Urban Traffic Air Pollution Research Articles

Urban traffic air pollution - case study City of Vranje, Serbia

The expansion of urban areas with unequal, rapidly growing population results in higher vehicle numbers in the cities. Traffic in the urban environment is one of the main concerns, since it is one of the most prominent sources of air pollution, connected to the mortality rate. Regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and SDG 11, urban areas should meet environmental needs following the process of environmental transition. The Vranje city, Serbia follows the global trend of vehicle number increment. Regarding the specific geomorphological and climate conditions, it is of importance to emphasize the traffic air pollution control in the urban environment. Numerous studies found that vehicular exhaust emissions near traffic intersections are largely dependent on fleet speed, queuing time in idle mode with a red signal time, traffic-flow rate, ambient conditions, etc. Traffic management has the key role, especially regarding the intersection of traffic flows, since there are time losses on the intersections’ driveways that increase the energy consumption to overcome certain conflict flows. The scope of this study should point out the importance of traffic planning and management, especially at the traffic flows for reducing air pollution in the urban environment.

Air pollution nanoparticle exposure reduces neurotrophin signaling and causes hippocampal neural stem cell quiescence in mouse brain

AbstractBackgroundExposure to urban air pollution particles is strongly associated with higher risks of accelerated cognitive decline, cerebral atrophy, and dementia in multiple population studies. Among possible mechanisms is the decrease of neurotrophins, shown for BDNF in human exposures, which have critical roles in regulating adult neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity.MethodC57BL/6 mice were exposed to nano‐sized particulate matter (nPM, batch nPM2016a) from urban traffic air pollution for 8 weeks and the mRNAs of neurotrophins and receptors in mouse brain were measured by qPCR assay and neural stem cells measured by immunohistochemistry.ResultnPM exposure altered mRNA levels of neurotrophin genes (Ngf, Bdnf, Ntf‐3 and Ntf‐4/5) with brain region‐specificity. In cerebral cortex (CX), Ngf and Ntf‐3 were decreased (17% and 29% respectively), Ntf‐4/5 increased (78%), and Bdnf unchanged. In hippocampus (HP), Bdnf and Ntf‐4/5 were decreased (40% and 38% respectively) while Ngf and NTF‐3 unchanged. In olfactory bulb (OB), only Bdnf was decreased (10%). The mRNAs of neurotrophin receptors (Trka, Trkb, Trkc and p75Ntr) in CX, HP and OB were less responsive to nPM exposure, and only shown by OB with 22% decrease of p75Ntr and 14% decrease of Vgr (VGF nerve growth factor inducible). Exposure to nPM increased the quiescence of neural stem cells in hippocampal SGZ by IHC assay (Control 69.3% VS nPM 76.6%, P = 0.02), but did not alter the total number of neural stem cells. .ConclusionChronic air pollution exposure altered neurotrophin signaling with factor‐ and brain region‐specificity, and increased neural stem cell quiescence.

Impact of Summer Monsoon on Urban Traffic Air Pollution Dispersion in Growing Tourism Destination: Case of Salalah, Oman

Abstract: The paper concentrates on utilizing CALPUFF to model and investigate the impact of monsoon season on the dispersion of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and mononitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted from vehicles. The fact that during monsoon season, traffic jam has become an important matter in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman due to the rapid increase in Salalah visitors. The main aim is to evaluate the concentrations of CO, CO2, and NOx for the region during monsoon season and compare those levels of concentration with non-monsoon seasons by taking Salalah as an area source. CALPUFF simulation analysis was subdivided into two main parts: analysis according to the selected modeling days for both monsoon and non-monsoon seasons, and comparative analysis assessing the concentrations of CO, CO2, and NOx for the region during monsoon season and comparing those levels of concentration with non-monsoon seasons. For the first section of the analysis, the modeling periods' meteorological conditions were multifarious and as a result, concentration levels as well as the coordinates were concentrations exceeded the criterion limits differed. As for the second part of the analysis, the comparison revealed that concentration levels of CO, CO2, and NOx during monsoon season were greater than the levels associated with the modeling days during non-monsoon season. The increase in number of vehicles and the blowing wind from the south-eastern direction toward the region are the significant factors affecting the dispersion of vehicle pollutants within Salalah’s domain during monsoon season. To minimize traffic congestion, it is recommended to boost mass transit services in the region to encourage tourists to visit Salalah's favorable sights by public transportation instead of driving their own vehicles.

Biofluid metabotyping of occupationally exposed subjects to air pollution demonstrates high oxidative stress and deregulated amino acid metabolism.

