title: Factors influencing the outdoor concentration of carbonaceous aerosols at urban schools in Brisbane, Australia: Implications for children's exposure.
abstract: This comprehensive study aimed to determine the sources and driving factors of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations in ambient PM2.5 in urban schools. Sampling was conducted outdoors at 25 schools in the Brisbane Metropolitan Area, Australia. Concentrations of primary and secondary OC were quantified using the EC tracer method, with secondary OC accounting for an average of 60%. Principal component analysis distinguished the contributing sources above the background and identified groups of schools with differing levels of primary and secondary carbonaceous aerosols. Overall, the results showed that vehicle emissions, local weather conditions and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) were the key factors influencing concentrations of carbonaceous component of PM2.5 at these schools. These results provide insights into children's exposure to vehicle emissions and SOA at such urban schools.
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Crilley
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia. Electronic address: g.ayoko@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ayoko
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazaheri
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morawska
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001315:Australia; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012574:Schools; D012621:Seasons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Elemental carbon; Organic carbon; Schools; Secondary organic aerosols; Vehicle emissions