Effects of traffic management and transport mode on the exposure of schoolchildren to carbon monoxide

Abstract

The exposure to CO of schoolchildren was assessed in the town of Northampton, UK, both by direct measurement and by GIS-based activity modelling. Personal measurement of CO showed that exposures when travelling by car were significantly greater than those when walking, although journey times by car were shorter. However, journey exposures had little effect on maximum 8h mean CO exposures. CO concentration fields in the study area were modelled from current traffic flows, and those expected under different traffic management scenarios. These fields were then used, in combination with children's home and school location, and their activity profiles, to simulate frequency distributions of exposure for different transport modes and traffic management scenarios. The results show a large variability in the effect of traffic management interventions, depending on the child's home and school location.