Neighborhood-scale disparities in air exchange rates and inhaled pollution dose among school-aged children

Ambient air pollution and its infiltration into indoor environments can vary substantially within urban neighborhoods due to differences in traffic density, emission sources, and housing conditions; however, this variability is often not captured in exposure studies. This study estimates average daily inhaled dose of particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and ozone (O 3 ) for school-aged children in Chelsea, MA, evaluating local differences in exposure. A hyperlocal network of 84 air quality monitors was combined with parcel-level housing data and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) infiltration model to estimate residential air exchange rates (AERs) and daily inhaled doses of PM 2.5 and O 3 across Chelsea. Across the city, average O 3 daily doses ranged from 1.4 to 5.0 µg/kg, with ambient daily average concentrations varying by up to 39 µg/m 3 . For PM 2.5 , daily inhaled dose presented less variation, ranging from 0.52 to 1.4 µg/kg; however, observed spatial differences in median ambient PM 2.5 concentrations of up to 4.4 µg/m 3 were observed, which may still be sufficient to influence health outcomes. Residential air exchange rates (AERs) were higher in block groups with greater rent burden and larger Hispanic/Latino populations. The combination of parcel-level data and high-resolution monitoring revealed disparities in ambient concentrations, housing conditions, and inhaled dose that could meaningfully influence health outcomes in children. This study utilizes a hyperlocal air quality monitoring network and parcel-level housing data to evaluate air pollution exposure in elementary school-aged children, finding neighborhood-level differences in ambient concentrations and inhaled dose sufficient to influence health outcomes. Air exchange rates varied across the study area and increased in block groups with larger Hispanic/Latino populations and higher rent burdens. This work demonstrates the importance of using high-resolution, microscale air pollution monitors, and individual housing characteristics in exposure studies.