Exposure assessment of particulate matter during various construction activities in Kanpur City, India

The study investigates the effect of emissions of particulate matter arising out of different construction activities from five construction sites in Kanpur city, India. Limited research studies on exposure assessments related to particulate matter (PM) emissions from construction activities in the Indian context contribute to the uniqueness of this study. It was observed that for all study areas the concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by a factor of 18–20. The highest concentration of PM10 (1308; 1267 µg/m3) and PM2.5 (1056; 1123 µg/m3) was associated with construction activity related to cutting and laying of tiles observed over the two monitoring campaigns conducted during November–December 2019 and January–February 2020. The human health risk exposure assessment assessed on relative risk (RR) determined on WHO methodology showed that the highest RR values of 2.669 and 4.13 were obtained for emissions of PM10 and PM2.5, respectively, from laying and cutting of tiles. The attributable factor (AF) from both PM10 (AF = 0.6253) and PM2.5 (AF = 0.757) also showed higher possibility of respiratory diseases for workers associated with laying and cutting of tiles. Health impact assessment conducted using the International Council for Radiological Protection (ICRP) model also confirmed that maximum and minimum deposition rates of particulates occurred for construction activities associated with cutting and laying of tiles and painting and washing, respectively. This suggests potential occupational health hazards for workers involved in construction activities being exposed to high levels of PM concentrations.