Road Dust in Urban and Industrial Environments: Sources, Pollutants, Impacts and Management (2nd Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

Resuspended road dust enriched with potentially toxic elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, black carbon, micro- and nano-plastics, bioaerosols, etc., is one of the principle sources of coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles in the atmosphere, which is especially true for industrial areas with a high density of road networks and pavements. In turn, anthropogenic sources determine the chemical composition of it, as well as the deflation and erosion of roadside soils by rainfall in summer (especially in a relatively dry climate), de-icing agents in winter and after snowmelt, the transportation of particles by stormwater runoff, the deposition of suspended atmospheric particles, and precipitation. The chemical, biological, and physical characterization of road dust size fractions is the key to understanding the relationships between urban and industrial environments and pollution sources. However, in many cities and towns, there is a significant lack of knowledge of the composition of road dust and its size fractions, dust loadings, the anthropogenic impact on the level of pollution, and potential risks of road dust to public health and ecosystems.

Thus, we launched a Special Issue on road dust in urban and industrial environments, which includes 16 original articles from North, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, thus demonstrating the interest in this topic (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/road_dust). The studies presented in that Special Issue are a collection of road dust investigations, and they indicate the need for more extensive and analytically profound studies of the formation, migration, and accumulation of dust and its particles in urban, industrial, and other areas.

That is why we are introducing a second volume of this Special Issue. We invite authors to submit original and review articles that describe field, experimental, and modeling studies related to analyses of road dust as a major source of air pollution. Particular attention will be paid to modern techniques, approaches, and methods assessing the contribution of various sources to the chemical composition (source apportionment) of road dust size fractions in adjacent environments and assessments of public health and ecological risks, as well as other related issues, including, but not limited to, potentially toxic and platinum group elements, rare earth elements, nanoparticles and microplastics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls, environmentally persistent free radicals and organophosphate esters, stable isotopes and radionuclides, and airborne microorganisms and bioaerosols.

Dr. Dmitrii Vlasov
Dr. Omar Ramírez
Dr. Galina Shinkareva
Guest Editors

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