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Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Air".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 20906

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Dr. Bin Han

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Interests: ambient air pollution and human health effects; especially traffic related air pollution; characterizations of ambient particulate matter and source apportionment; oxidative potentials of particulate matter; air pollution and adverse birth outcomes, especially related biomarkers variations; air pollution and metabolomics related researches

Dr. Meng Wang

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Guest Editor

Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
Interests: air pollution exposure assessment; air pollution modeling; air pollution and health; built environment and health; environmental epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Motor vehicles are a significant contributor to urban air pollution, as well as anthropogenic carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. To reduce the potential health effects of air pollutants, many countries have implemented series of controls and made great progress in reducing emissions from vehicle and improving air quality. However, the world’s motor vehicle fleet is still rapidly growing due to the growth of the population and the economy, the expansion of urban areas, and the increasing dependence on motor vehicles because of changes in land use. Consequently, a larger fraction of the population is living or working in close proximity to busy roads, which are counteracting, to some extent. the expected benefits of pollution control regulations and technologies. This Special Issue focuses on traffic-related air pollution, aiming to collect research papers linking emissions from, exposures to, and health effects of traffic sources (i.e., motor vehicles). Here are some examples of topics that could be addressed in this Special Issue:

(1) Traffic-related air pollutant emissions from tailpipes or non-tailpipes;

(2) Characterizing human exposure to air pollutants from traffic by monitoring or modeling;

(3) Health risk assessments of exposure to traffic-related air pollution;

(4) Toxicological or epidemiological studies focusing on the associations or underlying mechanisms between traffic-related air pollutant exposure and health effects.

Any papers addressing these topics are invited to this Special Issue.

Dr. Bin Han
Dr. Meng Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

traffic-related air pollution
emissions from tailpipes or non-tailpipes
personal exposure
health effects
risk assessments
toxicological or epidemiological studies

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 5612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Verification of the Perception of the Local Community concerning Air Quality Using ADMS-Roads Modeling

by Kinga Szopińska, Agnieszka Cienciała, Agnieszka Bieda, Janusz Kwiecień, Łukasz Kulesza and Piotr Parzych

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10908; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710908 - 1 Sep 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2310

Abstract

Road transport is one among the sources of air pollution in a city, which results in lowering the comfort of life and increases the occurrence of respiratory diseases. The level of pollutants emitted in the city is variable, and it depends on the type and nature of the source and the manner of land development. For this reason, the purpose of the article is an attempt at a spatial (inner) diversification of a city in terms of air quality, using a study of perception and semantic differentials (SD). The research, which covered the period from June to November 2021, was performed in Kielce—the Polish Smart City—among local experts, people well acquainted with the city and knowledgeable about air quality and the impact of pollution on human health. The results allowed the demarcation of areas with the best and the worst parameters in terms of air quality within the city. Verification of the survey was carried out using the ADMS-Roads (Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling System) software for modeling pollution levels and GIS software, using data on road traffic. The verification allowed checking whether the respondents participating in the research accurately evaluated the city space. The modeling proved that within the two selected areas, the pollution level is similar, and it does not exceed the permitted values. This might indicate that in society there is still low awareness of air quality, particularly in terms of knowing the sources of pollutants and their impact on human health, and perception of areas with the best and the worst air quality was the result of an analysis of the manner of land development and its morphology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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16 pages, 4629 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leveraging Citizen Science and Low-Cost Sensors to Characterize Air Pollution Exposure of Disadvantaged Communities in Southern California

by Tianjun Lu, Yisi Liu, Armando Garcia, Meng Wang, Yang Li, German Bravo-villasenor, Kimberly Campos, Jia Xu and Bin Han

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8777; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148777 - 19 Jul 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4830

Abstract

Assessing exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) across disadvantaged communities is understudied, and the air monitoring network is inadequate. We leveraged emerging low-cost sensors (PurpleAir) and engaged community residents to develop a community-based monitoring program across disadvantaged communities (high proportions of low-income and minority populations) in Southern California. We recruited 22 households from 8 communities to measure residential outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations from June 2021 to December 2021. We identified the spatial and temporal patterns of PM_2.5 measurements as well as the relationship between the total PM_2.5 measurements and diesel PM emissions. We found that communities with a higher percentage of Hispanic and African American population and higher rates of unemployment, poverty, and housing burden were exposed to higher PM_2.5 concentrations. The average PM_2.5 concentrations in winter (25.8 µg/m³) were much higher compared with the summer concentrations (12.4 µg/m³). We also identified valuable hour-of-day and day-of-week patterns among disadvantaged communities. Our results suggest that the built environment can be targeted to reduce the exposure disparity. Integrating low-cost sensors into a citizen-science-based air monitoring program has promising applications to resolve monitoring disparity and capture “hotspots” to inform emission control and urban planning policies, thus improving exposure assessment and promoting environmental justice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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18 pages, 5907 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Atmospheric Fine Particles and Secondary Aerosol Estimated under the Different Photochemical Activities in Summertime Tianjin, China

by Jinxia Gu, Zexin Chen, Nan Zhang, Shitao Peng, Wenjing Cui, Guangyao Huo and Feng Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7956; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137956 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2077

