Measuring personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) among rural Honduran women: A field evaluation of the Ultrasonic Personal Aerosol Sampler (UPAS)

Abstract We measured 24-hour average personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) among rural Honduran women using a lightweight, gravimetric monitor – the Ultrasonic Personal Aerosol Sampler (UPAS). Performance of the UPAS was compared with a commonly used gravimetric pump, cyclone, and filter sampling system. We observed strong agreement and correlation (Spearman ρ = 0.91; PM 2.5 concentration range: 19–120 μg/m 3 ) between 43 paired measures, supporting the use of the UPAS as a personal exposure monitor for household air pollution studies.