Personal and ambient PM(2.5) exposure assessment in the city of Agra

Human exposure to fine particles can have significant harmful effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular system. To investigate daily exposure characteristics to PM(2.5) with ambient concentrations in an urban environment, a personal exposure measurements were conducted for school children, office workers and at their residents, in the city of Taj ‘Agra’, India. In order to account for all the sources of particulate matter exposure, measurements on several different days during December 2013 to February 2014 were carried out. Personal environment monitors (PEM) and APM 550 were used to measure PM(2.5) concentration. The research findings provide insight into possible sources and their interaction with human activities in modifying the human exposure levels.