Road traffic air and noise pollution exposure assessment - A review of tools and techniques

Quiet, clean, green, and active: A Navigation Guide systematic review of the impacts of spatially correlated urban exposures on a range of physical health outcomes

BACKGROUND

Recent epidemiologic analyses have considered impacts of multiple spatially correlated urban exposures, but this literature has not been systematically evaluated.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize the long-term impacts of four distinct spatially correlated urban environmental exposures - traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), noise, natural spaces, and neighborhood walkability - by evaluating studies including measures of at least two such exposures in relationship to mortality, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, allergy, type 2 diabetes, or reproductive outcomes.

METHODS

Following the Navigation Guide framework, the literature was searched for studies published since 2003 and meeting predefined inclusion criteria. Identified studies were scored individually for risk of bias and all studies related to an exposure-group set were appraised for overall quality and strength of evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 51 individual studies (TRAP and noise: n = 29; TRAP and natural spaces: n = 10; noise and natural spaces: n = 2; TRAP, noise, and natural spaces: n = 7; TRAP, noise, natural spaces, and walkability: n = 3) were included. When TRAP and noise were considered jointly, evidence was sufficient for increased cardiovascular morbidity with higher noise exposures; sufficient for no effect of TRAP on CVD morbidity; sufficient for increased mortality with higher TRAP exposures, but limited for noise; and limited for increased adverse reproductive outcomes with higher TRAP exposures and no effect of noise. Looking at natural spaces and TRAP, there was limited evidence for lower risk of chronic respiratory disease and small increases in birthweight with greater natural space; this relationship with birthweight persisted after adjustment for noise as well. Evidence was inadequate for all other exposure groups and outcomes.

DISCUSSION

Studies that properly account for the complexity of relationships between urban form and physical health are limited but suggest that even highly correlated exposures may have distinct effects.

REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018106050.

Low-Cost Sensors for Urban Noise Monitoring Networks-A Literature Review

Noise pollution reduction in the environment is a major challenge from a societal and health point of view. To implement strategies to improve sound environments, experts need information on existing noise. The first source of information is based on the elaboration of noise maps using software, but with limitations on the realism of the maps obtained, due to numerous calculation assumptions. The second is based on the use of measured data, in particular through professional measurement observatories, but in limited numbers for practical and financial reasons. More recently, numerous technical developments, such as the miniaturization of electronic components, the accessibility of low-cost computing processors and the improved performance of electric batteries, have opened up new prospects for the deployment of low-cost sensor networks for the assessment of sound environments. Over the past fifteen years, the literature has presented numerous experiments in this field, ranging from proof of concept to operational implementation. The purpose of this article is firstly to review the literature, and secondly, to identify the expected technical characteristics of the sensors to address the problem of noise pollution assessment. Lastly, the article will also put forward the challenges that are needed to respond to a massive deployment of low-cost noise sensors.

Modeling of pollutant distribution based on mobile sensor networks

Pollution monitoring based on wireless sensor networks is becoming highly attractive. This paper presents an effective pollutant distribution modeling approach using a mobile sensor network. As for mobile nodes, energy consumption and link quality between nodes are two key factors. In the proposed approach, we present an autonomous sensing model and an energy-driven motion control scheme, which can make a good trade-off between energy efficiency and modeling accuracy. A comprehensive set of simulations demonstrate that our approach can model the pollutant distribution with less iteration times and higher accuracy. In particular, even for a relatively complex concentration field, the similarity between the reconstructed model and the pollutant distribution can reach 95% through about 20 iterations using 25 mobile sensor nodes. Moreover, we validated the feasibility of the proposed approach through an actual monitoring of water pollutant distribution.

Association between exposure to air pollution and thalamus volume in adults: A cross-sectional study

Background

Air pollution has been associated with cognitive function and brain volume. While most previous research has examined the association between air pollution and brain volume in cortical structures or total brain volume, less research has investigated associations between exposure to air pollution and subcortical structures, including the thalamus. Further, the few available previous studies investigating associations between air pollution and thalamic volume have shown mixed results.

Methods

In this study, we evaluated the association between PM_2.5, PM_2.5–10, PM₁₀, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxides and volume of the thalamus in adults using the UK Biobank resource, a large community-based sample, while adjusting for multiple covariates that could confound an association between air pollution and thalamic volume.

