Personal Exposure to Air Pollution in the Vicinity of U.S.-Mexico Border Crossings

This study focused on evaluating pollutant exposures in border crossing regions. Specifically, the study focused on particulate matter (PM₂.₅) exposure data collected from a group of schoolteachers in the El Paso region in Texas. The region is a gateway for freight movement between the United States and Mexico. A pool of teachers working at a school close to the border crossing area carried a backpack equipped with an air quality monitoring device and a portable global positioning system tracking device. A spatiotemporal exposure assessment was conducted to assess exposure in different microenvironments visited, with findings showing higher mean concentrations at school than either during commuting or at home. Personal monitoring results were also found to be higher by an average of 81 percent than readings from a regulatory monitor and a monitor placed outside the school. These findings highlight a need to expand the coverage and capabilities of current air quality monitoring networks in the region and to improve the indoor air quality in schools using targeted abatement techniques.

• Record URL:
  http://www.carteeh.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/01-03-TTI-TTI-Border-Crossing-Emissions-Impact-Study-Ramani.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://www.carteeh.org/research/final-reports/
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/67302
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute
  College Station, TX  United States  77843

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Vallamsundar, Suriya
  • Uwak, Inyang
  • Ramani, Tara
  • Jaikumar, Rohit
  • Johnson, Natalie M
  • Trueblood, Amber
  • Aguilera, Juan
  • Ramirez, Ivan
  • Whigham, Leah
  • Li, Wen-Whai
• Publication Date: 2021-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 31p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality; Border crossings; Particulates; Schools; Spatial analysis
• Geographic Terms: El Paso (Texas); United States-Mexico Border
• Subject Areas: Environment; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01882633
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 01-03-TTI
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747128
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: May 23 2023 9:27AM