title: A new grid-scale model simulating the spatiotemporal distribution of PM2.5-PAHs for exposure assessment.
abstract: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with ambient air particulate matter (PM) poses significant health concerns. Several modeling approaches have been developed for simulating ambient PAHs, but no hourly intra-urban spatial data are currently available. The aim of this study is to develop a new modeling strategy in simulating, on an hourly basis, grid-scale PM2.5-PAH levels. PM and PAHs were collected over a one-year time frame through an established air quality monitoring network within a metropolitan area of Taiwan. Multivariate linear regression models, in combination with correlation analysis and PAH source identification by principal component analysis (PCA), were performed to simulate hourly grid-scale PM2.5-PAH concentrations, taking criteria pollutants and meteorological variables selected as possible predictors. The simulated levels of 72-h personal exposure were found to be significantly (R=0.729**, p<0.01) correlated with those analyzed from portable personal monitors. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to visualize spatially distributed PM2.5-PAH concentrations of the modeling results. This new grid-scale modeling strategy, incorporating the output of simulated data by GIS, provides a useful and versatile tool in personal exposure analysis and in the health risk assessment of air pollution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chon-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hu-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Respiratory Care, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi Campus, Chiayi City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Chou
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chau-Chyun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sum-Yee
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ruay-Sheng
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Chest Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Antai Medical Care Cooperation Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Chien
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Shyan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: skhuang@nhri.org.tw.
authors.forename: Shau-Ku
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
keywords: Grid-scale model; Hourly intra-urban spatial simulation; Human health; Multivariate linear regression model; PM2.5-PAH