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Traffic‐related air pollutants inside vehicle cabins are often extremely high compared to background pollution concentrations. The study of the determinants of these concentrations is particularly important for professional drivers and commuters who spend long periods in vehicles. This study is aimed at identifying and quantifying the effect of several exposure determinants on carbon monoxide (CO), equivalent black carbon (eBC), two particulate matter (PM) fractions (PM0.3–1 and PM1–2.5), and ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations inside a passenger car cabin. The novelty of this work consists in examining the effects of the emissions of the first vehicle ahead (henceforth called "leading vehicle") on pollutant concentrations inside the cabin of the following vehicle (i.e., the car that was equipped with the air monitoring devices), with particular emphasis on the role of the leading vehicle characteristics (e.g., emission reduction technologies). The real‐time instrumentation was placed inside the cabin of a petrol passenger car, which was driven by the same operator two times per day on the same route in real driving conditions. The in‐cabin ventilation settings were set as follows: windows closed, air conditioning and recirculation modes off, and the fanned ventilation system on. The measurements were conducted over a total of 10 weekdays during two different seasons (i.e., summer and autumn). A video camera fixed to the windscreen was used to retrieve information about traffic conditions and leading vehicle characteristics through careful video analysis. The associations among pollutant concentrations and their potential determinants were evaluated using generalized estimating equation univariate and multiple models. The results confirmed the significant impact of several well‐known determinants such as seasonality, microclimatic parameters, traffic jam situations, and route characteristics. Moreover, the outcomes shed light on the key role of leading vehicle emissions as determinant factors of the pollutant concentrations inside car cabins. Indeed, in the tested cabin ventilation conditions, it was demonstrated that in‐cabin pollutant concentrations were significantly higher with leading vehicles ahead (from +14.6% to +67.5%) compared to empty road conditions, even though the introduction of newer technologies with better emissions reduction helped mitigate their effect. Additionally, diesel‐fuelled leading vehicles compared to petrol‐fuelled leading vehicles were impactful on in‐cabin CO (−7.2%) and eBC (+45.3%) concentrations. An important effect (+30.4%) on in‐vehicle PM1–2.5 concentrations was found with heavy‐duty compared to light‐duty leading vehicles. Finally, this research pointed out that road‐scale factors are more important determinant factors of in‐cabin concentrations than local pollution and meteorological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the present research was to assess, under controlled laboratory conditions, the accuracy and precision of a prototype device (named 'P.ALP': Ph.D. Air-quality Low-cost Project) developed for PM2.5 concentration level monitoring. Indeed, this study follows a complementary manuscript (previously published) focusing on the in-field evaluation of the device's performance. Four P.ALP prototypes were co-located with the reference instrument in a calm-air aerosol chamber at the NIOSH laboratories in Pittsburgh, PA (USA), used by the Center for Direct Reading and Sensor Technologies. The devices were tested for 10 monitoring days under several exposure conditions. To evaluate the performance of the prototypes, different approaches were employed. After the data from the devices were stored and prepared for analysis, to assess the accuracy (comparing the reference instrument with the prototypes) and the precision (comparing all the possible pairs of devices) of the P.ALPs, linear regression analysis was performed. Moreover, to find out the applicability field of this device, the US EPA's suggested criteria were adopted, and to assess error trends of the prototype in the process of data acquisition, Bland–Altman plots were built. The findings show that, by introducing ad hoc calibration factors, the P.ALP's performance needs to be further implemented, but the device can monitor the concentration trend variations with satisfying accuracy. Overall, the P.ALP can be involved in and adapted to a wide range of applications because of the inexpensive nature of the components, the small dimensions, and the high data storage capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to delve deeper into the relationship between the professional activities carried out in restaurant kitchens and some key air pollutants. The ultrafine particles (UFPs), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) and formaldehyde (HCHO) indoor air concentrations were determined using real-time monitors. Simultaneously, the kitchen environment was characterized using video recordings with the aim to retrieve information pertaining to cooking, cookware washing and surface cleaning activities. Statistical analysis was carried out separately for the winter and summer campaigns. The obtained results confirmed that the professional activities carried out in restaurant kitchens had a significant impact on the concentrations of all the selected pollutants. Specifically, this study revealed the following key results: (i) indoor UFPs and NO2 concentrations were significantly higher during cooking than during washing activities (e.g., about +60% frying vs. handwashing and dishwasher running), mainly in the winter; (ii) washing activity had a statistically significant impact on the TVOC (+39% on average) and HCHO (+67% on average) concentrations compared to other activities; (iii) some specific sources of short-term pollutant emissions have been identified, such as the different types of cooking and opening the dishwasher; and (iv) in some restaurants, a clear time-dependent relationship between O3 and UFP, TVOC and HCHO has been observed, underlining the occurrence of ozonolysis reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about the impact of job exposure matrix (JEM) specifications on the relationship between occupational silica exposure and lung cancer risk in community-based studies. Topics include the analysis of exposure-response relationships using different dimensions of SYN-JEM, with results indicating that including all dimensions yields the best model fit, particularly emphasizing the importance of quantitative job-specific estimates in the JEM.

