Myth Versus Reality: Assessment of Ambient Air Quality as a Proxy for Personal Exposure for Health Risk Assessment in an Urban City of Hot Arid Climate - Doha, Qatar
Maryam Yousuf Al-Shamlan, Tamer Nada, Abadllah J Alahmadi, Mohamed Salah Osman, AZHAR SIDDIQUE,
QEERI, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar Abstract Number: 576
Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
AbstractWorld Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet 2018 reported that air quality is one of the top health risks, and European Environment Agency (EEA) in 2019 declared ass the single most considerable environmental health risk in Europe, causing premature death. Long-term and short-term health impacts of air quality are primarily based on ambient air quality measurements used as a proxy of population exposure. Middle Eastern region climate is characterized by extreme hot and dusty weather along with rapid economic growth, where people live and spend about 80%-95% of their time indoors. Therefore, misclassifying health impacts from ambient air pollution exposure compared to personal exposure can mislead intervention and air quality management strategies. This is the first preliminary study reported in Qatar (Middle East), where personal exposure (PE) to air pollutants by fine & ultra-fine particulate matter and black carbon measurements were monitored in different microenvironments, i.e. Home, Office, traveling, and time spent outside. The preliminary study revealed that personal exposure (PE) to fine particulate matter in Qatar is significantly lower than ambient exposure (AE), and a weak correlation of 0.52 was observed. PE to pollutants significantly depends on personal activity patterns and air conditioning-ventilation systems. Outcomes of the study also stress further detailed investigation studies to assign the correct exposure levels for health risk assessment and policy interventions.