Abdellatef, E., Zaki, G., Issa, A. (2018). Traffic Air Quality Health Index in a Selected Street, Alexandria. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 48(2), 67-76. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2018.19903
Eman Abdellatef; Gehan Zaki; Ahmed Issa. "Traffic Air Quality Health Index in a Selected Street, Alexandria". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 48, 2, 2018, 67-76. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2018.19903
Abdellatef, E., Zaki, G., Issa, A. (2018). 'Traffic Air Quality Health Index in a Selected Street, Alexandria', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 48(2), pp. 67-76. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2018.19903
Abdellatef, E., Zaki, G., Issa, A. Traffic Air Quality Health Index in a Selected Street, Alexandria. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 2018; 48(2): 67-76. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2018.19903
Traffic Air Quality Health Index in a Selected Street, Alexandria
Department of Occupational Health and Air Pollution, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale, which was designed in Canada to help people to understand how the air quality affects their health. It measures the relationship between the air quality and health on a scale from 1 to 10+. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess traffic AQHI on one street in Alexandria, Egypt at different seasonal conditions. Methods: This was a time-series study that was conducted during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2016 at Ibrahim Sherif Street. It was accomplished by three-hour air sampling of respirable particulates (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ground-level ozone (O3), during the morning rush hours. A total of 156 samples for each pollutant covered all seasonal variations and activities. After laboratory analysis, the added health risks (%AR) and AQHI were calculated using the Hong Kong equation. Results: The uppermost median value of %AR was during April [72.9 (23.4)] and the minimum was during January [32.2 (10.0)]. The traffic AQHIs in the study setting were of the serious category 10+ in almost all sampling days. The maximum %AR was during spring [70.0 (19.7)], and the minimum was during winter [40.6 (19.0)]. Conclusion: From the results of the present study, we can conclude that; the highest %AR was during April, and the minimum was during January. The traffic AQHIs in the study setting were of the serious category 10+ in almost all sampling days. The most dominating pollutant affecting the %AR and AQHI was the PM10.