Occupational exposure to air pollution induces oxidative stress and prolonged exposure increases susceptibility to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in several working groups. Biofluid of these subjects may reflect perturbed metabolic phenotypes. In this study we carried out a comparative molecular profiling study using parallel biofluids collected from subjects (n = 85) belonging to auto rickshaw drivers (ARD), traffic cops (TC) and office workers (OW). Higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation markers in serum of ARD subjects were observed as compared to OW and TC. Uni and multivariate analyses of metabolites identified in urine by 1H NMR revealed 11 deregulated molecules in ARD subjects and involved in phenylalanine, histidine, arginine and proline metabolism. Despite contribution of confounding factors like exposure period, dietary factors including smoking and alcohol status, our results demonstrate existence of exposure specific metabotypes in biofluids of ARD, OW and TC groups. Monitoring serum oxidative stress and inflammation markers and urine metabolites by NMR may be useful to characterize perturbed metabolic phenotypes in populations exposed to urban traffic air pollution.

Urban Traffic Air Pollution Induces Modest but Significant Alterations in Markers of Inflammation and Blood Coagulability: a Pannel Study with Outdoor Workers in São Paulo, Brazil

Urban Traffic Air Pollution Induces Modest but Significant Alterations in Markers of Inflammation and Blood Coagulability: a Pannel Study with Outdoor Workers in São Paulo, Brazil

Traffic air pollution monitoring based on an air–water pollutants deposition device

An air water surface sampler device was developed and used to evaluate the atmosphere deposition due to the urban traffic air pollution in the business center of a mid-sized city. The indicator adopted to assess the cumulative air pollutant deposition in the surface of the device was the electric conductivity that was measured on a regular basis during the experiment. Additionally, a digital camera was used to count the passing traffic in the road of the study site. Water samples were also taken from the device reservoir, and dissolved metal concentrations (copper, iron and zinc) and acidity/alkalinity were determined in the laboratory. The obtained results were compiled and analyzed in order to evaluate the performance of the device and the relation between the atmospheric deposition and the traffic activity under different meteorological conditions. The research successfully proved that the device was able to evaluate the impact of pollutant emissions related to city traffic. It was also proved that electric conductivity can be used as an indicator to evaluate the cumulative deposition of air pollutants from road traffic. A significant correlation (Spearman’s rank) between the accumulated traffic and electric conductivity (dry period: ϱ = 0.991626 and wet period: ϱ = 0.810526) was observed.

Comprehensive Pricing Model of Urban Traffic Air Pollution Based on Bi-Level Programming

In order to reduce the negative impact of urban traffic air pollution, this paper firstly analyzes the relationship between urban traffic air pollution and vehicle speed, after providing the relationship model, the paper establishes a comprehensive pricing model of urban traffic air pollution based on bi-level programming, the model considers the traffic air pollution pricing, and includes the factors of congestion pricing, bus fee, pricing revenue redistribution on improvement of public transport services and the expansion of road capacity. The case study shows that the implementation of comprehensive pricing of urban traffic air pollution can reduce traffic pollution and unreasonable traffic flow, which is conducive to the sustainable development of the city.

车载被动差分吸收光谱在城市道路空气污染监测中的应用

车载被动差分吸收光谱在城市道路空气污染监测中的应用

Particulate air pollution and chronic respiratory symptoms among traffic policemen in Bangkok.

In this cross-sectional study, the authors examined the relationship between traffic-based air pollution and chronic, nonspecific respiratory symptoms among traffic policemen in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 1,603 policemen who lived and worked in areas that had 3 different levels of airborne particulates were evaluated. The authors used a modified standardized questionnaire to identify nonspecific respiratory disease (NSRD) in participants. The prevalence of NSRD in heavily polluted, moderately polluted, and suburban areas was 13.0%, 10.9%, and 9.4%, respectively. Among nonsmokers, the age-adjusted prevalence of NSRD in the heavily polluted areas was significantly higher than in the suburban control area. Also among nonsmokers, the odds ratio for NSRD for each 10-microg/m3 increase in ambient particulate matter was 1.11. The authors concluded that the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms among traffic policemen in Bangkok was associated with urban traffic air pollution.

Stated choice valuation of urban traffic air pollution and noise

In this study environmental problems related to urban traffic are valued by Stated Choice. Stated Choice is a Stated Preference method in which non-market goods are assessed relatively to each other and not in absolute amounts as with the more common Contingent Valuation Method. The use of Stated Choice to estimate people’s willingness to pay to reduce environmental problems caused by road traffic can be seen as an extension of the established use of Stated Choice in transport research. Despite the fact that the results from this study have been used by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in their cost benefit analyses since 1995, this paper points to the fact that considerable uncertainty remains with regard to (1) the area of validity of the results, (2) the impact on the valuations of interaction effects and other general methodological problems with Stated Preference methods, and (3) problems related to the complex choice situation of Stated Choice.