Road traffic and air pollution: some results from statistical analysis and microscale dispersion modelling

Abstract

A study on air pollution has been done in the city of Reggio Calabria, Italy, including the sampling and measuring in continuous for a period of twelve months. The measurements were carried out on a main street with high traffic flows in the city centre. The concentration of carbon monoxide, which is directly related to road traffic, was monitored continuously; the meteorological data with the greatest influence on the analysed phenomenon, wind direction and speed, were also recorded; traffic flows on working days and holidays were estimated on the base of an extensive sampling campaign. The air quality in the location which was the object of study resulted quite low; in many cases the limit value expected on an average of eight hours (10 mg/m 3 = 8 p.p.m) was exceeded, and even if the health limit on a single hour (40 mg/m 3 = 30 p.p.m.) was never reached, a peak was reached with a mean hour value of 31 mg/m 3 , thus exceeding the alarm limit. A regressive model and an emission model were implemented and calibrated by the measured data. The application of both models gave reliable results which were in good accordance, clearly indicating the relation between road traffic, meteorological conditions and air pollution.