L. Int Panis

Exposure assessment of a cyclist to PM10 and ultrafine particles

Estimating personal exposure to air pollution is a crucial component in identifying high-risk populations and situations. It will enable policy makers to determine efficient control strategies. Cycling is again becoming a favorite mode of transport both in developing and in developed countries due to increasing traffic congestion and environmental concerns. In Europe, it is also seen as a healthy sports activity. However, due to high levels of hazardous pollutants in the present day road microenvironment the cyclist might be at a higher health risk due to higher breathing rate and proximity to the vehicular exhaust. In this paper we present estimates of the exposure of a cyclist to particles of various size fractions including ultrafine particles (UFP) in the town of Mol (Flanders, Belgium). The results indicate relatively higher UFP concentration exposure during morning office hours and moderate UFP levels during afternoon. The major sources of UFP and PM(10) were identified, which are vehicular emission and construction activities, respectively. We also present a dust mapping technique which can be a useful tool for town planners and local policy makers.

THE EXTERNAL COSTS OF AIR POLLUTION BY MOTORCYCLES

The paper evaluates the consequences for air quality of modal shifts between passenger cars, motorcycles and transit buses. First, estimates of external costs of different types of motorcycles (considered are only vehicles with 4-stroke engines larger than 50cc) are presented. Second and the most important objective is to compare the environmental performance of motorcycles with cars and buses. Provided is an assessment of which emissions are dominant in the external costs and which measures could be taken for the abatement of air pollution by motorcycles. Also addressed is the question of whether motorcycles are an alternative to cars and buses from an environmental perspective.

Emissions Of Mopeds And Motorcycles In Belgium

In this paper we report our estimates for the total emission of CO, NOX,VOC and COZ of mopeds and motorcycles in Belgium and indicate confidence intervals. Data on the fleet of motorcycles are readily available from registration records, but the number of mopeds had to be estimated. Different sources were evaluated to obtain a best estimate for the yearly mileage and a distribution over rural, urban and highway roads. Most emission factors used were provided by MEET. Emission factors for CO and VOC are much higher than the factors of modem petrol cars, When compared to the total Flemish road transport emission ( 1999) it turns out that mopeds and motorcycles can no longer be neglected. They are responsible for 11% (58ktonne; 7-15%) of the CO emission and 25% (22ktonne; 15-35%) of the VOC emission, These shares have doubled over the last decade. This can be explained by their success, but also by the introduction of environmentally friendly cars since the beginning of the nineties and the fact that more stringent emission regulations for mopeds and motorcycles came into force in 1997. When compared to the total emission of Flanders in 1999, the mopeds and motorcycles are responsible for 6,6°A of the total emission of CO and 6.9°/0 of the total emission of NMVOC, or, weighted to the capacity to produce ozone, of 3.7~0 in the total emission of ozone precursors. An attempt to quantify the noise emission by mopeds and motorcycles failed due to a lack of data.

PM And NO2 At Urban Sites With DifferentTraffic Exposure:Curb Site Measurements In Flemish Cities

Road transport is known as one of the main sources of urban air pollution, especially PM and NOx. The knowledge that PM may induce adverse health effects is an incentive for progressive cities to evaluate local air quality and to consider what action should be taken. Existing air quality measurement networks measure air pollution at different sites and give an ‘average value’ for the surrounding area. However, most of these measurement stations are not located at hot spot locations, e.g. close to busy roads. The aim of this study is to assess the air quality at urban (curb site) locations. PM10 daily average values were measured during 3-4 weeks at six locations representing different ‘typical’ traffic locations: e.g. ring road, access road, parking route, local traffic. NO2 was measured at all locations. At the background location lowest concentrations were measured for all parameters. Differences in PM10 and NO2 were observed between the different locations. It seems that NO2 is more sensitive to traffic exposure than PM10. This is due to the higher background and background variation of PM10. The highest NO and NO2 values were measured at the bus location,. Highest concentrations of PM10 and black carbon are measured at the ring location. However some trends could not be explained.

Assessment of different land use development scenarios in terms of traffic flows and associated air quality

Compact and polycentric city forms are associated with minimal consumption of land and energy, and are often promoted as the more sustainable and hence preferred mode of urban development. In this context, a series of numerical simulations was performed to evaluate the impact of two urban development scenarios on air quality and related human exposure. The area that was selected consists of a highly urbanised region in the Ruhr area, located in the north-western part of Germany in central North Rhine-Westphalia with a total population in excess of 5.5 million. The choice for this particular area was mainly motivated by its size and importance, as well as its conversion potential. Two distinct scenarios were selected. The first is referred to as ‘urban sprawl’ and is characterized by a significant increase in built-up surface. This scenario supposes a continuation of the current process of people leaving the highly occupied central part of the study area to settle in the greener surroundings. In the second scenario, referred to as ‘satellite cities’, persons and jobs were displaced to five existing towns located near the core of the urban area. Models dealing with land use, traffic flows, and atmospheric dispersion were applied, first under conditions representative of the urbanised area as it is today. Subsequently, the urban development scenarios were implemented using spatial modelling techniques, and the impact of the scenarios with respect to air quality was evaluated, including an estimate of human exposure to air pollution and the associated external costs.