     Abstract Number: 430
     Working Group: Indoor Aerosols

Abstract
Taipei City is the capital of Taiwan as well as an important economic and political center. It is also a main transportation hub in the north Taiwan area. Taipei Bus Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station are two main transportation hubs providing over 100 intercity bus routes in Taipei City. The design of these two bus terminals are unlike other stations worldwide. These two bus terminals are located inside the modern commercial buildings, housing a shopping mall and several cinemas. Air quality inside these two terminals must be monitored as over 3000 buses are scheduled to run daily in the indoor environments. The particulate matters emitted from buses can accumulate within this semi-confined space, adversely affecting the health of passengers. Therefore, the air quality inside these two bus terminals is an important health concern for passengers, as many passengers spend a considerable amount of time waiting for buses. This study investigated the short-term exposure levels of black carbon (BC) and particle number concentrations for passengers at the ticket booths and waiting areas of these two bus terminals. Four sampling sites, T1–T4, were selected in the Taipei Bus Station, and three sampling sites, C1–C3, were selected in the Taipei City Hall Bus Station. Additionally, the outdoor roadside site about 10 m from the entrance at the bus terminal, TOR and COR, was also sampled. In this study, microAeth AE51 and TSI 3007 CPC were used to measure the indoor BC and particle number concentrations, respectively. A total 40 times of sampling was taken at each selected site between May 2016 and April 2017. Measurement results showed that 15-min BC mass concentrations at Taipei Bus Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station were 6.3–16.0 and 2.7–7.2 μg m-3, respectively, on average. Additionally, average particle number concentrations at Taipei Bus Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station were 2.5×104–4.2×104 and 2.3×104–3.4×104 particles cm-3, respectively. The highest average BC mass concentration and particle number concentration could be observed at T2 and T4, respectively. The indoor BC and particle number concentrations at the bus terminals were about 1.1–6.1 and 0.7–1.3 times comparing to those at outdoor roadsides, respectively. Moreover, measurement results suggested that the 15-min BC concentrations were positively correlated with particle number concentrations at these sampling sites. Clearly indicating that BC and ultrafine particulate matters can be from the same emission source, which could be buses. Moreover, the concentrations of BC and particle number at these two bus terminals could be affected by their different designs of interior spaces and ventilation systems.