DISPERSION AND RE-SUSPENSION OF FINE AND COARSE PARTICULATES IN AN URBAN STREET CANYON

Dispersion of fine and coarse particulates in the near-field of vehicles has not received as much attention as gaseous pollutants emitted by motor vehicles, even though recent studies indicate that fine particulates in air could be major contributors to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This has increased the need to know more about the way particulates disperse in the near-field, especially in street canyons where pollutants tend to build up to high levels. Movement of vehicles is known to re-suspend particulates deposited on road surfaces resulting in higher pollution levels. This paper presents results of a study on dispersion of particulate pollution from motor vehicles in urban areas. Levels of airborne fine and coarse particulate matter were measured using 2 aerosol spectrometers in an urban street canyon in Nottingham, U.K. Detailed data on traffic flow and vehicle classification was collected using video recording and sample surveys. No direct correlation was evidenced for fine particulates and traffic volume for 15-min averages; however, good correlation was seen between coarse particulates and traffic volume. This prompted a study on the micro-level, at very short time scale, of the effect of vehicle movements on dispersion of particulate pollution in the near-field. Autocorrelation analysis proved that, although there was strong periodicity in traffic flow data, there was none in the levels of coarse and fine particles, suggesting that these levels do not follow the traffic flow pattern. This was confirmed by cross-correlation analysis.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00489697
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  Radarweg 29
  Amsterdam,   Netherlands  1043 NX
• Publication Date: 1999-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 3-13
• Serial:
  • Science of the Total Environment
  • Volume: 235
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0048-9697
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00489697

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Autocorrelation; Diseases and medical conditions; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Health hazards; Motor vehicles; Particulates; Pollutants; Traffic flow; Traffic volume; Urban areas; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Urban street canyons
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00798725
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 14 2000 12:00AM