Abstract

In order to evaluate the pollution characterization of PM_2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 2.5 μm) and secondary aerosol formation under the different photochemical activity levels, CO was used as a tracer for primary aerosol, and hourly maximum of O₃ (O_3,max) was used as an index for photochemical activity. Results showed that under the different photochemical activity levels of L, M, LH and H, the mass concentration of PM_2.5 were 29.8 ± 17.4, 32.9 ± 20.4, 39.4 ± 19.1 and 42.2 ± 18.9 μg/m³, respectively. The diurnal patterns of PM_2.5 were similar under the photochemical activity and they increased along with the strengthening of photochemical activity. Especially, the ratios of estimated secondary aerosol to the observed PM_2.5 were more than 58.6% at any hour under the photochemical activity levels of LH and H. The measured chemical composition included water soluble inorganic ions, organic carbon (OC), and element carbon (EC), which accounted for 73.5 ± 14.9%, 70.3 ± 24.9%, 72.0 ± 21.9%, and 65.8 ± 21.2% in PM_2.5 under the photochemical activities of L, M, LH, and H, respectively. Furthermore, the sulfate (SO₄²⁻) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) were nearly neutralized by ammonium (NH₄⁺) with the regression slope of 0.71, 0.77, 0.77, and 0.75 between [NH₄⁺] and 2[SO₄²⁻] + [NO₃⁻]. The chemical composition of PM_2.5 was mainly composed of SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺ and secondary organic carbon (SOC), indicating that the formation of secondary aerosols significantly contributed to the increase in PM_2.5. The formation mechanism of sulfate in PM_2.5 was the gas-phase oxidation of SO₂ to H₂SO₄. Photochemical production of nitric acid was intense during daytime, but particulate nitrate concentration was low in the afternoon due to high temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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18 pages, 2144 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of PM_2.5 in an Industrial City of Northern China: Mass Concentrations, Chemical Composition, Source Apportionment, and Health Risk Assessment

by Wenyu Bai, Xueyan Zhao, Baohui Yin, Liyao Guo, Wenge Zhang, Xinhua Wang and Wen Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5443; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095443 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2528

Abstract

Urban and suburban PM_2.5 samples were collected simultaneously during selected periods representing each season in 2019 in Zibo, China. Samples were analysed for water-soluble inorganic ions, carbon components, and elements. A chemical mass balance model and health risk assessment model were used to investigate the source contributions to PM_2.5 and the human health risks posed by various pollution sources via the inhalation pathway. Almost 50% of the PM_2.5 samples exceeded the secondary standard of China’s air quality concentration limit (75 µg/m³, 24 h). Water-soluble inorganic ions were the main component of PM_2.5 in Zibo, accounting for 50 ± 8% and 56 ± 11% of PM_2.5 at the urban and suburban sites, respectively. OC and OC/EC decreased significantly in the past few years due to enhanced energy restructuring. Pearson correlation analysis showed that traffic emissions were the main source of heavy metals. The Cr(VI) concentrations were 1.53 and 1.92 ng/m³ for urban and suburban sites, respectively, exceeding the national ambient air quality standards limit of 0.025 ng/m³. Secondary inorganic aerosols, traffic emissions, and secondary organic aerosols were the dominant contributors to PM_2.5 in Zibo, with the total contributions from these three sources accounting for approximately 80% of PM_2.5 and the remaining 20% attributed to traffic emissions. The non-carcinogenic risks from crustal dust for children were 2.23 and 1.15 in urban and suburban areas, respectively, exceeding the safe limit of 1.0 in both locations, as was the case for adults in urban areas. Meanwhile, the carcinogenic risks were all below the safe limit, with the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from traffic emissions being just below the limits. Strict control of precursor emissions, such as SO₂, NOx, and VOCs, is a good way to reduce PM_2.5 pollution resulting from secondary aerosols. Traffic control, limiting or preventing outdoor activities, and wearing masks during haze episodes may be also helpful in reducing PM_2.5 pollution and its non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health impacts in Zibo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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13 pages, 859 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics, Source Contributions, and Source-Specific Health Risks of PM_2.5-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons for Senior Citizens during the Heating Season in Tianjin, China

by Nan Zhang, Chunmei Geng, Jia Xu, Liwen Zhang, Penghui Li, Jinbao Han, Shuang Gao, Xinhua Wang, Wen Yang, Zhipeng Bai, Wenge Zhang and Bin Han

