Study of personal-indoor-ambient fine particulate matters among school communities in mixed urban-industrial environment in India.

The present study is focused on the relationship of school community personal exposure of respirable particulate matter (RPM) with its indoor and ambient outdoor component. A representative longitudinal study design has been adopted. School community is divided into two categories: (1) subjects of science discipline and (2) subjects of nonscience discipline. On the basis of local meteorological parameters and school building constructions, three schools have been identified for the study. Selected subjects have been monitored for 24-h personal RPM exposure along with school indoor and respective outdoor RPM. Paired samples of ambient PM(10) and RPM were collected to establish the correlation between them. Regressions between school indoor and ambient outdoor RPM have shown strong positive relationships in case of two schools having moderate ventilation. The highest RPM to PM(10) ratio (0.62) has occurred at school X located near the steel plant downwind. Almost all indoor and ambient outdoor RPM levels exceed Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS; 60 microg m( - 3)). Highest levels of indoor and ambient outdoor RPM have occurred in school X located near the steel plant. Subjects belonging to the school located near the steel plant (school X) have shown five to six times higher values of RPM compared to NAAQS standards.