Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data
Air pollution remains a critical global health concern, with 91% of the world’s population exposed to air quality exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) standards and indoor pollution causing approximately 3.8 million deaths annually due to incomplete fuel combustion. Subways, as major public tra...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/235 |
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| author | Deepanshu Agarwal Xuan Truong Trinh Wataru Takeuchi |
| author_facet | Deepanshu Agarwal Xuan Truong Trinh Wataru Takeuchi |
| author_sort | Deepanshu Agarwal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Air pollution remains a critical global health concern, with 91% of the world’s population exposed to air quality exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) standards and indoor pollution causing approximately 3.8 million deaths annually due to incomplete fuel combustion. Subways, as major public transportation modes in densely populated cities, can exhibit fine particulate matter (PM) levels that surpass safety limits, even in developed countries. Contributing factors include station location, ambient air quality, train frequency, ventilation efficiency, braking systems, tunnel structure, and electrical components. While elevated PM levels in underground platforms are recognized, the vertical and horizontal variations within stations are not well understood. This study examines the vertical and horizontal distribution of PM2.5 and PM10 levels at Shibuya Station, a structurally complex hub in the Tokyo Subway System. Portable sensors were employed to measure PM concentrations across different platform levels—both above and underground—and at various locations along the platforms. The results indicate that above-ground platforms have significantly lower PM2.5 and PM10 levels compared to underground platforms (17.09 μg/m<sup>3</sup> vs. 22.73 μg/m<sup>3</sup> for PM2.5; 39.54 μg/m<sup>3</sup> vs. 56.98 μg/m<sup>3</sup> for PM10). Notably, the highest pollution levels were found not at the deepest platform but at the one with the least effective ventilation. On the same platform, PM levels varied by up to 63.72% for PM2.5 and 120.23% for PM10, with elevated concentrations near the platform extremities compared to central areas. These findings suggest that ventilation efficiency plays a more significant role than elevation in vertical PM variation, while horizontal differences are likely influenced by piston effects from moving trains. This study underscores the risk of exposure to unsafe PM2.5 levels in underground platforms, particularly at platform extremities, highlighting the need for improved ventilation strategies to enhance air quality in subway environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-38c1e0c5531249028b802f8ccfd3b0c6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-38c1e0c5531249028b802f8ccfd3b0c62025-01-24T13:47:49ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-01-0117223510.3390/rs17020235Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor DataDeepanshu Agarwal0Xuan Truong Trinh1Wataru Takeuchi2Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, JapanInstitute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, JapanInstitute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, JapanAir pollution remains a critical global health concern, with 91% of the world’s population exposed to air quality exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) standards and indoor pollution causing approximately 3.8 million deaths annually due to incomplete fuel combustion. Subways, as major public transportation modes in densely populated cities, can exhibit fine particulate matter (PM) levels that surpass safety limits, even in developed countries. Contributing factors include station location, ambient air quality, train frequency, ventilation efficiency, braking systems, tunnel structure, and electrical components. While elevated PM levels in underground platforms are recognized, the vertical and horizontal variations within stations are not well understood. This study examines the vertical and horizontal distribution of PM2.5 and PM10 levels at Shibuya Station, a structurally complex hub in the Tokyo Subway System. Portable sensors were employed to measure PM concentrations across different platform levels—both above and underground—and at various locations along the platforms. The results indicate that above-ground platforms have significantly lower PM2.5 and PM10 levels compared to underground platforms (17.09 μg/m<sup>3</sup> vs. 22.73 μg/m<sup>3</sup> for PM2.5; 39.54 μg/m<sup>3</sup> vs. 56.98 μg/m<sup>3</sup> for PM10). Notably, the highest pollution levels were found not at the deepest platform but at the one with the least effective ventilation. On the same platform, PM levels varied by up to 63.72% for PM2.5 and 120.23% for PM10, with elevated concentrations near the platform extremities compared to central areas. These findings suggest that ventilation efficiency plays a more significant role than elevation in vertical PM variation, while horizontal differences are likely influenced by piston effects from moving trains. This study underscores the risk of exposure to unsafe PM2.5 levels in underground platforms, particularly at platform extremities, highlighting the need for improved ventilation strategies to enhance air quality in subway environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/235air qualityIoT devicespublic healthpublic transportlow-cost sensors |
| spellingShingle | Deepanshu Agarwal Xuan Truong Trinh Wataru Takeuchi Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data Remote Sensing air quality IoT devices public health public transport low-cost sensors |
| title | Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data |
| title_full | Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data |
| title_short | Assessing the Air Quality Impact of Train Operation at Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station from Portable Sensor Data |
| title_sort | assessing the air quality impact of train operation at tokyo metro shibuya station from portable sensor data |
| topic | air quality IoT devices public health public transport low-cost sensors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/235 |
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