The health risk from PM2.5 dust exposure is higher for cyclists than motorcyclists
In the new study, author Vo Thi Le Ha, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (Hanoi Polytechnic University) and colleagues at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Agriculture and Forestry (Thai Nguyen University) investigated the impact of environmental pollution of PM2.5 for the health of cyclists and motorbikes at some Hanoi roads.
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In the new study "Evaluating personal exposure to fine dust when participating in traffic in Hanoi", published in the Science and Technology journal of Thai Nguyen University, author Vo Thi Le Ha, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (Hanoi Polytechnic University) and colleagues at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Agriculture and Forestry (Thai Nguyen University) investigated the impact of PM2.5 on the health of cyclists and motorcyclist at some Hanoi roads.
They measured the concentration of personal dust exposure devices with the Airbeam sensor dust meter at the peaks of traffic congestion at 7 to 8 am and 5 to 6 pm on main roads, such as Nguyen Trai - Giai Phong, the roads around Hoan Kiem Lake and the road around Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum as well as roads in the Vinhome area. The results show that the exposure PM2.5 concentration fluctuates greatly during peak hours, in which the PM2.5 dust concentration high in the morning and decrease in the afternoon. In that context, cyclists were exposed to air with a PM2.5 concentration of 105 µg/m3, higher than 95 µg/m3 for motorcyclists. Through comparison with some similar publications in India and China, the exposure level of motorbike riders in Hanoi is lower than in India and cyclists are higher than in China.
At the beginning of this year, research by Assoc. Dr. Tran Ngoc Quang (Hanoi University of Civil Engineering) and his colleagues showed that motorcyclists have higher black carbon exposure than bus and car riders. Studies like these will contribute to a clearer picture of the impact of air pollution on human health.
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