Results

In adjusted models, the left but not right thalamus volume was significantly inversely associated with PM_2.5–10, although there were no significant associations between PM_2.5, PM₁₀, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxides with either left or right thalamic volumes. In addition, interactions between age and PM_2.5–10 and PM₁₀ were inversely associated with thalamic volume, such that thalamic volume in older people appeared more vulnerable to the adverse effects of PM_2.5–10 and PM₁₀, and interactions between educational attainment and PM_2.5, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxides and between self-rated health and PM_2.5–10 were positively associated with thalamic volume, such that higher educational attainment and better self-rated health appeared protective against the adverse effects of air pollution on the thalamus.

Conclusion

These findings suggest a possible association between thalamic volume and air pollution particularly in older people and in people with comparatively low educational attainment at levels of air pollution found in the United Kingdom.

Using Mosses as Bioindicators of Potentially Toxic Element Contamination in Ecologically Valuable Areas Located in the Vicinity of a Road: A Case Study

This study analyzed the impact of road transportation on the concentration of Zn, Ni, Pb, Co, and Cd in moss (Pleurozium schreberi). The study was carried out over five years near a national road running from the north to the east (Poland) in the area of Natura 2000 sites. Samples were collected at three significantly different locations: (1) near a sharp bend, (2) near a straight section of the road in a woodless area, and (3) in a slightly wooded area. At each location, moss samples were collected from sites situated 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 m from the road edge. The highest Zn and Cd contents in the moss were recorded 6 m from the road edge near a sharp bend (where vehicles brake sharply and accelerate suddenly). At the same location, at a distance of 2 m, the highest Pb concentration was noted, and at a distance of 4 m from the road, the highest Ni concentration was noted. The Co concentration in the moss was the highest near the woodless straight section at a distance of 2 and 12 m from the road. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, Ni, Co (only at the woodless location), and Cd (at all locations) were significantly and negatively correlated with distance from the road.

A nuanced approach to the Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region related to traffic noise

The recently published guide "Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region" provides evidence of the non-auditory effects of environmental noise on population health. This guide reflects the current state of knowledge about how traffic noise affects cardiovascular diseases among others. Despite the valuable contributions of this document in terms of current knowledge, there are different points of improvement in terms of implementation of the guide for all Europe. The studies related to Southern Europe have little presence, probably due to the lack of research in this issue, it means, there are few studies that evaluate short-term effects of noise on morbid-mortality. In this sense, it would be advisable to include the most recently published papers on the subject. Due to the aforementioned, the noise exposure assessment should be considerate at the short and long term to evaluate completely the noise effects on health, specially taking into account the characteristics of countries in which leisure-related noise is especially problematic.

Fuel consumption and emissions performance under real driving: Comparison between hybrid and conventional vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are perceived to be more energy efficient and less polluting than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. However, increasing evidence has shown that real-driving emissions (RDE) could be much higher than laboratory type approval limits and the advantages of HEVs over their conventional ICE counterparts under real-driving conditions have not been studied extensively. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the real-driving fuel consumption and pollutant emissions performance of HEVs against their conventional ICE counterparts. Two pairs of hybrid and conventional gasoline vehicles of the same model were tested simultaneously in a novel convoy mode using two portable emission measurement systems (PEMSs), thus eliminating the effect of vehicle configurations, driving behaviour, road conditions and ambient environment on the performance comparison. The results showed that although real-driving fuel consumption for both hybrid and conventional vehicles were 44%-100% and 30%-82% higher than their laboratory results respectively, HEVs saved 23%-49% fuel relative to their conventional ICE counterparts. Pollutant emissions of all the tested vehicles were lower than the regulation limits. However, HEVs showed no reduction in HC emissions and consistently higher CO emissions compared to the conventional ICE vehicles. This could be caused by the frequent stops and restarts of the HEV engines, as well as the lowered exhaust gas temperature and reduced effectiveness of the oxidation catalyst. The findings therefore show that while achieving the fuel reduction target, hybridisation did not bring the expected benefits to urban air quality.

Indoor and outdoor road traffic noise and incident diabetes mellitus: Results from a longitudinal German cohort study

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Road traffic noise affects a large number of people in urbanized areas. Recent epidemiological evidence indicates that environmental noise exposure may not only be associated with cardiovascular but also with cardio-metabolic outcomes. This prospective cohort study investigated the effect of outdoor and indoor residential road traffic noise on incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Rzeszow as a City Taking Steps Towards Developing Sustainable Public Transport

The paper discusses problems related to the functioning of passenger transport in Rzeszow. The dynamic development of the city and the increase in the income of its inhabitants have led to significantly increased traffic within the city, which is detrimental both to the environment and the city’s inhabitants. It limits the quality of life in the city and in the end generates additional costs for businesses and people in urban areas due to the congestion. In compliance with the policies of the European Union, this harmful tendency needs to be limited. Developing sustainable transportation should largely contribute to this objective. With the city of Rzeszow as example, this article discusses selected actions and measures taken as part of the development of sustainable transportation and demonstrates changes in the functioning of public transport based on the author’s own research as well as data provided by the city’s authorities. The analyses show that the actions taken so far have had a positive impact.