This study aimed to assess the performance, in terms of precision and accuracy, of a prototype (called "P.ALP"—Ph.D. Air Quality Low-cost Project) developed for monitoring PM2.5 concentration levels. Four prototypes were co-located with reference instrumentation in four different microenvironments simulating real-world and working conditions, namely (i) office, (ii) home, (iii) outdoor, and (iv) occupational environments. The devices were evaluated for a total of 20 monitoring days (approximately 168 h) under a wide range of PM2.5 concentrations. The performances of the prototypes (based on the light-scattering working principle) were tested through different statistical methods. After the data acquisition and data cleaning processes, a linear regression analysis was performed to assess the precision (by comparing all possible pairs of devices) and the accuracy (by comparing the prototypes against the reference instrumentation) of the P.ALP. Moreover, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) criteria were applied to assess the possible usage of this instrumentation, and to evaluate the eventual error trends of the P.ALP in the data storage process, Bland–Altman plots were also adopted. The outcomes of this study underlined that the P.ALP performed differently depending on the microenvironment in which it was tested and, consequently, on the PM2.5 concentrations. The device can monitor PM2.5 variations with acceptable results, but the performance cannot be considered satisfactory at extremely low and remarkably high PM2.5 concentrations. Thanks to modular components and open-source software, the tested device has the potential to be customized and adapted to better fit specific study design needs, but it must be implemented with ad hoc calibration factors depending on the application before being used in field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several antiblastic drugs (ADs) are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and/or toxic for reproduction. Despite established guidelines and safe handling technologies, ADs contamination of the work environments could occur in healthcare settings, leading to potential exposure of healthcare staff. This systematic review investigates the main techniques and practices for assessing ADs occupational exposure in healthcare settings. The reviewed studies unveil that workplace contamination by ADs appears to be a still-topical problem in healthcare settings. These issues are linked to difficulties in guaranteeing: (i) the adherence to standardized protocols when dealing with ADs, (ii) the effective use of personal protective equipment by operators involved in the administration or management of ADs, (iii) a comprehensive training of the healthcare personnel, and (iv) a thorough health surveillance of exposed workers. A "multi-parametric" approach emerges as a desirable strategy for exposure assessment. In parallel, exposure assessment should coincide with introducing novel technologies to minimize exposure (i.e., risk management). Assessment must consider various departments and health operators susceptible to ADs contamination, with a focus extended beyond worst-case scenarios, also considering activities like surface cleaning and logistical tasks related to ADs management. A comprehensive approach in ADs risk assessment enables the evaluation of distinct substance behaviors and subsequent exposure routes, affording a more holistic understanding of potential risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on air quality in rural environments are fundamental to obtain first-hand data for the determination of base emissions of air pollutants, to assess the impact of rural-specific airborne pollutants, to model pollutant dispersion, and to develop proper pollution mitigation technologies. The literature lacks a systematic review based on the evaluation of the techniques and methods used for the sampling/monitoring (S/M) of atmospheric pollutants in rural and agricultural settings, which highlights the shortcomings in this field and the need for future studies. This work aims to review the study design applied for on-field monitoring campaigns of airborne pollutants in rural environments and discuss the possible needs and future developments in this field. The results of this literature review, based on the revision of 23 scientific papers, allowed us to determine (i) the basic characteristics related to the study design that should always be reported; (ii) the main techniques and analyses used in exposure assessment studies conducted in this type of setting; and (iii) contextual parameters and descriptors of the S/M site that should be considered to best support the results obtained from the different studies. Future studies carried out to monitor the airborne pollution in rural/agriculture areas should (i) include the use of multiparametric monitors for the contextual measurement of different atmospheric pollutants (as well as meteorological parameters) and (ii) consider the most important boundary information, to better characterize the S/M site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel has gained wide acceptance as an alternative to petroleum-derived fuel due to its environmentally friendly characteristics such as low aromatic and sulfur content, biodegradability and low exhaust gas emission. Although many types of feedstock could be used to produce biodiesel, waste cooking or frying oil (WCO) is a promising multiple-advantage solution. However, the use of WCO biodiesel has some drawbacks: the high viscosity and the low volatility create difficulties in atomization and in fuel–air mixing. Experiments were performed to investigate the potential employment of aviation fuels in blends with biodiesel obtained from WCO, renewable diesel and petrol diesel. The objective of the research was to evaluate Jet A's potential to improve the blend properties, thus helping to overcome the difficulties in biodiesel usage, enabling the percentage of renewable fuel in the blend to be increased and therefore allowing a reduction in the engine's environmental impact. The experimental activity was carried out on a small-displacement, common rail diesel engine; during the tests, the engine control unit settings were unchanged, with the aim of reproducing the engine behavior when it operated with different fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]