Article citationsMore>>

Gomez-Perales, J.E., Colvilea, R.N., Nieuwenhuijsena, M.J., Fernandez-Bremauntz, A., Gutierrez-Avedoy, V.J., Paramo-Figueroa, V.H., Blanco-Jimenez, S., Bueno-Lopez, E., Mandujanoc, F., Bernabe-Cabanillas, R. and Ortiz-Segovia, E. (2003) Commuters’ Exposure to PM2.5, CO, and Benzene in Public Transport in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City. Atmospheric Environment, 38, 1219-1229.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2003.11.008

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Analysis of Benzene Exposure Levels on Commuters Traveling within the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica

  AUTHORS: Wendy Villalobos-Gonzalez, Germain Esquivel-Hernandez, Ricardo Sanchez-Murillo, José Leonardo Corrales-Salazar, Juan Valdes-Gonzalez

  KEYWORDS: Costa Rica, Benzene Exposure Levels, Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME), Traffic Hours, Commuters Exposure

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Air Pollution, Vol.4 No.1, March 24, 2015

  ABSTRACT: This study reports the benzene exposure levels of commuters traveling within the metropolitan area of Costa Rica using personal cars, buses, and urban trains. 47 in-vehicle samples were collected in the 2014 wet season under three different driving conditions: rush hour traffic, normal traffic and weekends. Samples were collected in Tedlar bags and analyzed using 75 μm carboxenpolydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Additionally, duplicate samples were collected on adsorption tubes filled with Tenax TA and analyzed by thermal desorption (TD) and GC-FID. Results indicate that travelling in cars and buses under rush hour conditions exposes commuters to statistically equal average benzene concentration of 48.7 and 51.6 μg/m3, respectively. Average benzene levels in urban trains (33.0 μg/m3) were measured only during morning rush hours. Greater benzene levels in buses than personal cars concentrations may be attributable to the immersion of traffic-related emission within the bus cabins. Factors, such as the driving pattern, the number of vehicles on the route, the road infrastructure, and the prevalence of gasoline-fueled vehicles in Costa Rica, may increase ambient benzene concentrations. Benzene levels inside car cabins reported in this study are in the range of those reported in other urban areas; however, the corresponding concentrations inside buses and urban trains (rush hour only) are higher than previously published exposure levels.