Traffic pollution

Ieradi, L.A., M. Cristaldi, D. Mascanzoni, E. Cardarelli, R. Grossi, and L. Campanella. 1996. Genetic damage in urban mice exposed to traffic pollution. Environ. Pollut. 92 323-328. 

Look around on the streets and what do you see Lights Backed up traffic Pollution Besides all of these terrible things you ll see homeless children—children who have to beg for money just so they can live. These children are very unhappy, and need help. And the organization called Operation Sleep Sac is just the way to help these unhappy children. 

Rozen, A. and Mazur, L. (1997) Influence of different levels of traffic pollution on haemoglobin content in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 29, 709-711. 

McCrae IS, Williams ID. 1994. Road traffic pollution and public nuisance. Sci Total Environ 146/147 81-91. 

Because of very complex terrain the application of simple dispersion models is very limited in Slovenia. Traffic pollution and the high level of surface ozone are the main current air pollution problems in the country. No official standard model for regulatory purposes has been accepted in Slovenia up to present. The US EPA model ISC3 is used for routine dispersion calculations from point sources. Some other imported models were tested in Slovenia but only on research basis. A neural network forecasting model was developed for the Sostanj thermal power plant. No urban air pollution studies are reported from Slovenia. Air pollution modelling is performed at the Jozef Stefan Institute, Dept, of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia (US, 2005), AMES d.o.o. and the Hydrometeorological service. 

The emitted quantities are correlated to the traffic density. Estimations are made with different criteria the total amount of emitted pollutants (Table 2) or the relative importance of traffic pollution in the global pollution pattern (Table 3). 

Moscato et al. (1997) studied concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene in a hospital in Italy located far away from industrial and high-traffic pollution. They undertook fixed-site and area monitoring using the 130-Radiello, radial-diffusive type cartridge filled with 530 mg of activated charcoal and an exposure period of 8 h. For analysis the charcoal was solvent desorbed with carbon disulfide and analysed by GC/FID using a Vocol 30 m/0.53 mm ID/3 pm film thickness fused silica capillary column (Supelco, USA). Indoor benzene concentrations were low (<1 pg/m ), mean toluene concentrations ranged from 1.44 pg/m (summer) to 6.04 pg/m (autumn) and xylenes ranged from 10.78 pg/m- (summer) to 21.48 pg/m (winter). 

Reduce or eliminate the causes of degradation (off-road traffic, pollution, etc.). 

Outdoor inhalation exposure is mainly due to traffic, energy production, heating, and natural factors such as pollen and mineral dusts. These outdoor sources of pollution also affect indoor air quality. The indoor concentration is typically 20-70% of the corresponding outdoor concentration. Occasionally the indoor concentrations of an external pollutant (especially radon) may even exceed the concentrations outdoors. ... 

In densely populated areas, traffic is responsible for massive exhausts of nitrous oxides, soot, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. Traffic emissions also markedly contribute to the formation of ozone in the lower parts of the atmosphere. In large cities, fine particle exposure causes excess mortality which varies between one and five percent in the general population. Contamination of the ground water reservoirs with organic solvents has caused concern in many countries due to the persistent nature of the pollution. A total exposure assessment that takes into consideration all exposures via all routes is a relatively new concept, the significance of which is rapidly increasing. 

Higher incomes, higher automobile ownership, and a decline in the population and workplaces that can be sciwcd by mass transit has lead to the declining mass transit demand. Criticism of this shift toward the private automobile comes mainly because the individual driver receives the short-term benefits (privacy, comfort, speed, and convenience), while the negative social consequences (air pollution, traffic jams, and resource depletion) are shared by all. Moreover, if people drove less, and drove more-fuel-efficient vehicles, the positive national goal of less dependence on imported oil would be achieved. 

Thermal inversions make winter the most unfavorable season for clean air. Vast differences in air quality are found in the industrialized north, and the residential southwest regions. Particulate matter influences mainly the north, where industries, landfills, and the dried bed of Texcoco Lake are located. Sulfur oxides impinge primarily on the northeast and southwest. High carbon monoxide concentrations are found in heavy traffic areas such as the northwest. Ozone affects predominantly the southwest at any season. We have selected air quality records from data generated by stations registering the higher pollutant levels, as follows ... 

The unplanned growth of cities Is accompanied by Increased traffic, energy consumption. Industrial activity and pollution. Stationary sources such as power plants, emit most of the SO, and some of the SPH and NO,. Host of the CO and Pb and much of the particulate matter and Oj are emitted from mobile sources (cars, trucks, buses, planes, etc.). 

Less Information Is available for the other three pollutants shown In the tables. In Industrial countries In North America and Europe air quality monitoring Indicates that NOj levels may Increase risk to 15-20 percent of the residents. Exceedances of the shortterm guideline for CO appear relatively common In the reporting cities. Such exposures are likely to occur In locations with high traffic densities. With regard to Pb levels, approximately 20% of the cities have annual average lead concentration levels which exceed the WHO guideline. 

Traffic congestion leads to vehicular pollution, loss of precious time (hampering productivity), and stress to citizens and thus has a serious negative effect on the penetration of automobiles. 

Damage Water pollution Odor pollution Peak power Lx)ads Air pollution Water pollution Traffic congestion Noise Land loss Pollution... 

Today s society asks for technology that has a minimum impact on the environment. Ideally, chemical processes should be clean in that harmful byproducts or waste are avoided. Moreover, the products, e.g. fuels, should not generate environmental problems when they are used. The hydrogen fuel cell (Chapter 8) and the hydrodesulfurization process (Chapter 9) are good examples of such technologies where catalysts play an essential role. However, harmful emissions cannot always be avoided, e.g. in power generation and automotive traffic, and here catalytic clean-up technology helps to abate environmental pollution. This is the subject of this chapter. 

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