The distribution and influential factors of PM2.5 and CO2 in urban rail carriages

The promotion of ‘Green Transport’ has increased the importance of urban rail transit in China. Increased passenger flow and longer travel time have led to increased attention to in-carriage air quality in trains. In this study, CO 2 and PM 2.5 monitoring were conducted in subway train carriages in a city in northern China. The study accounts for a variety of factors both inside and outside of the train carriages, such as passenger volume and exterior environment. The results reveal that good air quality outside of the train, an above ground location and the use of platform screen doors could aid in the attainment of acceptable PM 2.5 concentrations. In addition, linear models of CO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations were established based on passenger density. The nonlinear recursive models were constructed using time-series analysis to reflect the cumulative effects of the amounts of CO 2 and PM 2.5 . The spatial and temporal distributions show that, given a constant passenger density, the PM 2.5 concentration is higher near the door area than in the seating area. CO 2 concentrations varied in three stages, consistent with the change of local passenger load. Finally, a real-time optimized control method for fresh air volume and some suggestions are proposed to improve the in-carriage air quality of subway trains.