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4440; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084440 - 7 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2397

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have carcinogenic impacts on human health. However, limited studies are available on the characteristics, sources, and source-specific health risks of PM_2.5-bound PAHs based on personal exposure data, and comparisons of the contributions of indoor and outdoor sources are also lacking. We recruited 101 senior citizens in the winter of 2011 for personal PM_2.5 sample collection. Fourteen PAHs were analyzed, potential sources were apportioned using positive matrix factorization (PMF), and inhalational carcinogenic risks of each source were estimated. Six emission sources were identified, including coal combustion, gasoline emission, diesel emission, biomass burning, cooking, and environmental tobacco smoking (ETS). The contribution to carcinogenic risk of each source occurred in the following sequence: biomass burning > diesel emission > gasoline emission > ETS > coal combustion > cooking. Moreover, the contributions of biomass burning, diesel emission, ETS, and indoor sources (sum of cooking and ETS) to PAH-induced carcinogenic risk were higher than those to the PAH mass concentration, suggesting severe carcinogenic risk per unit contribution. This study revealed the contribution of indoor and outdoor sources to mass concentration and carcinogenic risk of PM_2.5-bound PAHs, which could act as a guide to mitigate the exposure level and risk of PM_2.5-bound PAHs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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19 pages, 4944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comprehensive 2018-Based Vehicle Emission Inventory and Its Spatial–Temporal Characteristics in the Central Liaoning Urban Agglomeration, China

by Yingying Liu, Xueyan Zhao, Jing Wang, Shengnan Zhu, Bin Han, Di Zhao, Xinhua Wang and Chunmei Geng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2033; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042033 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2268

Abstract

Rapid economic expansion and urbanisation have seriously affected the atmospheric environmental quality of the Central Liaoning Urban Agglomeration (CLUA). This study aimed to establish a detailed vehicle emission inventory of the CLUA with a 3 km × 3 km gridded spatiotemporal distribution. A top-down methodology using vehicle kilometres travelled annually, emission factors, and activity data of each city was established. Carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), ammonia (NH₃), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM₁₀), Black Carbon (BC), and organic carbon (OC) emissions were 291.0, 221.8, 3.6, 2.2, 42.8, 9.3, 10.3, 5.2, and 1.6 Gg in 2018, respectively. The contribution of diesel heavy-duty trucks to NOx, SO₂, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, BC, and OC emissions was greater than 54.5%, the largest contribution of all vehicles. Gasoline small passenger vehicles were the primary contributor to CO, VOC, and NH₃ emissions, contributing 37.3%, 39.5%, and 75.3% of total emissions, respectively. For emission standards, Pre-China 1 vehicles were the largest contributor to CO and VOC emissions and China 3 vehicles contributed the largest amount of NOx, SO₂, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, BC, and OC emissions. The spatial distribution of pollutants showed “obvious lines” and grids with high emissions were concentrated in expressways, national highways, and provincial highways. The temporal variation showed morning–evening peaks during diurnal variations, which was consistent with resident behaviour. This work can help us understand vehicular emission characteristics of the CLUA and provide basic data for air quality modelling. Future research should investigate traffic flow by vehicle types and emission factors at a local level, which will be helpful for transport management planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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19 pages, 4623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Concentrations, Source Characteristics, and Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Heavy Metals in PM_2.5 in a Plateau City (Kunming) in Southwest China

by Xinyu Han, Shuai Li, Zezheng Li, Xiaochen Pang, Yuzhai Bao, Jianwu Shi and Ping Ning

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111004 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3111

Abstract

To explore the mass concentration levels and health risks of heavy metals in the air in dense traffic environments, PM_2.5 samples were collected at three sites in the city of Kunming in April and October 2013, and January and May 2014. Ten heavy metals––V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb––were analyzed by ICP–MS, and the results showed PM_2.5 concentrations significantly higher in spring and winter than in summer and autumn, especially for Zn and Pb. The concentration of heavy metals on working days is significantly higher, indicating that vehicle emissions are significant contributors. An enrichment factor analysis showed that Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb come mainly from anthropogenic sources, while V and Co may be both anthropogenic and natural. The correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb mainly come from vehicles emissions and metallurgical industries; Cr and Mn, from vehicles emissions and road dust; and As, mainly from coal combustion. The health risk assessment shows that the non-carcinogenic risk thresholds of the heavy metals in PM_2.5 to children and adult men and women are all less than 1. The carcinogenic risk of Cr for men and women in traffic-intensive areas exceeds 10⁻⁴, reaching 1.64 × 10⁻⁴ and 1.4 × 10⁻⁴, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Exposures and Health Effects)

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