title: Indoor and outdoor carbon monoxide concentration relationships at different microenvironments in the Athens area.
abstract: Simultaneous measurements of indoor and outdoor carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations conducted at two different microenvironments in Athens, Greece, using a non-dispersive infrared analyzer, are described in this paper. The two selected microenvironments, an office and a public school, were located in the vicinity of two streets with heavy traffic, near the center of Athens. A statistical correlation analysis of indoor concentration levels with outdoor concentrations monitored at the school and at the office, as well as with meteorological parameters and outdoor concentrations monitored at a fixed monitoring site, was conducted. Hourly indoor concentrations at the office and at the school showed a significant positive correlation with outdoor concentrations measured at both measurement locations (with correlation coefficient values R=0.74 and R=0.83 respectively) and at the fixed site (with R=0.70 and R=0.67 respectively). The correlation between indoor and outdoor concentrations was even better when hourly concentrations averaged over a 4 h period were considered (correlation coefficient values between indoor and outdoor concentrations measured at the office and at the school were R=0.85 and R=0.92 respectively and the correlation coefficient value between indoor and outdoor fixed site concentrations was R=0.75 for both sites). Mean hourly outdoor concentrations at the fixed monitoring site explained approximately 56% (R=0.75) of the variation of outdoor concentrations at the office and approximately 68 % (R=0.83) of the variation of outdoor concentrations at the school. The mean daily indoor to outdoor (I/O) ratio ranged between 0.74 and 1.00 at the office and between 0.53 and 0.89 at the school.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Street, Zografou, 15773, Athens, Greece. dchal@central.ntua.gr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaloulakou
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mavroidis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duci
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006115:Greece; D016014:Linear Models; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002248:Carbon Monoxide