Outdoor spatial distribution and indoor levels of NO2 and SO2 in a high environmental risk site of the South Italy

In the frame of the project EDOC@WORK3.0, Education and Work on Cloud, a monitoring plan has been carried out in the highly industrialized town of Taranto (one of the most polluted sites of Italy) in order to investigate contemporary indoor and outdoor concentrations of NO₂ and SO₂ by passive sampling devises (Radiello). Simultaneously indoor and outdoor samplings of NO₂ and SO₂ were performed from 2nd November 2015 to 2nd December 2015 in nine sites scattered in the investigated area at different quotes and distances from the industrial complex. Our findings show substantial differences between the spatial distributions of the two pollutants and support the hypothesis of two different prevalent sources for NO₂ and SO₂. In particular, we find diffusive sources of NO₂ linked mainly to the vehicular traffic and secondarily to industrial sources. In contrast, SO₂ was mainly associated to industrial sources present in the area, representing also a proxy of the mixture of air contaminants associated to industrial processes. Our hypothesis is also confirmed by analysis of data measured by ARPA air quality monitoring stations. Comparison between indoor and outdoor concentrations confirms that outdoor pollutants infiltrate to indoor environments, moreover it highlights potential NO2 indoor sources basically linked to cooking activities, representing adverse health effects for population risk categories such as children or cooks. Considering that urban people spend a lot of their time in indoors, attention should be paid both to outdoor pollutant sources and to indoor sources.

Application of Artificial Neural Networks for Noise Barrier Optimization

In the modern world, noise pollution continues to be a major problem that impairs people’s health, and road traffic is a primary contributor to noise emissions. This article describes an environmental impact study of the noise generated by the reconstruction of an urban section of a highway. Noise maps were calculated, and an environmental impact matrix was generated to determine the environmental impact of this reconstruction. The implementation of noise barriers was simulated based on these noise maps, and the effectiveness of the barriers was evaluated using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) combined with Design of Experiments (DoE). A functional variable significance analysis was then made for two parameters, namely, the coefficient of absorption of the barrier material and the barrier height. The aim was to determine the influence of these parameters on sound attenuation and on the formation of acoustic shadows. The results obtained from the ANNs and DoE were consistent in demonstrating that the absorption coefficient strongly influences the noise attenuation provided by noise barriers, while barrier height is correlated with the formation of larger areas of acoustic shadow. The environmental impact matrix also indicates that the existence of noise pollution has a negative effect on the environment, but that this impact can be reversed or minimized. The application of simulated noise barriers demonstrated that noise levels can be reduced to legally acceptable levels.

Greenspace seems protective of both high and low blood pressure among residents of an Alpine valley

BACKGROUND

There is some data suggesting that residential greenspace may protect against high blood pressure in urbanized areas, but there is no evidence of effects on hypotension, in less urbanized areas, and in idiosyncratic geographic contexts such as mountain valleys.

OBJECTIVES

The current study aimed to investigate the associations between residential greenspace and blood pressure in an alpine valley in Austria.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 555 adults living in the Lower Inn Valley, Austria. Several definitions of blood pressure were employed: continuously-measured systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), doctor-diagnosed hyper- and hypotension, and high- and low blood pressure medication use. Greenspace metrics considered were: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and tree cover as measures of surrounding greenness in circular buffers of 100 m, 300 m, 500 m, and 1000 m around the home; distance to different types of structured green space; and having a domestic garden and a balcony. Relationships were examined across different definitions of blood pressure and greenspace and evaluated for potential effect modification by demographic factors, presence of a domestic garden/balcony, adiposity, and traffic sensitivity.

RESULTS

Higher overall greenness was associated with 30-40% lower odds of hyper/hypotension and 2-3 mm Hg lower SBP. Similar pattern was revealed for tree cover, however, associations with hypertension were less consistent across buffers, and SBP and DBP were lower only in association with greenness in the 100-m buffer. Having a domestic garden also seemed protective of high DBP. Residing near to forests, agricultural land, or urban green spaces was not related to blood pressure. Higher NDVI_500-m was stronger associated with lower SBP in those having a domestic garden, while the effect on DBP was stronger in overweight/obese participants.

CONCLUSION

These findings support the idea that greenspace should be considered as protective of both high and low blood pressure, however, underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood.