Black Carbon Personal Exposure during Commuting in the Metropolis of Karachi

Abstract

Black carbon (BC) exposure and inhalation dose of a commuter using four traffic modes (car, bus, auto-rickshaw, and motorbike) were monitored in Karachi, Pakistan. The real-time exposure concentrations in office-peak and off-peak hours were recorded during the winter season using microAeth® AE51 BC monitors. Exposure concentrations were higher in peak hours and were reduced to half in the off-peak time. The inclination levels of the inhaled dose were similar, and this trend was observed with all four modes of commute. The motorbike was found to be the most exposed mode of transportation, followed by auto-rickshaws, cars, and buses, respectively. However, the order was reversed when accounting for inhaled doses, e.g., the inhalation dose for auto rickshaws was highest, followed by the bus, motorbike, and car, respectively. Spatiotemporal analysis reveals that driving roads with lower traffic intensity and fewer intersections resulted in lower exposures. Therefore, traffic intensity, road topology, the timing of the trip, and the degree of urbanization were found to be the major influences for in-vehicle BC exposure.