Abstract
Road dust resuspension, especially the particulate matter fraction below 10 µm (PM10), is one of the main air quality management challenges in Europe. Road dust samples were collected from representative streets (suburban and urban) of the city of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. PM10 emission factors (mg veh−1 km−1) ranging from 49 (asphalt) to 330 (cobble stone) were estimated by means of the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency method. Two road dust fractions (<0.074 mm and from 0.0074 to 1 mm) were characterised for their geochemical, mineralogical and morphological properties. In urban streets, road dusts reveal the contribution from traffic emissions, with higher concentrations of, for example, Cu, Zn and Pb. In the suburban area, agriculture practices likely contributed to As concentrations of 180 mg kg−1 in the finest road dust fraction. Samples are primarily composed of quartz, but also of muscovite, albite, kaolinite, microcline, Fe-enstatite, graphite and amorphous content. Particle morphology clearly shows the link with natural and traffic related materials, with well-formed minerals and irregular aggregates. The hazard quotient suggests a probability to induce non-carcinogenic adverse health effects in children by ingestion of Zr. Arsenic in the suburban street represents a human health risk of 1.58 × 10−4.
Highlights
Particulates that are deposited on a road, usually called “road sediments”, “street dust” or “road dust”, are significant pollutants in the urban environment because they contain high levels of toxic metals and organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [1,2]
This paper aims to present emission factors and the chemical composition, and the mineralogical and morphological characteristics of road dust, as well as an assessment of health risks, in a medium-sized city with low-pollution levels for which no previous study has been conducted
A much higher value of 1082 mg veh−1 km−1 was estimated for a cobbled pavement in the same city
Summary
Particulates that are deposited on a road, usually called “road sediments”, “street dust” or “road dust”, are significant pollutants in the urban environment because they contain high levels of toxic metals and organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [1,2]. These materials can be pulverised by the passing traffic and become aerolisable, making up a significant fraction of atmospheric particles. Public Health 2020, 17, 1563; doi:10.3390/ijerph17051563 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
