Research team at KTL: Matti Jantunen, Otto Hänninen, Kimmo Koistinen, Tuulia Rotko, Sari Alm
Collaboration: University of Athens, Greece; Universität Basel, Switzerland; EC JRC, Italy; Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France; University of Kuopio, Finland; University of Milan, Italy; Regional Institute of Hygiene of Central Bohemia in Prague, Czech Rebublic; RIVM in Bilthoven, Netherlands; VTT in Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council.
Funding: EU, Academy of Finland (Finnish part)
Contact person: Matti Jantunen
Homepage: http://www.ktl.fi/expolis/
Background
The studies have related mortality statistics to air pollution levels at urban monitoring sites. The affected people, however, spend very little time breathing this monitored outdoor air, but instead breathe air inside homes, workplaces and transportation vehicles. They are exposed to the contaminants in the air that surrounds them through the day - indoors and outdoors.
Objectives
Expolis study collected air pollution exposure data from adult urban populations in Europe to assess
Description
The Expolis study included three different types of measurements in five European cities in 1996-1998. First, air pollution related factors were asked from a population sample. These inlcuded factors like general education, home and work locations, building types, heating and other parameters, commuting habits and so on. Second, the time location activity patterns of the population were measured. A detailed diary was filled by random population sample for 48 hours. Third, the personal exposure of a random population sample was measured for 48 hours. Measurements were carried out in home, home outdoors and in the work place, as well as using a portable device to measure the 48 hour personal exposure. The pollutants studied in the Expolis were fine particulates (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).