Personal and atmospheric concentrations of ozone in southeastern Hyogo prefecture, Japan

A total of 21 datasets comprised of readings collected by atmospheric O3 monitors worn by individuals on their clothing and installed outside their home or office were collected using Ogawa passive O3 samplers in southeastern Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, September 12-13, 2011. Personal and outdoor O3 concentrations ranged from not detectable to 23.2 ppb and from 4.7 to 38.3 ppb, respectively. Mean O3 concentration of personal exposure was 3.7 ppb; it was significantly lower than outdoor O3 concentration (18.5 ppb). This suggested outdoor O3 concentrations affect personal O3 exposure; however, this work demonstrated no correlation between personal O3 exposure concentrations and total time spent outdoors or time of day the individual was outside. Mean outdoor O3 concentrations were similar to those measured at the 12 nearest ambient monitoring stations (AMS); however, when the AMS was located near a main road, regional O3 concentrations were underestimated.