On the exposure of bus drivers to organic volatile compounds at Guadalajara City, Mexico

Bus drivers exposure to Organic Volatile Compounds (VOCs), is evaluated at Guadalajara City Metropolitan Zone, Jalisco, Mexico; specially xilenes, toluene and benzene, as well as nitrogen oxides (NOx). A set of bus routes and people in the general population were randomly monitored, so we can compare these measurements to atmospheric ones and discuss limitations of personal monitoring. Passive measurement limitations are also discussed. In an average basis, data from environmental monitoring were ca. 30% for total NOx and 55% for NO2 as compared to personal monitoring. The higher values for NOx and VOCs were found in buses, followed by ambulant workers and people located in commercial places.