Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
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Exposure to Particles and Nitrogen Dioxide Among Workers in the Stockholm Underground Train System

  • Plato, N. (Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet) ;
  • Bigert, C. (Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet) ;
  • Larsson, B.M. (The Swedish Work Environment Authority) ;
  • Alderling, M. (Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council) ;
  • Svartengren, M. (Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University) ;
  • Gustavsson, P. (Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet)
  • Received : 2018.12.03
  • Accepted : 2019.06.13
  • Published : 2019.09.30
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Abstract

Objectives: Exposure to fine particles in urban air has been associated with a number of negative health effects. High levels of fine particles have been detected at underground stations in big cities. We investigated the exposure conditions in four occupational groups in the Stockholm underground train system to identify high-exposed groups and study variations in exposure. Methods: $PM_1$ and $PM_{2.5}$ were measured during three full work shifts on 44 underground workers. Fluctuations in exposure were monitored by a real-time particle monitoring instrument, pDR, DataRAM. Qualitative analysis of particle content was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Nitrogen dioxide was measured using passive monitors. Results: For all underground workers, the geometric mean (GM) of $PM_1$ was $18{\mu}g/m^3$ and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $37{\mu}g/m^3$. The particle exposure was highest for cleaners/platform workers, and the GM of $PM_1$ was $31.6{\mu}g/m^3$ [geometric standard deviation (GSD), 1.6] and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $76.5{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.3); the particle exposure was lowest for ticket sellers, and the GM of $PM_1$ was $4.9{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 2.1) and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $9.3{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.5). The $PM_1$ and $PM_{2.5}$ levels were five times higher in the underground system than at the street level, and the particles in the underground had high iron content. The train driver's nitrogen dioxide exposure level was $64.1{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.5). Conclusions: Cleaners and other platform workers were statistically significantly more exposed to particles than train drivers or ticket sellers. Particle concentrations ($PM_{2.5}$) in the Stockholm underground system were within the same range as in the New York underground system but were much lower than in several older underground systems around the world.

Keywords

References

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